Mercury Institute of Management adds CISI qualification to its portfolio

In recognition of the demand for qualified and knowledgeable candidates to support Sri Lanka’s financial services industry the Mercury Institute of Management has received the international accredited training provider status from Chartered Institute for Securities and Investments (CISI) UK to provide tuition for its qualification.

CISI is the largest and most widely respected professional body for those who work in the securities and investment industry in the UK and in a growing number of major financial centres around the world, which currently has more than 40,000 members in 89 countries. The qualification covers the areas of securities, investment, compliance, derivatives, corporate finance and operations.

With its mission to set standards of professional excellence and integrity for the investment and securities industry, providing qualifications and promoting the highest level of competence to their members, other individuals and firms, CISI, as well as providing career enhancing qualifications, is an active membership organisation, that brings the individual a wide range of benefits, both in terms of networking and professional development.

CISI takes one from a Student, to an Associate (ACSI), then to Member (MCSI), followed by Chartered Member and finally to Chartered Fellow (FCSI). In addition CISI has also established objectives to sustain and develop ethics and integrity in the industry and has developed its Code of Conduct to help its members meet these standards.

Mercury is also the sole platinum approved ACCA tuition provider in Sri Lanka, CIMA quality partner and also the pioneer in CFA education in Sri Lanka.

Commenting on the CISI initiative, Thilina Ukwatta, Senior Lecturer and Course Coordinator and Business Development Manager at Mercury, stated: “We are very pleased to be part of the developing Sri Lankan financial services sector with our qualifications and CPD programmes and to help the industry build a world class reputation for excellence.”

The structure of CISI program is such that students after ordinary and advance level, university undergraduates and graduates, candidates following or after ACCA, CIMA, CMA, CA, IBSL and professionals in industries such as banking and financial services, stock brokering, treasury, fund and wealth management, research, finance, insurance and many more can pursue the qualification from the Fundamentals level to Certificate, followed by Diploma and finally to Masters.

CISI Sri Lanka has tied up with the local regulator, state bank, private and state commercial banks, stock brokering companies, SLASSCOM, renowned companies in the BPO and KPO industry. Thus following the CISI qualification, gives you confidence and paves way towards working in any of the above sectors. In addition Mercury Institute too has initiated the Mercury Job Bank, facilitating students to fulfil their corporate aspirations. Mercury job bank places its students with accredited employers, thus following CISI qualification at Mercury makes student work to ready.   

According to Ukwatta, with exams annually written by 750 qualified and practicing professionals, CISI is the most up to date and demand-driven qualification for the financial services industry.

He stated: “We feel that CISI qualification is a perfect fit for Sri Lanka as it aspires to become a financial knowledge hub in the region, a good initiative in the strategic location with a pool of talent. This is the reason why Mercury’s mission is to provide students in Sri Lanka, highly recognised global qualifications in the finance sector, hence undertook to conduct the CISI qualification.”

He further emphasised that apart from a booming financial services industry, CISI qualifications will help to build a pool of skilled personnel for the BPO industry which Sri Lanka is promoting as a thrust sector.

Dedication, passion, professionalism and methods of one-to-one coaching at Mercury have seen the institute grow into a foremost institute of learning, respected for its uncompromised standards. Mercury is the only institute which provides study text and course material at the point of enrolment and even pays the initial registration of £25 on behalf of all new CISI registrations.

The strength of Mercury from the inception has been its panel of excellent lecturers of much experienced and highly reputed names in the field of management education. In today’s competitive world, this panel stands out as second to none who possess professional qualifications such as CFA, ACCA, ACA and ACMA (UK).

“The CISI qualification at Mercury welcomes all students, undergraduates and professionals to be enhance and enrich with a wealth of knowledge to face the modern financial world.”