I had the opportunity to participate in the 51st IEEE Conference on Local Computer Networks (IEEE LCN 2026), held from 7 to 9 October 2026 in Coimbra, Portugal. My participation was supported by the ENSURE-6G secondment, which enabled me to represent the University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP), Sri Lanka, and University College Dublin (UCD), Ireland, through the presentation of our research and active engagement with the international research community. This opportunity was an important milestone in my academic and research career, allowing me to share our research outcomes with an international audience and strengthen my engagement with ongoing developments in computer networking and communications.
IEEE LCN is a well-established international conference organised under the IEEE Computer Society, with a long-standing reputation for presenting significant theoretical and practical advances in computer networking. The 2026 edition brought together researchers, academics, research students, and industry professionals to exchange knowledge and discuss emerging challenges in networking technologies. The conference covered a broad range of research areas, including network security and privacy, artificial intelligence for networking, blockchain and decentralised systems, software-defined networking, mobile and ubiquitous networking, and quantum communications and networking. These themes provide a valuable platform for researchers working on next-generation networks and security solutions.
During the conference, I presented our research paper, representing the collaborative research activities associated with USJP and UCD. The presentation provided an opportunity to communicate our research findings, explain the technical contributions of the work, and engage with other researchers interested in related areas. Presenting at an established IEEE conference also offered a valuable opportunity to receive feedback, discuss the relevance of our research, and identify potential directions for further investigation. This experience contributed to improving the visibility of our research and strengthening our ability to communicate technical findings to an international academic audience.
In addition to presenting the paper, I participated in several technical and research sessions, where I engaged with researchers and learned about recent advances, emerging research challenges, and innovative approaches in computer networking. These interactions provided opportunities to exchange ideas, explore potential research collaborations, and identify connections between the discussions at the conference and my ongoing PhD research. Participation in these sessions was particularly valuable for broadening my research perspective, keeping up to date with developments in the field, and identifying opportunities to strengthen future research publications and collaborative activities.
The support provided through the ENSURE-6G secondment was instrumental in enabling this international research engagement. Overall, my participation in IEEE LCN 2026 represented a valuable contribution to my academic development and to the collaborative research activities involving USJP and UCD. It strengthened my experience in international research dissemination, provided opportunities for professional networking, and supported the continued development of research in advanced networking and security technologies. I am grateful for the support of the ENSURE-6G secondment, which enabled me to present our work and actively participate in this important international research conference.
