Professionals

ASARIM: Nursery for capable company executives

Hiran H. SENEWIRATNE

EDUCATION: The Alliance of South Asian Regional Institutes of Management (ASARIM) is a newly restructured corporation with a vision of establishing Colombo as a key South Asian regional Centre on top corporate level management education and training, its President Guy de Fontgalland said.

ASARIM represents a consortium of 19 world class universities through Universitas21 Global based in Singapore, its national strategic partner for Entrepreneurial Development Institute of India (EDI).

This is a Regional Resource Centre for UNIDO, and works in close collaboration with the Federation of Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Sri Lanka (FCCISL) and has signed an agreement with JobsNet to provide major programm of training and job placement.

Universitas21 Global's graduate school delivers higher education for working executives and professionals. The academic programme enhances the knowledge acquired through study and exercises by engaging participants in challenging, interactive problem solving precise.

'We help executives and professionals build their knowledge and analytical skills for better decision- making and refine their investigative skills for continued life-long learning,' he said.

According to Fontagalland their online MBA programme for top corporate level personnel which provide all the study materials online including library facilities.

Due to this feature anybody could follow the MBA programme in any part of the world at their convenience through a computer or laptop, he said. The faculty's professors and the faculty create subjects' characteristically combine academic distinction with professional experience in business.

The courses are designed by distinguished international academics to provide students with a strong theoretical foundation, on which problem solving skills are build as a part of the curriculum. Universitas 21 Global conducts different types of online MBA programmes to suit one's needs and wants, he said.

At present 14 students have enrolled with their MBA programme, which is of two and half year duration.

To get register with their MBA programme one has to have a degree plus working experience on executive capacity, he said. He said that they have back up lecture workshop at their headquarters at the World Trade Centre, he said.

The total cost for the programme is around US$ 7500 for the entire course. Fontgalland said that education, training employment and business development is at the heart of ensuring economic stability and building a dynamic and intelligent nation.

The benefits provided by our programme underscore the importance of the individual as a capital resource. Because human capital is the foundation for success in the information economy, advanced knowledge and skills are essential assets for executives and professionals in the 21st century.

Knowledge is a dynamic asset; as knowledge grown, continued learning is necessary to maintain competitive advantage, Fontgalland said.

He further said that ASARIM is a unique institution in the making. It subscribes to the theory that management and leadership should not be confined to the boardroom of top corporations but should permeate the fabric of society at all levels.

Fontgalland says that it can only be achieved in a society open to ideas, innovations and which can tap into a global reservoir of knowledge and skills.

ASARIM's operational range spans micro-enterprise and microfiance at both rural and urban levels to the highest of education and training. To facilitate this range ASARIM has signed strategic partnership arrangements with Universitas21 Global, the world's largest consortium of universities stables 19 premium level universities from across the world.

ASARIM consults to a large corporation on financial structures provides entrepreneurship development training to unemployed youth in the Southern Province, enroll graduates for MBA programms works with an NGO in Maruthamunai to introduce a new handloom using large technology for India.

ASARIM's first phase of regional operation is based in Matara; operations in the Southern Province are management education and training for junior, middle level executives in government corporations, banks, hospitality and tourism and in manufacturing sectors.

It also help GCE (O/L) and A/L students to enhance business skills as well including career guidance, training and job placement as well. It also working with a London based NGO help the micro finance systems as well.