‘Pragnyawalokanaya’ scholarship programme on Sunday

‘Pragnyawalokanaya’ is a scholarship programme where Advanced Level students who have excelled in their examination receive scholarships to study CIMA.

The scholarship programme will be taking place at the BIMCH ‘Mihilaka Medura’ on 19 December 2010 from 2 p.m. onwards. Ministers Bandula Gunawardena and S.B. Dissanayake will be gracing the occasion as Chief Guest and Guest of Honour. Minister Patali Champika will address the gathering as the keynote speaker.

The ‘Pragnyawalokanaya’ programme was originated in 2006 by a concept of Leo Dhanushka Ramanayake, Past President of the world renowned club, The Leo Club of Colombo Wekanda. In 2006, it first started as a multi-religious project organised for a blessing for the students sitting for their GCE A/L examinations. The project turned out to be a huge success with gracefully conducted Buddhist, Christian and Hindu religious services. To reward its efforts, students participated in numbers for the event.

The Leo Club of Colombo Wekanda came forward in 2007 to organise mass scale A/L seminars for students in science and commerce streams under ‘Pragnyawalokanaya’. These seminars were conducted at Visakha Vidyalaya, Colombo, by well-known lecturers. More than 1,000 students from all over the district benefited from this project. These two projects were continued in 2008 as well.

‘Pragnyawalokanaya’ took another step forward in 2009 to award scholarships for the highest achievers in the G.C.E A/L examination 2009. Under this programme the top 10 island rank students, district first in 25 districts and best results in every Government and semi-Government school in the Colombo Educational Zone for all the four streams (arts, commerce, maths and biology) were granted full/part scholarships to do CIMA/CIM foundation level at Academy of Business Studies (ABS) Institute.

In 2010, it has joined hands with the Achievers Lanka Business School to continue the same scholarship programme. Under this programme the first three island rankers of all four streams will receive a 100% scholarship for the class fees for all the levels to study CIMA.

Island rankers from four to 10 in all four streams will receive a 100% scholarship for the class fees for foundation level and a 75% scholarship for the rest of the levels. Students who are not within the above categories but still are within the first ten of their respective districts and students who are within the first 50 in Colombo and Kandy Districts will receive a 75% scholarship for the foundation level and a 50% scholarship for the rest of the levels. It should be specially mentioned that the island first for mathematics and commerce will receive a 100% scholarship for all the levels, inclusive of the registration fee to be paid to CIMA UK.

An estimated number of 1,000 students from all 25 districts around the island will be benefiting under this program.

In addition to this, the best student in the island in all four streams will be receiving a trophy. As a concept of Faris Ismail, the Advanced Level subject teachers of the students who achieved the island top three ranks in all four streams will receive a trophy of appreciation as well.

Behind all the hard work and sleepless nights of making this grand event a success are the Leos of Colombo Wekanda. The Leo Club of Colombo Wekanda is one of the strongest Leo clubs in Sri Lanka, which has done immense service to the community.

Within the short history of nine years this club has reached the highest rank a Leo club can ever reach, being crowned ‘The Best Leo Club in the World’ at the Academy Awards Ceremony in Boston, USA in 2006. The Leo Club of Colombo Wekanda has also brought pride to Sri Lanka by presenting three ‘Leos of the World’. This project has a total estimated value of more than Rs. 40 million, which will be sponsored by Achievers Lanka Business School. Achievers has the most outstanding lecture panel comprising of senior lecturers who boast of many years of teaching experience in CIMA education of the calibre of Ravi Edirisinghe, Jairaj Krishnakumar, Senaka Kakiriwaragoda, Faris Ismail, Azad Hye, Dellon Kellar, Shehan Adikari, Surath and Rumy.

Achievers commenced operations in 2006 and since then have produced the largest share of prize winners inclusive of two world’s number one rankers and many top 10 world rankers. Also in 2010 Achievers produced nine out of 11 prizes at the May 2010 exams. This word renowned institute won Asia’s best business school leadership award as well.

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) Sri Lanka Division will also be sponsoring for the event. CIMA is a United Kingdom based professional body offering training and qualification in management accountancy and related subjects, focused on accounting for business; together with ongoing support for members. Its particular emphasis is on developing the management accounting profession within the UK and worldwide.