Pioneering CIMA graduate starts new study adventure in New Zealand

Under New Zealand Immigration rules, Channa is permitted to work for 20 hours a week during his studies and full time during scheduled breaks. “I was lucky enough to get a job within a month of arriving at NMIT itself. I am a Library Learning Centre Ass

You’d be forgiven for thinking that New Zealand is an unusual place to move to, especially if you are an accomplished business consultant and CIMA member with several career successes under your belt. Not so for Channa Gunasekera, who has decided to leave behind his busy life in Colombo and start a new study adventure in Nelson, New Zealand.

“It was a little bit of a spontaneous decision but then again I felt like a change and I wanted some more education at postgraduate level. I was keen to see how businesses worked in a developed country and to get that exposure too.”

Channa is studying for the 18-month Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise programme at Nelson Marlborough Institute of Technology (NMIT) in New Zealand and is due to graduate in November 2016. “I heard about the opportunity to study in New Zealand through CIMA Sri Lanka. I attended an event held by their partners NMIT and Colombo-based immigration consultancy Pro X Ltd,” Channa says.

“I got to New Zealand within a month of enquiring so that speaks for itself about how easy and quick the whole process was. I didn’t have to take an IELTS test and NMIT nominated me for streamlined visa processing so I received my visa in just five days. Pro X really helped me through the application process and the best bit was that their service was free of charge.”

Nelson is a city of around 50,000, situated at the top of New Zealand’s south island. Known as the sunshine region of New Zealand, it is also home to NMIT and most of its 5000 students. As an NZQA Category 1 government provider, NMIT welcomes students from around the world and is the centre of a small but growing Sri Lankan community in Nelson.

NMIT’s Chief Executive, Tony Gray is delighted to see the increase in Sri Lankan students coming to Nelson. “I am thrilled to see the quality of the Sri Lankan students that choose to study with us at NMIT. Channa himself has made a valuable contribution to our community in the short time that he has been with us and is a fantastic example of the kind of talent coming out of Sri Lanka and CIMA.”

Despite being a little nervous about his arrival in New Zealand, Channa has settled in well. “Pro X gave me all the information I needed about life in New Zealand – especially the risks and challenges. They didn’t paint a rosy picture, there was nothing misleading so I felt really prepared for my time here,” Channa says. “I received a very warm welcome from NMIT staff, starting with my airport pick up so it has been very pleasant. There is an enormous amount of support available – even with accommodation, assignment writing and essay checking – there is a lot of help.”

Under New Zealand Immigration rules, Channa is permitted to work for 20 hours a week during his studies and full time during scheduled breaks. “I was lucky enough to get a job within a month of arriving at NMIT itself. I am a Library Learning Centre Assistant so I help students and tutors when I am not in class. I am really happy with that.”

NMIT’s Postgraduate Diploma in Business Enterprise is of one of NMIT’s most popular programmes, partly due to its unique structure. “The programme is designed in a different way to most other programmes, with classes only three days a month,” Channa says. “The rest of the time you spend on your own assignments so you have to be organised – I prefer studying in this way.”

So what does life hold for Channa after his postgraduate studies? “I have the choice to stay and work in New Zealand when I graduate from NMIT – ultimately I would like to get some more New Zealand business exposure and to top up my postgraduate qualification with a Masters programme.”

CIMA members and passed finalists can now take the same pathway as Channa to move to New Zealand.

Contact Pro X New Zealand by emailing,info@ prox.co.nz or by calling Sanjeewa on 0772910644