An MBA that opens doors

By Gayathri Kothalawala Academia is one way to enhance your life and open up new doors. While pursuing a higher education requires dedication and a time commitment, its rewards are enormous. Sri Lankans are particularly blessed when it comes to tertiary education, with both state universities and private higher education institutions offering quality, recognised programs. The BCAS Campus is at the forefront of the private higher education institutions in the country, and offers programs of studies that are designed to promote the lives of teenaged students as well as those students who are already within the corporate ladder. Hatton National Bank (HNB) Senior Manager – Legal Thusitha Ediriweera studied for his MBA at BCAS and Daily FT spoke with him on his experience as a student at BCAS. The following is an excerpt of the interview

Q: What made you decide to do an MBA with such a busy schedule?

A: I had a choice between doing the LLM or the MBA. I decided that at this juncture, an MBA would be a better choice and would help with my corporate life. The LLM is recognised as a qualification but you have to have the Attorneys at Law to become a lawyer and to practice. The MBA is more recognised and I thought it would be a good mixture with the law. The program covers a lot of areas such as accounting, strategic planning and management, which would help me in the corporate sector as well as in my role as a lecturer

Q: Why did youselect BCAS to do the MBA?

A: BCAS is affilia t e d wi t h the University of Wo l ve r h a m p t o n . The Council o f Legal Education recognises the LLB from the University of London and the LLB from the University of Wolverhampton. Otherwise you have to go through the Law College from the beginning. I thought I would do the MBA offered by the University of Wolverhampton, which is more recognised within the legal sector, and BCAS is the local institute affiliated with the university

Q: How was studentlife at BCAS?

A: I belonged to the 3rd batch at BCAS. At the beginning, there were about 22 students, but there were only about 18-19 students at the end of the program. Since it was a small batch, we were very united and very close to each other. Even though we all came from the corporate sector, the classes gave a back-to-school impression, and we looked forward to the classes, which were held on Sunday. We were a fun-loving batch and unity was very much there. During the latter stage, whenever there was an issue, we would discuss it and as a group would approach the relevant officers about it.

Q: How has the MBA helped you in your corporate life?

A: I am the Head of the Legal Recoveries Unit at HNB and the MBA has helped me to form strategic plans, get the optimum use of the staff. My inputs have contributed significantly as the bank is making future plans for the next few years. At the same time, it has helped me when it comes to recoveries practically; where before I approached it using the view point of a lawyer, the MBA has helped me to look at the issue from a marketing and business aspect. I am a lecturer at the Institute of Credit Management, and offer lectures on the Diploma of Credit Management. The MBA has helped me to mix business law with the marketing aspect, which is necessary to sustain a business.

Q: What advice do you have to offer people who are thinking about doing an MBA?

A: An MBA opens new doors. You can get new experiences and exposure into the corporate world. It also gives you an idea about the full organisational structure of an entity, which would help you to climb the corporate ladder. For further information prospective candidates may contact 077 3114105 or visit BCAS marketing and admissions offic