A stepping stone in higher education history: Japura Masters’ Alumni Association

It is critical to an institution’s success to build an engaged, supportive alumni network. Graduates’ understanding of the university will get stale if communication stops once they leave the institution. Instead, they should be constantly updated so that they may remain interested and informed about the university’s progress. Both the university and the alumni benefit from strong alumni relationships.

Considering all these aspects, Prof. Aruna S. Gamage, the MBA programme coordinator, initiated the formation of the Japura Masters’ Alumni Association ( JMAA) of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura. The inaugural general meeting of the Masters’ Alumni Association of Sri Jayewardenepura University was held on the February 12, 2022 at the new board room of the university premises with the participation of patrons and more than 140 alumni.

Prof. Aruna S. Gamage said the alumni will certainly bring value to both its members and the programme while positively contributing to the career prospects of USJ MBA/ M. Sc. graduates and undergraduates. In addition, the President said the alumni intend to provide the opportunity for masters’ graduates to enhance their career development while encouraging members to foster and build up a strong network with each other. This will assist them in working together for mutual benefit. He emphasised that another important benefit of closely- knit alumni affiliations is that experts belonging to different fields come together in one place. This can help the alumni with collaborative efforts that will bear fruit for all the parties. Future events based on these values have been planned and will be executed in the near future.