SLIIT Business Faculty helps create leaders in the industry

Wednesday, 8 July 2015 00:38 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Faculty of Business of SLIIT continues to rise up to the challenge of nurturing business leaders through its degree programs. From the first year onwards, students are trained to have strong analytical, problem solving and communication skills paving the way for them to become successful in the real world. One such student who has benefited through the Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) program offered by Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) at SLIIT, is Isuru Gunaratne.

Currently employed as an Accountant for the Management Information Team at MAS Intimates Ltd., Isuru is also following his MBA and is a member of the Project Management Institute.

“I would say that the Degree program I followed played a key role in grooming me to become what I am today in my organisation. Unlike most conventional qualifications the experience I gained through this program gave me practical management training which enabled me to easily adapt and blend into the corporate environment. It gave me a diverse exposure to areas such as Marketing, International Business and Corporate Finance which is very useful to my current job role,” commented Gunaratne.

At his graduation in 2012, Isuru was presented with the most ‘outstanding performance’ award in the Business Program. Whilst at SLIIT, Isuru was also a member of the Business and Information Management Society.

Sharing his experiences about SLIIT, Isuru noted, “It was a very unique experience. As much as the emphasis is given for academics, there are plenty of other opportunities to connect with student communities and engage in recreational activities. In my opinion, such exposure plays a huge role in creating a balanced personality within a student.”

Another promising student is Munazza Rafeek, who topped the batch and received the SHU Best Student award.

While studying at SLIIT, Munazza was nominated for IDEATORS; a reality TV enterprise competition organised by the British Council in which she emerged the winner and won a fully sponsored study tour to UK. Currently Munazza holds the position of Assistant Brand Manager at Unilever Sri Lanka, one of the largest FMCG companies in the country.

Acknowledging all her lecturers and staff at SLIIT, who continuously encourage students, Munazza noted, “SLIIT together with SHU has motivated me to work towards gaining a world recognised qualification which has enabled me to gain insight into the world of business, foster innovation and creative thinking and learn the practical application of the concepts we study. Furthermore SLIIT guided me in moulding my personal skills of teamwork and leadership thus shaping my individual brand to reach greater heights.”

In June 2014 Munazza was a part of a team of two that won a local competition and represented Sri Lanka at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity – Young Lions Marketer Competition, which is the world’s biggest creative festival in the field of marketing.

The success stories of such students, cements SLIIT’s status as not only the premier degree awarding institute but also as a great place to build a career.