The Dean briefed the objectives and functions of the MSMEs Facilitation Hub. Further, he explained how it contributes to the MSM enterprises in the region. After that, the officials of the organizations made their suggestions and agreed to support the MSMEs activities. Mr S.Thirugnanasampanthar explained the Internship and Capstone Project Protocols. Soon after the meeting finished, the Internship Placement Interviews were held. The organizational staff interviewed the final-year students for internships, and they were recruited for internships for the period of six months from the 2nd of January 2023. There were 30 officials from the partner organizations participated in this meeting.

The Industry and Community Interaction Cell of the Faculty of Business Studies, University of Vavuniya, and the United Nations Development program (UNDP) signed an agreement to conduct a Youth Leadership program (YLD) in Northern and Eastern provinces on 19th December 2022. The aim of this event is to capacitate the future generation to become socially conscious and democratically engage themselves m the community and regional development.

1. Vanni Rehabilitation Organization for the
2. Federation of Institutions for Rural Management (FIRM)
3. Association of Mobilizing Community Resources (AMCOR)
4. Action Unity Lanka (AU Lanka)

Vavuniya Journal of Business Management (VJBM) Volume 05-Issue-I (2022), a bi-annual academic journal was published by the Faculty of Business Studies, University of Vavuniya, Sri Lanka. The journal seeks to publish papers in business Management-related disciplines including Accounting, Business Economics, Finance, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management, Knowledge Management, Marketing Management, Project Management, Tourism and Hospitality Management, International Business, information Systems, Cross-Cultural Communication and English Language Teaching in Business Studies.

The bi-annual newsletter 2022 volume:03 issue:02 was launched at the Faculty of Business Studies board room on 5th of October 2022, at 2.00 pm with the presence of Newsletter committee members and Faculty Board Members. The copies of the newsletter were received by the Vice Chancellor, Dean, Professors, Heads and the members of Faculty of Board from the Chairperson Ms. P.Sarmatha.

The Career Guidance Cell of the Faculty of Business Studies organized a workshop on “Business Development Plan” for the final year students of the Faculty of Business Studies. Prof. S.Sivesan, Professor in Marketing, Department of Marketing, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna, served as the resource person in this workshop. The workshop was held on 28th of September, 2022. (Wednesday) from l.00pm to 4.00pm at the Smart Lecture Hall, Soosairatnam Block, Faculty of Business Studies.

The Faculty of Business Studies conducted its 4^th Research Conference on Business Studies (RCBS) on 5^th of July, 2022 through hybrid mode both physically and virtually.

Dr Y. Nanthogopan was the chair of the event and Mr. S.A. Jude Leon was the convener of the conference.

The RCBS – 2022 conference proceedings were launched by Prof. A Pushpanathan, the Chief Editor of the editorial Committee.

Five technical sessions were held in parallel on five tracks, namely Accounting and finance, Entrepreneurship, Marketing, Tourism, Economics, Business communication, Project Management and information Systems, in total, 43 papers were presented at the conference, and awards were provided to the best presenters in each track.

The keynote speeches were delivered by:

• Dr. Nigel Williams, University of Portsmouth, UK
• Prof. Malcolm Cooper, Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, Japen.
• Prof. Ravi Shankar, Indian Institute of Technology, India.

Students’ Research Awards

1. Ms. W.G. Chamodi Wekoladeniya (2015/BS/104)
2. Ms. M.S.N Ransara (2015/BS/OI)
3. Ms. S.S. Noufa (2015/BS/49)
4. Ms. M.M.D.M.W. Ashinika (2016/PM/06)

Panel Moderator: Prof. H.M.A Herath

Panel Speakers:

• Mr. Dhammika Mendis, Executive Vice President, PMI Sri Lankan Chapter
• Dr. Samantha Rathnayake, Senior Mgt Consultant, Chartered Institute of Personal Mgt
• Mr. M.R.A Perera, Council Member, Institute of Certified Management Accountants
• Mr. Nuwan Gamage, President, Sri Lanka institute of Marketing
• Mr. C.P.A Karunatilake, Director General,  Institute of Bankers, Sri Lanka

The Faculty of Business Studies, University of Vavuniya celebrated, the 25 years of excellence from 1997 to 2022 on 4th of July, 2022. Prof S.P.P Amaratunge, Chairman, University Grants Commission served as the Chief Guest, Dr. T. Mangaleshwaran, the Vice Chancellor, University of Vavuniya served as the Special Guest and Ms. R. Vijayalan, Senior Assistant Director, Central Bank of Sri Lanka (Faculty Alumnus) and Ms. K. Asokumar, Managing Director, Kobithan Garments (PVT) Ltd, (Faculty Alumnus) were invited as the Guests of Honors. The event was chaired by Dr. Y.Nanthagopan, the Dean, Faculty of Business Studies and convened by Mr. C. Larojan, Senior Lecturer of The Faculty of Business Studies

.

The Silver Jubilee Commemorative Book (Souvenir) was launched by Ms. P. Sarmatha, the Chief Editor.  The first copy was handed over to Prof.  T. Mangaleshwaran, the Vice-Chancellor. The special copies were issued to the Deans of the Faculties. The book consists of the faculty’s history, great achievements, success and significant milestones in the twenty-five years of establishment of the faculty since 1997.

PRANA financial Aid was launched by Mr. V. Kumaratheepan, Secretary of the Alumni Association of the Faculty of Business Studies (AAFBS). PRANA financial aid is aimed to support students to achieve their educational goals. It helps students by covering education expenses such as food, accommodation, books and supplies, and transportation. Registered undergraduate students from the Faculty of Business Studies are eligible to apply for this financial aid. A student’s need-based eligibility is calculated to award financial aid. The AAFBS will select students based on their needs. Awarded students will receive financial aid every month for a period of one year.

Launching Student Magazines

Magazines of the Project Management Club, Marketing Club, Economics Club, Human Resources Club and Accounting and Finance Club were launched. It was a great achievement on the part of the faculty because the students of the faculty launched the student club magazines.

The name of the magazines are;

1. Econoblogger by Econ Club
2. Findroot by Accounting and Finance Club
3. HR Wisdom by Human Resource Club
4. Project Manager by Project Management Club
5. Marketing Sparks by Marketing Club

The Best Performance Awards for The Student Clubs

Career Guidance Webinar

A Career Guidance Webinar was organized by the Faculty on Wednesday, 6^th of July, 2022, from 9.00 am to 12.00 noon for the commemoration of the faculty’s 25th anniversary. Nearly 300 participants from the faculty undergraduate students, advanced level commerce stream students and school teachers attended the webinar.

Five professional bodies such as the Chartered institute of Personnel Management (CIPM), the Sri Lanka Institute of Marketing (SLIM), the institute of Certified Management Accountants (CMA), the Institute of Bankers of Sri Lanka (IBSL) and Project Management institute (PMI) conducted the webinar on explaining the respective professional courses available within them and the job opportunities available for the respective discipline in national and international job markets.

The Best Entrepreneur Award was given to Mrs. K.Saji Rani Vanni Region, at the Silver Jubilee Celebration

Alumni of the Faculty at the Silver jubilee Celebration

The staff members who were honored in the Silver Jubilee Celebration

1. Dr. T.Managleswaran  Vice Chancellor University of Vavuniya
2. Prof. A.Pushpanathan Associate Professor Faculty of Business Studies

Former Deans

1. Mr. R. Nanthakumaran (Retired Associate Professor)
2. Dr. P. Selvarajan
3. Dr. T. Mangaleswaran
4. Prof. A. Pushpanathan

25 years of service

1. Dr. P. Selvarajan
2. Prof. A. Pushpanathan
3. Mrs. J.S. Thevaruban
4. Dr. G. Jeyaseelan

Retired Staff

1. Mr. R. Nanthakumaran (Retired Associate Professor),
2. Mr. M.l. Abdul Samad,
3. Mr. R. Sangaralingam,
4. Mr. R.A. Raveendran

The Name Board of the Faculty of Business Studies was opened ceremonially by Dr. Y. Nanthagopan, Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies, on 15th of October 2021. The name board is donated by the students’ union (Batch 2015/2016) through collected funds from the Faculty of Business Studies students and staff. This is the role modelling activity of the students contributing to the faculty development. The heads of departments, staff, and faculty students had participated in this event.

A webinar on “Career Development” was organized by the Career Guidance Cell of the Faculty of Business Studies on 09th of October, 2021. Mr. R. Migunuwala from the Department of Manpower and Employment participated as the resource person in this webinar, and it was conducted in Sinhala medium. He pointed out essential tips to develop his/her career and explained them with real-world examples. Since he is the Career Guidance Officer, he shared his own experiences encountered. Almost 40 students participated in this session.

The Career Guidance Cell of the Faculty of Business Studies organized a webinar on “What Leads to Success and Develop Your Creativity” on 08th and 09th of October, 2021. Mr. A. Liston Rajanikanth and Mrs. K. Sivappriya from the Department of Manpower and Employment have conducted this webinar in Tamil medium. They gave valuable ideas to our students to pave their way towards success. Both made the session enjoyable by explaining the areas with real-life examples in the Sri Lankan context. Almost 60 students participated in this webinar.

The faculty had planned to establish the Institute of Project Management Studies (IPMS) to advance project management education and research to produce required human resources at the different levels to perform well in the projects operated in Sri Lanka. This Institute will also contribute to solving the problems emanated in the context of projects. The Institute provides a focal point for education and research in project management, addressing current and emerging project management issues nationally and internationally in Sri Lanka. The Proposal and Ordinance to establish the Institute of Project Management Studies (IPMS) was already approved by the Council at its first meeting held on 25th September 2021. The Institute of Project Management Studies (IPMS) would be established after the declaration by Gazette notification.

The Department of Marketing Management of the Faculty of Business Studies organized a stakeholder meeting for revising the curriculum for BBM Honors in Marketing Management on 19th of September 2021 via Zoom. Prof. Dr. P.A.P. Samantha Kumar (University of Ruhuna), Dr. Y.M.W.G.RK. Udurawana (Rajarata University of Sri Lanka) and Dr. S. Shanmugathas (University of Jaffna) participated as experts, and Mr. S. A. Jude Leon, Ms. S. Kajanthy and Miss. H.G.C.K. Ranathunga participated as internal members. Experts suggested a few new subjects and also requested to merge some of the existing subjects. After having an interactive discussion, the specialization subjects were finalized for each semester. This meeting was very fruitful to construct a meaningful revised curriculum for BBM Honors in Marketing Management.

1. Information Technology Services Unit

The faculty has established an IT Services Unit to effectively look after the day-to-day activities of the IT laboratories. In addition to that, the unit will provide IT services and training to staff and students. The IT Services Unit will be one of the key services units of the faculty providing facilities to the students, staff, units and cells of the Faculty of Business Studies. Mr. K. Suthesan was appointed as the coordinator of this unit.

2. Preliminary Meeting of the Meeting of the Master of Project Management Curriculum

The Department of Project Management (DPM) virtually organized its preliminary meeting with the committee for the Master of Project Management Curriculum held on 09.09.2021 to discuss basic structure of the Master of Project Management Curriculum. Dr. Y. Nanthagopan chaired the meeting and welcomed the participants. Following the self-introduction, the chairperson described the purpose of the discussion and gave brief introduction about the department, faculty and newly elevated university. He discussed about the Master of Project Management (MPM), one year duration with 30 credits and 10 course units in two semesters. Students who successfully complete their first year can be eligible for second year called the Master of Science in Project Management (M.Sc. in Project Management), two-year duration with 30 credits for course work and 30 credits for research.

3. Continuity of the Academic Programme of the Faculty during the pandemic

Even though the Covid-19 pandemic persists, the faculty has done an excellent job and brilliantly managed the situation without postponing any academic activities. The faculty conducted the online examinations for the academic year 2018/19 and 2017/18 successfully with the massive support and dedication of the faculty staff. It also carried out the examinations in person for all the students of the faculty without any interruptions. This is a remarkable accomplishment of the faculty.

The Faculty of Business Studies published Volume 4, Issue 01 of its Journal of Business Management (JBM) in September, 2021. This issue consisted of 09 original full papers in the disciplines of Business Management. All papers published in this journal are accessible in online. JBM is published twice a year.

A meeting was organized by the Department of Business Economics with the officials of IBSL to discuss signing MOU on 20^th August 2021 via Zoom. Dr. Y. Nanthagopan/ Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies chaired the meeting with the presence of Mrs. P. Godwin Phillip/ Head, Department of Business Economics, Dr. K. Kalainathan/ Head, Department of Finance and Accountancy, Mr.A.Thayaparan/ Senior Lecturer, DBE, Mr.T. Selvamalai/ Lecturer, DBE and the officials from the IBSL: Mr. C.P.A.Karunatilake/ Director General, IBSL, Mr. Manjula Wicktamasinghe/ Deputy Director, Administration and HR of IBSL and Secretary to Director General of IBSL The Dean welcomed the gathering and briefed the essence of having an a MOU with professional bodies. The highlight of the meeting is that the higher officials of the IBSL agreed to provide gold plated medal for the best student in BBM (Hons) in Business Economics. In addition, they voluntarily agreed to sponsor the student dub activities of the Department of Business Economics. Further, it was decided to sign the MOU with the approval of the governing bodies of both parties in the mid of November 2021 to ensure the effective function from the new year 2022.

The Department of Project Management (DPM) convened its 3^rd meeting with the Sri Lankan Chapter of Project Management Institute (PMISLC) on the 20^th of August 2021 to discuss the draft Memorandum of Understanding prepared and submitted by the DPM to the PMISLC in the week. Dr. Y. Nanthagopan, Ms. S. Mathivathany and Mr. S. Thirugnanasampanthar represented the DPM, meanwhile, Mr. Dushyantha (President of the PMISLC), Mr. Dhammike Mendis (Executive Vice-President of PMISLC), Mr. Aruna Kooragamage (Founder, Former President, & Certified Trainer) Mr. Shanthilal Fernado (Vice-President Finance), and Mr. Saman Kandanearachchi (Vice President Outreach) took part in the virtual meeting for PMISLC. Dr, Y. Nanthagopan presided the meeting and welcomed the participants. Following the self-introductions, Dr. Y. Nanthagopan described the purpose of such MoU’s between the Faculty of Business Studies and Educational organizations that offer professional courses and the contents and clauses of the proposed draft MOU. In response, the PMISLC members generally informed their willingness and interest in the collaboration through an MoU and addressed what the PMISLC could deliver. Mr. Aruna Kooragamage briefed the inception of PMISLC since 2005 and elaborated that the PMI offer certificate and professional courses such as Certified Associate of Project Management (CIPM) and Project management Professional (PMP) and as a not-for-profit organization, the PMI is promoting PM standards, providing accreditations and funding for researches. Mr. Dhammike Mendis described the processes to sign an MoU and the PMISLC would review the draft MoU presented by the FBS and would send it to the FBS for its comments. He added that the reviewed MoU would be sent to the PMI’s regional office in India for its comments. All of the PMISLC participants are enthusiastic in arriving a consensus for the MOU and working together for the betterment of the students and the country.

A hybrid meeting was conducted by the Department of Finance and Accountancy in collaboration with the CMA officials with regards to signing the MOU on 20^th August 2021. Dr. Y. Nanthagopan / Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies chaired the meeting with the presence of Dr. (Mrs.) K. Kalainathan / Head of the Department of Finance and Accountancy (DFA), Staff of the DFA, and the officials from the Institute of Certified Management Accountants – Ms. Jinandi Chandraratne / Director, Education and Ms. Kaushalya Hapuarachchi / Senior Manager, Education, Training & Research. At the outset, Dean / FBS welcomed the gathering and briefed the essence of having a strategic partnership with professional bodies paving the way to have a win-win situation for both. The Dean read the draft MOU among the participants to get their viewpoints incorporated. It was explicitly talked about providing a gold-plated medal for the students excelling in BBM Honors in Accounting and Finance degree programme, conducting active marketing programs by the CMA officials in and around the university, providing exemptions for the students, using university premises for conducting the CMA’s study programmes, and the use of the library by the CMA students in addition to the matters laid down in the draft agreement. Both the parties, CMA and DFA, came to a consensus on the clauses laid down in the draft MOU and decided to take it forward with the approval of their respective governing bodies.

A hybrid meeting was conducted by the Department of Finance and Accountancy in collaboration with the CMA officials regarding signing the MOU on 20th August 2021. Dr. Y. Nanthagopan / Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies chaired the meeting with the presence of Dr. (Mrs.) K. Kalainathan / Head of the Department of Finance and Accountancy (DFA), Staff of the DFA, and the officials from the Institute of Certified Management Accountants – Ms. Jinandi Chandraratne / Director, Education and Ms. Kaushalya Hapuarachchi / Senior Manager, Education, Training & Research. At the outset, Dean / FBS welcomed the gathering and briefed the essence of having a strategic partnership with professional bodies paving the way to have a win-win situation for both. The Dean read the draft MOU among the participants to incorporate their viewpoints. Both the parties, CMA and DFA, came to a consensus on the clauses laid down in the draft MOU and decided to forward for the approval of their respective governing bodies.

The meeting of the Curriculum Development Committee for BBM Honors in Tourism and Hospitality Management was held on 21″ of July, 2021 via Zoom. Mr. S.A.Jude Leon, the chairperson of the Curriculum Development Committee welcomed all the members presented and briefly explained the Honors Degree programme structure and the subjects in the list. Then he invited the Dean of the Faculty of Business Studies Dr. Y.Nanthagopan to deliver his initial talk. The Dean suggested that the curriculum should include hotel management subjects to provide more practical knowledge to our students. Other members also agreed with his idea and decided to include these subjects under hospitality part. The chairperson produced the list of subjects and opened the forum for the discussion to finalize the specialization subjects to the Semesters. After an in-depth discussion made, Or. DMC Dassanayake suggested the committee to prepare a proper graduate profile to link these selected subjects with the programme outcomes and other members also complied with his idea. Finally, the Chairperson agreed and thanked all the members for their active participation in the discussions.

• Department of Marketing Management
• Department of Business Economics
• Department of Human Resource Management
• Department of Management and Entrepreneurship
• Department of Project Management