Mercury Institute of management adds another CISI portfolio

The CISI is the largest and most widely respected professional body for those who work in the securities and investment industry in the UK and in a growing number of major financial centres around the world, which currently has more than 40,000 members in 89 countries. The qualification covers the areas of securities, investment, compliance, derivatives, corporate finance and operations.

With its mission to set standards of professional excellence and integrity for the investment and securities industry, providing qualifications and promoting the highest level of competence to their members, other individuals and firms, CISI, as well as providing career enhancing qualifications, is an active membership organization, that brings the individual a wide range of benefits, both in terms of networking and professional development.

Thilina Ukwatta, Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator of Mercury Institute of Management, receiving the international accredited training provider status from CISI UK, from Brian Selvanayagam, Vice President, CISI Sri Lanka.

CISI takes one from a Student, to an Associate (ACSI), then to Member (MCSI), followed by Chartered Member and finally to Chartered Fellow (FCSI). In addition CISI has also established objectives to sustain and develop ethics and integrity in the industry and has developed its Code of Conduct to help its members meet these standards.

In recognition of the demand for qualified and knowledgeable candidates to support Sri Lanka's financial services industry Mercury Institute of Management, received the international accredited training provider status from CISI UK to provide tuition for the CISI qualification to benefit Sri Lankan students. In addition Mercury is the sole platinum approved ACCA tuition provider in Sri Lanka, CIMA quality partner and also the pioneer in CFA education in Sri Lanka.

Commenting on this initiative, " Thilina Ukwatta, Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator and Business Development Manager at Mercury stated "We are very pleased to be part of the developing Sri Lankan financial services sector with our qualifications and CPD programmes and to help the industry build a world class reputation for excellence."

The structure of CISI program is such that students after ordinary and advance level, university undergraduates and graduates, candidates following or after ACCA, CIMA, CMA, CA, IBSL and professionals in industries such as banking and financial services, stock brokering, treasury, fund and wealth management, research, finance, insurance and many more can pursue the qualification from the Fundamentals level to Certificate, followed by Diploma and finally to Masters.

According to Ukwatta, with exams annually written by 750 qualified and practicing professionals, CISI is the most up to date and demand-driven qualification for the financial services industry.

He stated that "We feel that CISI qualification is a perfect fit for Sri Lanka as it aspires to become a financial knowledge hub in the region, a good initiative in the strategic location with a pool of talent.

This is the reason why Mercury's mission is to provide students in Sri Lanka, highly recognized global qualifications in the finance sector, hence undertook to conduct the CISI qualification."

He further emphasized that apart from a booming financial services industry, CISI qualifications will help to build a pool of skilled personnel for the BPO industry which Sri Lanka is promoting as a thrust sector.