|
|
 |
 |
| Sunday, 6 July 2003 |
 |
|
 |
Business |  |
| News Business Features Editorial
|
Qualifying
more students, focus of new CIMA President
by Pelham Juriansz The newly elected President of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), Pravir Samarasinghe plans to focus on qualifying more students during the coming year. Samarasinghe, a CIMA Fellow, also holds an MBA. A Richard Pieris and Co Ltd Director, he was an exemplary student of the Institute, having won the Stanley Berger Jubilee Prize at the CIMA final stage examination. He has co-published his research work 'The Impelling and Impeding Causes and the Development of a Debt Securities Market in Sri Lanka' with CIMA and the Postgraduate Institute of Management, Sri Jayawardenepura University. Samarasinghe plans to focus on four key areas in the coming year - member services, student support, employer relationship and raising CIMA's profile. To improve member services, he plans to improve the employability of CIMA members and students by keeping them abreast of the latest information. The areas of priority are IT and General Management. "CIMA recognises that the reputation and integrity of its members are key to its standing and the future of the profession and the Council will continue to recognise the contribution of outstanding members and students through appropriate schemes," said Samarasinghe. "A key focus of CIMA will be to qualify students. The pass rates in Sri Lanka are steadily improving and much of its credit should go to the colleges of education, which have become innovative and dynamic in the delivery of syllabus. "Further, new classes are envisaged to be inaugurated in Gampaha and Negombo, while support will be extended to Batticaloa and Vavuniya Universities. Presently, the nucleus of CIMA classes are in Kandy, Matara, Kurunegala and Jaffna. "Another area the CIMA Division is working on is in building closer relationships with universities. We are examining exemptions for university undergraduates with relevant degrees from Management faculties." He further said: "Regarding employer relationships, the most important stakeholder is the employer. CIMA students have found it easy to gain employment and the qualification has been well recognised. It is on par with an Honours Degree, and some CIMA-qualified personnel earn up to three times more than a graduate. There is a 100 per cent employability rate, and we hope to sustain that and reduce the unemployability rate of 18 per cent for graduates that exist in this country". "Raising the profile of CIMA is also important as promoting the brand is key to the success of CIMA and its members. CIMA must be perceived and recognised as the most desirable financial qualification for business." "We are not auditors, we are business managers with a sound
training in business, information and finance strategy," Samarasinghe
said. |
|
News | Business | Features
| Editorial | Security Produced by Lake House |
