The University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP), one of Sri Lanka’s largest state-owned universities, has confirmed a partnership deal with the CISI to promote industry-recognised professional qualifications helping students distinguish themselves in the competitive graduate market
Professor Dissabandara, Professor in Finance, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce USJP; Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Vice Chancellor, USJP; CISI Chief Executive Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI; Brian Selvanayagam, CISI Country Manager Sri Lanka, and Asanaka Wijeratne, CISI Assistant Vice President Sri Lanka
The CISI has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the USJP. CISI Chief Executive Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI, and Professor Sampath Amaratunge, Vice Chancellor, USJP signed the MoU. The signing was witnessed by Dr U Anura Kumara, Dean, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, USJP; Professor Dissabandara, Professor of Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, USJP; Brian Selvanayagam, CISI Country Manager Sri Lanka, and Asanka Wijeratne, CISI Assistant Vice President Sri Lanka.
The university attracts only the top performers from the highly competitive GCE Advanced Level Examination. Under the agreement, the CISI will provide eligible exemptions and membership opportunities for undergraduate students from the USJP’s Faculty of Management and Commerce. This is the largest faculty in the university system in Sri Lanka.
The CISI has been working in the South Asia region for ten years and has its regional operations hub in Sri Lanka. It has formed strategic alliances with local bodies, with the aim of supporting the growth of the financial industry in Sri Lanka, including the Securities & Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC), the Sri Lankan Association of Software and Service Companies (SLASSCOM) and Centre for Banking Studies (CBS), the Association of Professional Bankers of Sri Lanka (APB) and the Tertiary and Vocational Education Commission. It is also supported by many leading local and foreign banks.
CISI CEO Simon Culhane, Chartered FCSI, said: “Many young people want to work in the financial industry, but lack the experience and training it requires. The CISI combines academic and vocational elements, which is a double plus. It offers academic vigour, and helps to build the talent the industry needs.”
Professor Sampath Amaratunge, USJP Vice Chancellor, said: “The co-operation with the CISI is a significant step that will heighten our strategic intent of remaining ‘the Center of Excellence in Management Education in Sri Lanka and beyond’. I am optimistic about how such a partnership would help in moulding the next generation of finance professionals.”