Over 120 students were conferred with the BSc. Applied Accounting Degree at the 2017 convocation of the CA Sri Lanka School of Accounting and Business recently.
The convocation was held under the patronage of Emeritus Prof. M. W. Wickramarachchi, of the University of Sri Jayawardenepura and Emeritus Prof. 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.
Chief guest Prof. Wickramarachchi said that the new trend in developed countries is to modify the accounting degree curriculum to satisfy the needs 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, said 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 socio-political culture and socially accepted values,” Prof. Wickramarachchi said.
CA Sri Lanka President Lasantha Wickremasinghe said that the degree the graduates were conferred with will be their global passport to achieve lifelong professional success. But, he also adviced the graduates to continue to update their knowledge if they are to remain relevant.
Wickremasinghe said, “Although we started the degree program with a mission to reduce the gap in the increasing dearth in recognised higher education opportunities in Sri Lanka, the fact that our degree program 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,” Wickremasinghe said.
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 BSc degrees.