Inauguration of MBA/ PGD in Business Administration – 2021 Intake
View(s):The Faculty of Graduate Studies (FGS) of the Sabaragamuwa University of Sri Lanka (SUSL) glamorously held the Inauguration Ceremony of Masters in Business Administration (MBA) / Post Graduate Diploma (PGD) in Business Administration on the 28th of March 2021 at Lake Serenity Resort & Spa, Ratnapura.
The Ceremony was graced by Professor Udaya Rathnayake, Vice-Chancellor, SUSL, as the Chief Guest, Professor H.M.S. Priyanath, Dean, FGS, SUSL, Professor Athula Gnanapala, Dean Faculty of Management Studies (FMS), SUSL, Professor D.A.I. Dayarathne Chairman Board of Study of Management/ Faculty of Graduate Studies and Dr. Jayantha N. Dewasiri, Coordinator 2021 Intake. Mr. Dharma Dheerasinghe, Chairman CBC Finance PLC, attended the Ceremony as the keynote speaker and Mrs. Ramzeena Morseth Lye, Chief Marketing Officer, Hutchison Telecommunication Lanka Pvt. Ltd. as the Guest of Honour.
The dean of the FGS, Professor H.M.S. Priyanath heartily welcomed the dignitaries and the students and congratulated the 2021 Intake for being selected for the Opportunistic few out of many applicants. Vice-Chancellor of SUSL, Professor Udaya Rathnayake, stated the importance of higher studies and focusing on carrier development by addressing the audience.
The dean of FMS, Professor Athula Gnanapala, conveyed his best regards to the new batch while encouraging them to continue with growing excitement and commitment until the completion of the MBA. He further commented that “We are proud and humble to provide a unique Panel of lecturers and practitioners for the students. The lecturer panel composite of foreign and local lecturers and practitioners, through which we expect to deliver the best and allow the students to have a more realistic experience in learning“. Commenting on the Inauguration of 2021 Intake, Professor D.A.I. Dayarathna, Chairman Board of Study FGS, stated that he is thrilled to see a trend in young-adults pursuing higher studies and shooting for ambitious goals.
Mr. Dharma Dheerasinghe, Chairman CBC finance PLC, delivered the keynote speech on “Economic Impact of COVID 19 Pandemic”. He stated that “I thought it is timely and appropriate to speak on an issue which has caused substantial damage to our economy and livelihood.” Through the speech, he touched upon the key issues concerning the economy of Sri Lanka in relation to the COVID 19 pandemic; the impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Country’s GDP, External Sector Imbalance, Disequilibrium in Balance of Payment and Fiscal Imbalance, by taking data from Census and Statistics Dept. and Central Bank into the discussion.
The Guest of honor of the Ceremony, Mrs. Ramzeena Morseth Lye, Chief Marketing Officer of Hutchison Telecommunication Lanka Pvt. Ltd., took a creative entrance to the Guest-speech by equaling the investment in an MBA to having a new girlfriend. She weighted her statement on the additional commitment, time & money consumption, continuous attention, and life fulfillment required and gained by reading for an MBA. She highlighted that “Current knowledge, experience & skills will be inadequate and obsolete. Since the Consumers & the Environment will continuously change and the organizations will be forced to change accordingly. If you don’t keep up, you will be left behind.” Mrs. Ramzeena further stated that an MBA is a perfect mix of knowledge and skills while unfolding the merits of investing in an MBA. She concluded her speech with a memorable note of “Difficult roads Often Leads to the Most Beautiful Destinations.”
Ms. Chathurika Danthanarayana, Past-student MBA-2018 Batch, recalled her transformation through SUSL MBA. She shared how she gained confidence and competence in handling complex business matters thanks to the MBA experience. She further highlighted the importance of public Relations built through the MBA, and the Alumni are thrilled to synthesize with the new members of the SUSL- MBA Family.
Delivering the vote of thanks, the coordinator of the 2021 Intake, Dr. Jayantha Dewasiri, expressed his sincere gratitude to the distinguished dignitaries who have graced the remarkable occasion and shared their invaluable thoughts despite the busy schedules. Further, he heartily extended notes of congratulations to the students of 2021 Intake and Conveyed best wishes to complete the MBA/ PGD in Business Administration successfully.