CA Sri Lanka’s global qualification attracts thousands of students at EDEX stall 

The globally recognised accounting qualification offered by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka) was among the primary attractions at the recently-concluded EDEX Expo 2013, as thousands of students flocked at the CA Sri Lanka booth showing remarkable interest in the accounting program.

The eye-catching CA Sri Lanka booth infused with the institute’s official colours attracted students from all parts of the country including Colombo and Kandy, as officials gave the visiting students an in-depth overview on the importance of choosing chartered accountancy as a profession, while also highlighting the many benefits chartered accountants enjoy in the business world.

Recognised as Sri Lanka’s largest education and careers exhibition, the EDEX Expo was held in Colombo from 18 to 20 January while the exhibition in Kandy was held on 25 and 26 January.

Speaking on the success at the EDEX Expo, CA Sri Lanka President Sujeewa Rajapakse said the EDEX exhibition has always been an important platform to attract students for the CA Sri Lanka chartered accounting program. “The large number of students who visited the Institute’s stall is testament to the ever-increasing popularity of the professional program we offer,” he noted.

“We tied up with EDEX because we want to attract the best students from the Commerce and non-Commerce streams. Our qualification attracts the best and the brightest students from across the country and EDEX is an important platform to further propagate our qualification,” he said.

Rajapakse emphasised that CA Sri Lanka in its capacity as one of the largest tertiary education establishments in the country currently enjoys a mammoth student base of 41,000 students who are all studying the chartered accounting course.

“These numbers show the standing our institute enjoys both in Sri Lanka and abroad,” he noted.

Rajapakse said that today chartered accountants play a major role in most of the large companies in Sri Lanka, with approximately 60 per cent of the top 50 companies listed in the Colombo Stock Exchange having at least one CA Sri Lanka member on their Board.

He also stressed that amidst various setbacks, which have also resulted in many employees being laid off; there is an impressive increase in employment opportunities for Chartered Accountants in all sectors of the economy today.

“The opportunities for chartered accountants are endless, not only locally but even globally. Approximately, 30 per cent of our chartered accountants serve overseas, in all continents which is proof to our global recognition,” he added.

Chief Executive Officer of CA Sri Lanka Aruna Alwis disclosed that last year the Institute saw a total registration of 10,000 which increased its active student base to 41,000.

“This is an impressive number because it means, over 40,000 students are studying to be chartered accountants,” he noted.

Highlighting the enhanced student facilities at the newly opened CA Sri Lanka multi storied building complex, Alwis said the new building provides modern infrastructure facilities for the benefit of its students including several state-of-the-art lecture and study rooms which can accommodate up to 300 students, a fully-fledged IT laboratory with over 150 computers together with a student counselling and service centre.

CA Sri Lanka was this year’s Gold sponsor for the EDEX exhibition.