The Varsity Battles 2023, the inaugural inter-university capital market quiz competition, organised by the Securities and Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka (SEC) and Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), was held at the Grand Kandyan Hotel, Kandy last week.
Over 38 teams from 13 state universities took part.
The team from the Faculty of Commerce and Management of the University of Kelaniya (Kelaniya Mavericks) emerged as the winner of the overall competition and received a cash prize of Rs. 300,000.
A section of the participants.
Chairman, SEC, Faizal Salieh, , Chairman CSE Dilshan Wirasekara, Director General SEC, Chinthaka Mendis, Chief Regulatory Officer, CSE, Renuke Wijayawardhane, Deputy Director General, SEC, Tushara Jayaratne and Senior Vice President, Marketing, CSE, Niroshan Wijesundere and officials of SEC and CSE were also present. The Faculty of Engineering of the University of Moratuwa (Mora Sharks) was placed first runner-up and received a cash prize of Rs. 200,000 while the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Peradeniya (Pera Prodigies) was placed second runner-up and received a cash award of Rs. 100,000.
The objective of Varsity Battles 2023 was to create awareness and educate university students on capital markets and to enhance financial literacy among university students.
The first stage of the quiz (inter-faculty quiz) was launched in May. The competition was conducted at 13 state universities, and the top three teams with the highest scores in this stage were promoted to the final stage.
Participants were tested on their knowledge in Global Markets, General Knowledge, Sri Lankan Economy and Businesses, Current Affairs, Sports, Entertainment and other areas in relation to the management of financial securities.
CSE Chairman, Dilshan Wirasekara said, “The quiz competition is another initiative by the CSE in collaboration with the SEC to create awareness on the importance of financial, investor, and capital market education. Thus, this initiative highlights the importance of financial literacy for every undergraduate in Sri Lanka.”
“SEC and CSE initiated Varsity Battles with the intention of convincing the public that financial education could be quite an exciting and fun-filled engagement. This interest in the universities to participate and view this quiz as a fun and engaging learning experience has been vital to the success of this event,” he said.
SEC Chairman, Faizal Salieh said, “Understanding basic financial skills and concepts is not merely an individual responsibility but a cornerstone for a successful financial future. In 2009, the SEC conducted the inaugural Inter-University Quiz Competition, which set the stage for Varsity Battles 2023, the first-ever University Quiz organised by the SEC in collaboration with the CSE.
“A financially literate generation, nurtured through initiatives like this, will undoubtedly contribute to a more prosperous and resilient society.
“This program aims to create opportunities for undergraduate students to enhance their understanding of the capital market, potentially motivating them to explore stock market investment and pursue careers in the capital market sector,” he said.
