CIPM adds 571 more HR graduates to the market at 2019 graduation ceremony

Jayantha Jayaratne Gold Medal Winner  for PQHRM, Inosha Wijenayake with the Chief Guest, Guest of Honor and President CIPM – Dhammika Fernando

CIPM Sri Lanka, the nation’s leader in human resources management, added over 500 human resource graduates to the market in the fast-growing and dynamic discipline of Human Resource Management at the CIPM Graduation Ceremony 2019, ‘Scaling Dizzy Heights – The Beginning of a Glorious Future’, held at the BMICH, Colombo on 30 October. 

CIPM Sri Lanka President Dhammika Fernando, Immediate Past President Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri, Hony. Secretary Ajith Bopitiya, Vice President Sarath Jayasinghe, Treasurer Ken Vijayakumar, Professional and Academic Affairs Committee Chairman Dr. Neil Bogahalande, CIPM CEO P.G. Tennakoon, Director CIPM Professional and Academic Affairs, Director CIPM Business School Chris Obeysekere, Members of the CIPM Executive Council, Faculty members of the CIPM Business school, invitees, parents and students participated at this graduation ceremony. 

Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) Vice-Chancellor/Chief Executive Officer Prof. Lalith Gamage and University of Ruhuna Vice-Chancellor Senior Prof. Sujeewa Amarasena graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and Guest of Honor respectively. Over 500 students of the CIPM Business School representing the streams of PQHRM (Professional Qualification in Human Resource Management), Masters in Human Resource Management (MSc) and National Diploma in Human Resource Training (NDHRT) received their graduation certificates at the Ceremony. 

The coveted Jayantha Jayarathna Trophy for Excellence in Performance in PQHRM was awarded to Inosha Wijenayake. In addition, the CIPM Chartered Fellow was conferred to veteran human resource professionals – Sarath Jayasinghe, Lal Gunasekera and W. Piyasena. 

“Fellow learners who are graduating here today with the premium graduateship in the People Management profession in the Asia Pacific region, the PQHRM of CIPM Sri Lanka, it is with a sense of pride and fulfilment that I stand here today at your graduation ceremony. I am happy and proud that we, as a national institute, are producing 571 graduates for our country in the people management profession. For the last half-century or more, our CIPM graduates have made a significant contribution to make this world of work a better place,” said CIPM President Sri Lanka Dhammika Fernando in his welcome address. 

The CIPM Graduation Ceremony was witness to the graduation of 409 English medium PQHRM students, 77 PQHRM Sinhala medium students, 36 students for the National Diploma in HR Training and Development and 49 students graduating with the M. Sc. in HRD conducted in collaboration with the prestigious Salford University, Manchester, UK. 

“It is a great honour and privilege to be invited as the Chief Guest to this graduation ceremony which is the first since CIPM was conferred the Charter Status. Since joining this program, each and every one of you has gone through a transformational process which transforms you to be a professional, a professional who is going to practice in the industry and contribute to the development of the country. In this process, you have advanced your knowledge, acquired skills while acquiring the skill and ability to think, apply the knowledge and solve the problems,” said SLIIT Vice-Chancellor/Chief Executive Officer Prof. Lalith Gamage.

In his speech, the Guest of Honour, University of Ruhuna Senior Vice-Chancellor Prof. Sujeewa Amarasena said, “In order to reach great heights in your lives and careers, you need to have determination, discipline and education. Be determined to achieve your goals, be disciplined to work towards that goal, and dedicate yourself to achieve that goal, while enjoying life and yourself.” 

CIPM was founded in 1959 – incorporated by Parliamentary Act No. 24 of 1976, amended by Act No. 31 of 2018. CIPM is affiliated to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Human Resource Management and to the World Federation of People Management Associations. CIPM, being a professional institute is also a constituent member of the Organisation of Professional Associations (OPA) Sri Lanka. Currently, CIPM comprises of over 1,600 Professional Members who serve in both public and private organisations. It was elevated to Chartered Status by the Parliament of Sri Lanka on 28 September 2018 by amending the original Act of establishment.