Bridge to future success...

The MBA Degree Programme, University of Peradeniya - a stepping stone for scholars:

Sureni Dayaratne

EDUCATION: Who doesn't dream of achieving success? In a world which is competitive and a one in which one has hardly time to breath, it is no wonder that today's youngsters wish to do their best in attaining the highest peak that they could possibly achieve in their lifetime.

The University of Peradeniya has always been a pioneer in carving out the intellectual traditions of Sri Lanka. Among the numerous programmes that it offers to its participants, the 'Master of Business Administration' (MBA) programme offered by the University is no exception.

Being the third institution in the country and the first outstation University to initiate a properly established MBA programme this event can be classified as a guiding light for future scholars.

The MBA programme has celebrated unique achievements in the past several years. It offers an outstanding management education of superior value. The programme strives to develop business leaders who are well versed in the state-of-the-art technology and advanced academic training.

The Board of Study in Business Administration of the Postgraduate Institute of Agriculture (PGIA), a premier postgraduate institute of Sri Lanka, administers this programme.

The programme was started in 1998 at a very small scale with 20 students. Currently it comprises its ninth batch of students.

When the MBA was instigated "the programme was supported by the University of Stirling (U.K) through the British Council Higher Education Link programme. It was with their input, in designing the curriculum, that we were able to initiate this programme," says Dr. Sarath. S. Kodituwakku, the founder coordinator of the Programme.

The academic staff members of the Dept of Agriculture Economics and Business Management are also among those who took the initiative to give birth to the MBA Programme.

The MBA programme has close collaboration with the Institute of Management, Sri Lanka, the foremost professional body for business leaders and management academics in Sri Lanka.

Thanks to the active participation of a blend of competent and a committed set of professionals and academics that are qualified locally as well as from reputed international Universities and the outstanding qualifications of the student body, the recent achievements of the MBA Programme continue to add value to the University of Peradeniya.

The committed set of lecturers come from various backgrounds and has excelled in multidisciplinary subject areas. Therefore, "we are at a strategic advantage as we can adapt to any context," expressed Dr. Kodituwakku.

Key aspects of the MBA programme:

Team Work:

Teamwork plays a leading role in keeping the programme intact. The programme is designed in such a way that the students are trained to work under pressure in order to deal with the real life contexts. Assignments based on syndicate groups are a key feature of the programme.

Students are grouped in a manner that enables the right blend of senior professionals vs. young graduates, experienced vs. non-experienced individuals and those from different ethnic backgrounds to be combined. Therefore, the student community in all its diversity is made to act together to accomplish given goals.

The MBA Association:

The Association can be introduced as the part and parcel of the MBA programme. It is the key to the current Programme's success which has grown from strength to strength.

This association is empowered to organize activities that will benefit the programme while looking into all its welfare activities. Hence, the Association plays a constructively unifying role in bringing together the programme's academic/ administrative staff and the student body.

Functions - A break from the studies

The MBA Association held its Annual MBA Night at the Earl's Regency Hotel on April 7 with the presence of a gathering of students, academics and professionals. This colourful night of songs and dance is much looked forward to by the students and staff.

The MBA Night fostered much interaction among the members in an atmosphere that is both informal and pleasant after much of the heavy academic schedules.

There is a saying "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". This has not proven true of the academics of the University of Peradeniya.

Hard work, studies ands exams equally balanced with group activities, functions, and entertainment make the MBA programme both fun and educational for its participants.