PIM a global force to be reckoned with: Dr. Trevor Mendis

The Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) has become a global force to be reckoned with, due to its significant progress and the achievements in the recent years, statedSenior Management Consultantand PIM Board of Study Member Dr. Trevor Mendis, addressing a distinguished gathering of PIM Alumni (PIMA) Fifth Annual Get-together (PIMA Night-2018) at the Mövenpick Grand Hotel in Dubai, UAE recently.  

The grand event was organised by PIM alumni in Dubai with over 150 participants.   

The event commenced with the lighting of the tradition oil lamp by the dignitaries, followed by the National Anthems of the UAE and Sri Lanka, and the PIMAnthem. Thereafter, a one-minute silence was observed in honour of the national heroes and fallen heroes, and in loving memory of the late PIMDirector Prof. Uditha Liyanage and late alumnus, Nishantha Kulatunga.

The Chief Guest of the event was Sri LankanConsul General of to Dubai and Northern Emirates CharithaYattogoda and his spouse. The other distinguished guests who graced the occasion were Sri Lankan Consulate General Chancery Head Chathura Weerasekara, PIM Senior Consultant Dr. Trevor Mendis, and Fight Cancer Team Leader M S H Mohamed, who led the Pet Scanner Project in Sri Lanka. The other Professional Associations in the UAE, namely, Sri Lankan Quantity Surveyors UAE, Institute of Incorporated Engineers, Sri Lanka (UAE Branch), and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (UAE Chapter) were also invited to the event.

Current Alumni President Kusal Nanayakkara delivered the welcome speech at the event, describing the role of the PIMA-UAE to date, and its plan to conduct more academic activities in the coming year, beside the regular activities in the social front.

A video address by PIM Patron and Director Prof. Ajantha Dharmasiri, who was on another overseas official assignment, was viewed by the audience. In his recorded address, Prof. Dharmasiri, while extending his warm wishes to the newly appointed Alumni committee, described the evolution of the PIM MBA Program in the region, including the UAE, Qatar, and Oman, and recently in Kuwait, and also the initiation of a similar program in Bangladesh. He highlighted the expansion of PIM’s program portfolio in the different specialised arenas.

Dr. Trevor Mendis in his address, educated and enlightened the audience as to how PIM, based on its Mission, focuses on all five dimensions, namely:teaching, research, partnerships, sustainability and governance. He explained in detail the achievements in Sri Lanka as well as in other countries, and the envisaged plan and challenges in moving forward in the future. Dr. Mendis further explained the new journey the PIM has embarked on, in order to achieve the prestigious AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) Accreditation, to transform the Institute into a globally recognised Business School and to gain further global recognition for the Institute. He also highlighted that PIM, which is the only self-financed state university in Sri Lanka, is being transformed internally and externally to meet not only the stringent AACSB requirements, but also to face stiff competition and the demands of the corporate and public sectors, without compromising quality in an unregulated tertiary education industry in Sri Lanka.

In appreciation of the excellent commitment and outstanding contribution to PIMA-UAE, the very first “PIMA Personality Award” was presented to PIMA-UAE Past President (2013-2015)Ajantha Premarathna. This was a key highlight of the event.