Sri Jayewardenepura Uni. accepted into CFA Institute University Recognition Program

University of Sri Jayawardenapura Vice Chancellor Prof. Sampath Amaratunga (left) with CFA Sri Lanka President  Sanjay Kulatunga, CFA.  

The University of Sri Jayewardenepura (USJP) has become the latest university to be accepted into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program. The CFA Institute acknowledges the USJP’s Bachelor of Science special degree program in Finance as incorporating at least 70% of the CFA Program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) and placing emphasis on the CFA Institute Code of Ethics and Standards of Practice.

This program positions students to obtain the Chartered Financial Analyst designation, which has become the world’s most respected and recognised investment credential. Participation in this program enables the USJP’s Department of Finance to receive a limited number of student scholarships for the CFA Program each year.

For many years, the USJP has been working closely with the CFA Society Sri Lanka to form a multi faceted collaboration to groom students for careers in the capital markets sphere. Under the mentorship of senior investment industry professionals, students of the Bachelor of Science special degree program in Finance gain exposure to real-life investment analysis by participating in the annual CFA Research Challenge. The team from the USJP was judged national champions at the CFA Research challenge in2011 and preceded to the regional finals at Bali, Indonesia.

Entry into the CFA Institute University Recognition Program signals to potential students, employers, and the marketplace that the USJP’s Bachelor of Science special degree program in Finance is closely linked to professional practices and well suited to prepare students to sit for the CFA examinations. 

“Students in these programs study the CBOK, which includes the core knowledge, skills, and abilities identified by practitioners worldwide as essential for successful practice,” said Charles Appeadu, PhD, CFA, Head of University Relations at the CFA Institute. “By mastering the fundamentals of the CFA Program as well as the Code of Ethics and Standards of Professional Conduct, these future investment professionals gain a strong foundation that helps prepare them well to join the growing CFA Institute community, which is dedicated to promoting the highest standards of ethics, education, and professional excellence for the ultimate benefit of society.”

Management education at the USJP dates back to the late 1950s, when the initial degree programs in Business and Public Administration were launched under the Faculty of Arts. USJP is one of the most progressive and innovative universities which strives to be a centre of excellence and knowledge by offering comprehensive range of disciplines ranging from Art, Management, Science and Medicine.

In 1991,the Department of Accountancy and Financial Management was established, which was later split into two as the Department of Accounting and the Department of Finance with the objective of creating more focused skills in their respective domains. In 2002, the Department of Finance launched the Bachelor of Science special degree program in Finance.

Bachelor of Science special degree program in Finance is one of the most prominent degree program in the university with the focus of producing highly qualified graduates to cater to the global financial markets. This degree program consists of a carefully integrated combination of subjects in the areas of Corporate Finance, Investments, Financial Markets and Institutions. The curriculum is challenging and has been designed to provide the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to be successful in the growing field of Finance. Throughout the specialisation, Department of Finance always maintains higher ethical standards, with the intention of producing finance professionals enriched with ethics and competent knowledge required in the global investment management industry. 

The University of Sri Jayewardenepura is committed to the pursuit and transmission of knowledge through teaching, scholarship and research and active service to the community in an environment which values creativity, freedom of intellectual thought and expression, equal opportunity, fairness and professional growth.

University of Sri Jayewardenepura was established by the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka under the provisions of Universities Act No 16 of 1978. It is an autonomous university established under the provisions of this Act and the following subsequent amending Acts.

The CFA Institute is the global association of investment professionals that sets the standard for professional excellence and administers the industry gold standard CFA charter. The organisation is a champion of ethical behaviour in investment markets and a respected source of knowledge in the global financial community. Its end goal is to create an environment where investors’ interests come first, markets function at their best, and economies grow. The CFA Institute has more than 110,000 members in 139 countries and territories, including 100,000 CFA charter holders. For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org.

The CFA Program sets a standard for developing the skills, standards, competence, and integrity of financial analysts, portfolio managers, investment advisers, and other investment professionals worldwide. It is widely considered the investment profession’s most rigorous credentialing program. Administered in English, the CFA curriculum and examinations are identical worldwide. Less than one in five candidates who begin the program successfully completes it and go on to earn the coveted CFA charter, the ‘gold standard’ for investment professionals.