Over 120 students graduate with BSc. Applied Accounting Degree at CA Sri Lanka’s School of Accounting and Business 2017 convocation
Atotal of 121 students were conferred with the BSc. Applied Accounting Degree at the 2017 convocation of the CA Sri Lanka School of Accounting and Business which was held in midDecember.
The convocation was held under the patronage of Emeritus Professor M W Wickramarachchi, of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and Emeritus Professor Colin N Peiris, of the University of Peradeniya. This was the second batch of students to graduate, after completing their three year course of study and internship.
Speaking at the event, Chief Guest Prof. Wickramarachchi said that the new trend in developed countries is to modify the accounting degree curriculum to satisfy the requirements of professional accounting institutions. “If they do not modify the curriculum, student enrolment in accounting degree programs may diminish; income generation may become low. This may not be directly applicable to Sri Lanka due to our tax payer funded higher education system,” he said.
He however noted that it was important to be aware of these characteristics of international accounting education systems. “Professional accounting institutions in Sri Lanka have to take necessary actions while understanding the sociopolitical culture and socially accepted val- ues,” Prof. Wickramarachchi said.
Addressing the graduates, CA Sri Lanka President Mr. Lasantha Wickremasinghe said that the degree the graduates were conferred with will be their global passport to achieve lifelong professional success. But, he also advised the graduates to continue to update their knowledge if they are to remain relevant. Mr. Wickremasinghe also noted that possessing a qualification alone does not end a graduate’s need to be a relevant profes- sional, as it is only a foundation. “So, you must gain more experience and skills if you are to achieve holistic success. Even though you possess a recognized qualification, it does not mean you can sit back, relax and take it easy and everything will fall on to your lap,” he said.
Within a few years, the BSc. Applied Accounting Degree has gone on to become one of the most sought after degree programmes offered in Sri Lanka. The programme is not only followed by local students, but the programme has also attracted foreign students, since its launch in 2013.
“Although we started the degree programme with a mission to reduce the gap in the increasing dearth in recognized higher education opportunities in Sri Lanka, the fact that our degree programme is now followed by foreign students can also be considered an important stepping stone in helping position Sri Lanka as a destination that offers quality higher education opportunities for non Sri Lankan students,” Mr. Wickremasinghe added.
This is the second convocation ceremony conducted by the School of Accounting and Business of CA Sri Lanka, which is the only professional body in the country to offer a professional qualification and an academic degree in accounting. The inaugural convocation was held last year where 75 students received their BSc. In Applied Accounting, which is also approved by the University Grants Commission, and has also been internationally accredited by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants ( ACCA) and CPA Australia, while Australian universities such as Deakin and La Trobe offer transfer opportunities to students following the CA Sri Lanka Applied Accounting degree.