Dr. Prabhu Nilanga Uddawatte, born and educated in Sri Lanka, is a senior lecturer in finance and accounting at Sheffield Business School at Sheffield Hallam University (UK). He talks about why CIMA and UK education was the best route for his career, what the Sheffield Hallam has to offer Sri Lankan students and why they shouldn't be 'bookworms'.

Dr. Prabhu Nilanga Uddawatte

Tell me a little bit about your background.
I am from Colombo and I did my primary and secondary education there. I had this idea of coming to Britain for my higher education; however I started the Chartered Institute Management Accounts (CIMA) while still in Sri Lanka. I felt CIMA was a good starting point for my career and it was one of the most popular routes into accountancy in Sri Lanka at that time. While in Sri Lanka I worked at KPMG and joined the family business.

After I had completed three of the CIMA stages, I came to Britain to do my fast track undergraduate degree in accounting and finance (BA Hons) at Thames Valley University and completed the CIMA while there. I then moved to the University of Liverpool to do my MBA in finance and management and a PhD in finance and accounting. As soon as I finished, I applied for my current job at Sheffield Hallam and started here in 2008. While working here I have also completed a postgrad teaching course.

What were the benefits of studying CIMA through Sheffield Hallam?
CIMA qualified members can fast track onto finance Master’s degrees at Sheffield Hallam. The University is one of the gold standard universities for providing CIMA/ACCA progression and we are recognised for our courses and teaching. Both CIMA and ACCA qualified accountants or passed finalists can complete their Master's degree in just nine months of full-time study.

Why did you choose to study in Britain?
I felt that Britain was the hub of the education world and obviously there is a lot of British influence in Sri Lanka. The language, culture, food etc. were more familiar to us so it was easier to live there than in other countries. Plus, I found UK degrees quite compatible with industry and Sri Lankan employers prefer these.

You've been in Sheffield now for three years, how do you find the city?
When I came for my job interview, I felt I wanted to work here. The reason was Sheffield itself, something attracted me. I lived in London but I didn't like it so much, too busy. The environment was very good, Sheffield is very green and living costs are much lower. The people are also very friendly in comparison with other cities in Britain.

What would you say to Sri Lankan students thinking of coming to Sheffield?
It's a very safe city, very friendly and the cost of living is quite low compared to London. Every year we get about 150 Sri Lankan students to the University through the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT) programme, so you feel at home here. Sheffield is a multi-cultural city, with more than 4,000 international students from all over the world, so it's a great place to get to know other cultures and their thinking habits. When you come out of university you have a multi-cultural network of contacts, which is very useful in the industry.

What about the University itself?
Since there are many Sri Lankan students here you can get a lot of information about where and what food to eat, where to go, advice on accommodation, etc. There is very good support for international students, such as free English language, and plenty of things to get involved in. The lecturers are very friendly and most willing to help students.

What do you teach?
My main speciality is finance and accounting and I teach both undergraduate and postgraduate to supervising PhD students, as well as professional students studying CIMA/ACCA. I also get involved in research activities, mainly in market-based finance and accounting research. In addition, I am the module leader for some finance subjects and the co-ordinator for CIMA/ACCA fast track MSc courses.
What advice would you give Sri Lankan students looking to have a similar career as you?
Right, the first piece of advice is: don't be a bookworm!

This is one of the biggest problems we face in Sri Lanka actually. We come from a culture where books are given and we study the book and memorise it for the exams. However, the academic and business worlds have changed. Knowledge is created every second and in different forms, therefore we have to identify these resources to be on top of the career. Here in Britain education is very different, it's more about critical analysis, research and applying knowledge. That's where a lot of our Sri Lankan students are actually lacking. You need to be able to relate or apply your education/knowledge to your working environment. Second piece of advice is: be hard-working and good at time management. When I was a student, I did undergrad and CIMA together, and while I was doing my PhD I was the president of the Sri Lankan association, worked part-time in the university while a senior student and was secretary of various societies. As long as you can manage your time and focus on your goals, the UK is a good environment and you can prosper quite a lot.

Dr Prabhu Nilanga Uddawatte will be visiting Colombo with other academic staff from Sheffield Hallam University on Saturday May 28. To book an appointment at the counselling and spot admissions session, please contact Vibhu Wickramasinghe at Phantomz Global.

Email: vibhu@phantomzglobal.org
Phone: 0777 715 987