Speaking at the recently held MBA inauguration programme at the University of Kelaniya, Dr. Nalaka Godahewa states the importance of all MBA Graduates joining in the post war nation re-building exercise.
Dr. Nalaka Godahewa - MBA Inauguration Ceremony of University of Kelaniya |
In his speech he said "Finally peace has arrived and we are looking at the future positively with confidence. We are already seeing signs of revival everywhere. Tourist arrivals have increased by more than 34% over the last few months.
The occupancy rates of Colombo Hotels are almost 100% indicating many of these arrivals are probably business related.
The Board of Investment is receiving a large number of investment inquiries on a daily basis. There is confidence amongst the business sector as well as individuals. The country's foreign exchange reserves have exceeded USD 4 B.
Our stock exchange is booming. The market capitalization of CSE has crossed Rs 1 trillion for the first time in history. The members of the Diaspora have started returning, seeking employment and business opportunities. These are all positive signs that Sri Lanka is on the verge of an economic renaissance."
He re-stressed the quote of the Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, when he addressed the Business Today Top Ten Awards: "The time has come for all of us to deliver our best results and contribute towards the economic turnaround of this country. We have to catch up for the lost time.
It is our collective responsibility to prepare our country for a better tomorrow. We must all work together to rebuild the nation.
The armed forces have done their job. Now it is the business community that must venture throughout the land and provide the investment, entrepreneurships and sound management we need."
In conclusion he stated "Finally I would like to point out that a strong value system and an ethical foundation should be an integral part of any MBA programme.
Earlier this year, a group of MBA students at the Harvard University introduced a concept of a voluntary MBA oath similar to the Hippocratic Oath for Doctors. The voluntary student-led pledge asks graduating MBAs to "commit towards the creation of value, responsibility and ethics".
I think there is something to learn here. At a time we are beginning the rebuilding of the nation it may not be a bad idea to introduce an MBA oath where our students could promise to "support the nation rebuilding efforts with best practices and guard against decisions and behaviours harmful to the enterprise and society at large." |
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