Education

Brandix Platinum sponsor to EDEX ‘09

The Brandix Group plans to take its Green message to tens of thousands of young Sri Lankans at the forthcoming EDEX higher education and careers exhibition, Sri Lanka’s globally-recognised eco-friendly apparel manufacturer announced this week.

Confirming that the Group had come forward once again as Platinum Sponsor for this annual event, a spokesman for Brandix said the company’s numerous initiatives in the sphere of environment-friendly manufacture would be showcased at the ‘Green Zone,’ a new feature at EDEX, the country’s largest education fair.

The sixth edition of EDEX is expected to comprise of 300 stalls and takes place at the BMICH in Colombo from January 23-25 and in Kandy on January 27,28, 2009.

The objective of the event organised by the Royal College Union is “To empower Sri Lankan youth to be globally competitive.”

“Our decision to support this event even in these challenging times is based on the Brandix Group’s commitment to supporting the education and employment of the country’s youth,” Chief Peoples Officer at Brandix Nigel Forbes said. “We now have 25,000 employees in whom commitment to the environment has been infused. EDEX provides a great opportunity to take this message to a much wider and impressionable audience.”

Ranked Sri Lanka’s largest apparel exporter by the Export Development Board (EDB), Brandix is also the country’s most successful Green manufacturer. Brandix owns and operates the world’s highest-rated environment-friendly manufacturing plant — the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum-certified Brandix Eco Centre at Seeduwa — and plans to reduce the Group’s carbon footprint by 30 per cent over the next four years.

A winner of the prestigious International Green Apple Environmental Award and a National Cleaner Production Award, Brandix also has the distinction of obtaining the fastest certification globally for the Worldwide Responsible Apparel Manufacturing Programme (WRAP) and is among the very few companies in the world to be WRAP certified.

ABS to re-launch ACCA

Academy of Business Studies (Pvt) Ltd (ABS) is looking at opening another school in Colombo. Plans are also afoot to expand their present premises at Bullers Road, Colombo 4.

Director cum CEO, ABS, Wasantha S. Fernando said the main reason for the expansion is the surging demand for their courses that have produced world-class winners. The second campus in Colombo would increase their institutions to four, which include Kandy and Matara as well.

“We are in the process of re launching ACCA together with Oxford Brooks degree programme from Oxford Brooks University, which offers a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Accounting.” Fernando said that one of the unique features of their Kandy and Matara branches is that professional and seasoned lecturers who conduct classes in Colombo lecture in them as well.

“We have taken this step so that the outstation students are educated in par with the Colombo students,” he said. He said that they would soon introduce a Degree programme on management studies. “Why we delayed this is to find the right international partner to launch it,” he said.

He also advised both parents and students to carefully select the education institution for their higher studies without being carried away by glitzy advertising. “Several new institutions have sprung up offering very cheap higher education,” he said.

The Academy of Business Studies (Pvt.) Limited (ABS) is the leading professional education provider in Sri Lanka. Launched 13 years ago, ABS consists of a student population of over 6,000 annually following courses of professional study of which includes CIMA, CIM, and ABE along with LCCI and CSE (Colombo Stock Exchange) programmes with well over 75 professionally qualified lecturers on board. ABS does monthly career guidance programmes in the schools for the advanced level, Prefects guilds and Interactors so that the new emerging trends of leadership and business management is shared with the leaders of tomorrow.

ABS students have won international recognition including 21 World Prize Winners for CIMA, two World Prize Winners for CIM, six World Prize Winners for ABE, 102 Sri Lankan prizes in CIMA and 83 Sri Lankan prizes in CIM, which speaks volumes about the lecturing methods and the stability of the institute’s educational standards.

The Learning Support and Research Facility (LSR), is a unique facility, which is accommodated with computerised booking facilities that allows students to receive one to one guidance on difficult topics conducted under a special dedicated team of LSR lecturers.

More details could be obtained from their website, www.absgroup.lk
 

CIMA reports business as usual

Contrary to certain media reports, the CIMA Sri Lanka division reported that its branch office will not be shut and that business and operations will continue as usual. The branch will not be closed. The only development is that the Sri Lanka Divisional Council, which consisted of elected members had been suspended.

CEO CIMA Charles Tilley, said ‘Business will continue as usual and members and students in Sri Lanka can be assured that there will be no impact on the service and support they can expect’.

Adding on to the comments of the CEO, Regional Director, South Asia and Middle East, Bradley Emerson said ‘there is absolutely no need for our stakeholders to worry over the divisional support.

Our operations are continuing and even today the CBA examinations are being conducted at the division. All activities and services to the members and students will continue as usual’.

Following the suspension of the Sri Lanka Divisional Council, President of CIMA, Glynn Lowth, assured that: “CIMA’s commitment to its Division in Sri Lanka remains as strong as ever.

He further stated that a consultative body of at least three members in Sri Lanka is to be appointed by the Honourary Officers of CIMA I London, to advise on the affairs of the Sri Lanka Division during the suspension period.

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, founded in 1919, is the world’s leading and largest professional body of Management Accountants, with 164,000 members and students operating in 161 countries, working at the heart of business. CIMA members and students work in industry, commerce and not-for-profit organisations.

CIM braces for the ensuing year

“In 2009, we expect to intensify our expansion strategy both regionally and provincially” envisaged Chairman, CIM Sri Lanka Region Shiraz Latiff, elucidating on their focus for 2008/2009: “Marketing to the Masses and Marketers to the Boardroom” at the 13th Annual General Meeting of The Chartered Institute of Marketing Sri Lanka Region held on December 2, at Trans Asia Hotel.

Honourary President of CIM Sri Lanka Region Amal Cabraal, chaired the meeting. In pursuit of its vision towards recognition of marketing as the key driver of business strategy in successful corporates, CIM Sri Lanka Region has been in the forefront of marketing education in the country, harnessing marketing knowledge and world-class competencies throughout its 13 years of existence.

Presenting the annual review of activities for 2007/2008, Shiraz Latiff highlighted some of the key initiatives taken by The Institute during the year; which singled out CIM Sri Lanka Region for the prestigious Best International Region Award for the fourth consecutive year at the CIM International Chairmen’s Conference.

In its endeavour to build CIM as the preferred choice for marketing and fostering excellence in the marketing profession, CIM Sri Lanka Region has identified four key stakeholder groups, namely: current and potential students, members who have already completed the qualification, channels and corporates.

Among the key initiatives taken by the institute towards student development and education support during 2008; were the launch of the Introductory Certificate in Marketing programme, introduction of local currency payment and the easy payment scheme through HSBC and American Express credit cards, launch of the CIM Student Chapters, frequent career guidance seminars etc.