State of the Map Asia 2019 Conference

It was a good chance for me to participate in the SOTM Asia 2019 Conference which was held at the Krishibid Institution Bangladesh (KIB) Dhaka, Bangladesh. I was one of the scholars to participate in the conference which was excited and well organized.

I had a chance to meet several participants such as students, academics, companies and the OSM community who were interested in the open data and OpenStreetMap.

The conference had been given me the opportunity to share about the HOTmicrogrant project 2018 Sri Lanka. Most of the participants were excited to know about the HOTmicrogrant project. I thank to Sawan Shariar, the entire committee, volunteer, and organizer who made this conference successfully.

Warm greetings,

S.Suthakaran

It was a great opening to make a relationship with Eastern University of Sri Lanka in Batticaloa that I could able to manage two days OSM training for the students. Lecturers and students were appreciated and looking forward to hear more training in future.

Department of Geography, Eastern University of Sri Lanka has requested to me to do more activities on OSM and they are ready to contribute to develop OSM map in Sri Lanka.

I was surprised when I received an email confirmation of the scholarship to participate in the conference of SOTM 2017. It was the first time to participate in the international SOTM which was held in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima, Japan.

My application of talk SOTM 2017 was selected and I got an opportunity to present the OSM in Sri Lanka in the conference which has given me the opportunity to express my country circumstances of OSM activities and Importance of the OSM activities in Sri Lanka.

SOTM 2017 has given me an opportunity to meet other scholars and most important why I participated that it was to introduce the Sri Lankan OSM community activities and understand about the other OSM community.

I had a chance to meet other OSM community members, researchers, lecturers and other experts and I had wonderful days in Japan. I love Japan Community and their dedicate, punctuality, kind and ect.. if I have a chance to visit to Japan again definitely It will be a great opportunity.

I also plan to become a member of the OpenStreetMap Foundation, and form an OpenstreetMap foundation in Sri Lanka.

Finally I take this opportunity to thank to OpenstreetMap Foundation, Donors, Japan OpenStreetMap Foundation that they gave me the opportunity to participate in STOM 2017 Conference.