Previous Next

The Second Model and Designer Audition of Signature Stylish Marketer 2018, the Inter University Fashion Show organized by Future Marketers Association under the guidance of Department of Marketing Management was successfully held on the 22nd of September at the Havelock city clubhouse. The event showcased the talent and creativity of aspiring fashion models and designers shortlisted from the first round of auditions.The top 20 from the model category and the top 10 from the designer category were selected to the Grand Finale of the event

Previous Next

The second batch of the Diploma in Peoples Skills facilitated by Nestlé Lanka was privileged to be invited for a field visit to their manufacturing plant located at Pannala in Kurunegala District, Sri Lanka.  The batch consisting thirty undergraduates of the Department of Marketing Management of University of Kelaniya participated for this field visit on the 5th of October 2018, as a part of the diploma learning module.

The field visit program consisted two major parts:  an introductory session as well as a walk around the plant with technical support. After reaching the factory premises the students were warmly welcomed by the staff of the factory, and were directed to a conference room. An introductory session was conducted by the senior staff of the plant with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation. A glimpse about the company history and its growth as a global   brand, a discussion regarding the current product portfolios were included in the session. The session was complemented by a refreshment and was completed with a presentation of the basic safety rules of the plant, as a prerequisite to the plant visit.

The second session was conducted as a practical session, in which students were invited to witness the production processes. They were provided the safety gears including safety shoes, jackets and specific guidelines by a technical staff member. The visit started with the dairy production section. Students witnessed the dairy sourcing process and the quality criterion that the plant follows when they source dairy harvest. Participants’ inquiries regarding the manufacturing process were comprehensively addressed by the staff which really helped to structure the observations and accelerate learning.  The staff extended a commendable service in passing the necessary knowledge for the participants. After finishing the tour in dairy production plant, participants were directed to observe the packaging process of malted drinks, following which, the complete production process of Maggi noodles category was elaborated. The plant visit was concluded with an observation of the packaging department, that handles the final product packaging and dispatching the units for the distribution points. The students were offered lunch and  refreshments by the staff at the plant.

Previous Next

‘Wichchurna ’ the Annual Talent Show organized by second year undergraduates of the Department of Marketing Management, University  of Kelaniya was held on 26th of September at the university premises in a glamorous way. The event comprised of singing, dancing, drama and many other astonishing performances by the undergraduates and that was a great opportunity for them to showcase their vibrant talents. Undergraduates from all four years, lecture panel of the Department of Marketing and other dignitaries were there to witness the glamour of this event on that night. It was a truly remarkable evening filled with fun and entertainment.

The success of the event took months of preparations .Students were highly dedicated and committed towards the event and their hard work and togetherness finally paid off. The Dancing, Music and Drama team had been practicing for more than one month so that they were confident and ready for the final day.  The theme of the event was something unique. It was based on the concept of ‘Veddas’ .There was a separate team who looked into decorations and other preparations of the event because for an event to be successful, everything must be taken into consideration properly.

The participants, especially the Lecturers including the Head of the Department Dr. Ajith Medis appreciated the skills of the undergraduates and they were amazed by the performance of the Undergraduates. Further, the Head of the Department stated that he enjoyed evening and he was delighted to see the students performing in such an exceptionally good manner. ‘Wichchurna’ became a huge success with the unity of the second year undergraduates and the contribution of many personalities who were behind this successful event from the day one. 

Previous Next

"Talk Show", the second session of the executive series avenue under Future Marketers Association,  was successfully concluded on the 18th of September at the Management Faculty auditorium. This experience sharing  forum was organized with the purpose of inculcating and nurturing proper attitude, values and skills within the marketing undergraduates.

The session saw the participation of two final year Undergraduates and two fresh graduates of the Department of Marketing Management as guest speakers to share their valuable knowledge and experience that they have  gathered from the corporate platform.The guest speakers were: Mr. Dumindu Harischandra who is currently serving as a marketing trainee at Coca Cola beverages Sri Lanka, Ms. Minoshala Nissanka,a management trainee at John Keels Holdings ,Mr. Chinthaka Chathuranga who is currently serving as an Assistant Sales Manager at Nestlé Sri Lanka and Ms. Yasasi Bandaranaike  who  is currently  employed at Unilever Sri Lanka as a marketing trainee.

The session was indeed helpful in furnishing the undergraduates to be better fits in the corporate world. Future Marketers Association will continue to organize this kind of knowledgeable sessions with the intention of guiding the undergraduates to be well-rounded individuals going beyond the academic curriculum.

Previous Next

"Wind for Wings" ,the annual USR initiative organized by Future Marketers' Association of the Department of Marketing Management of University of Kelaniya in collaboration with first year undergraduates was successfully held on 9th of July 2018 at Gamini Secondary School Thibbotugoda, Ganemulla, Gampaha. 

The purpose of this initiative was to uplift the knowledge of the students by renovating the library and donating books to facilitate a proper atmosphere for the students to obtain a quality education.

Previous Next

Department of Marketing Management of University of Kelaniya in collaboration with Derana supported the “Manusath Derana” Initiative to clean the garbage collected in the sacred city of Anuradhapura during this Poson pilgrimage season. 25 students from the department of marketing management joined hands with "Manusath Derana" to make this CSR activity a success.

Previous Next

The Department of Marketing Management of the University of Kelaniya commenced the 5th cycle of its Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing on  10th June, 2018. The inauguration ceremony was held at the Board room of Faculty of Management Studies (FCMS), University of Kelaniya with the distinguished presence of Dr. Naradha Fernando,  the Dean of FCMS as the Chief Guest. The Guest of Honour was Mr. Wasantha Heenatigala, Managing Director / CEO of Akzo Nobel Paints Lanka Pvt Ltd. The event was also graced by members of the academic staff of the Department of Marketing Management, Founding Precident of the Post Graduate Alumni - Mr. Jude Muthugala - Director/CEO of Senura Group of Companies and the new batch of PGDM students.  

Currently, the Department of Marketing Management offers three Diplomas (Diploma in Marketing, Higher Diploma in Marketing and Postgraduate Diploma in Marketing) which lead to Masters’ in Marketing. PDGM is a well-designed programme offered by the Department of Marketing Management and the programme content is continuously upgraded to suit the specific industry requirements and with the new developments in the marketing management knowledge base. 

Previous Next

"Great Minds" the interactive forum organized by the Future Marketers Association of University of Kelaniya was successfully concluded on 11th of June at Management Faculty auditorium.The forum was organized with the purpose of inculcating and nurturing proper attitude, values and skills within the marketing undergraduates.The key note speech was delivered by Mr. Nandana Wickramage,former group director for Ceylon Biscuits Limited who is well known strategist in the marketing fraternity.

Previous Next

Nestlé Lanka celebrated World Environment Day 2018 in collaboration with the undergraduates of University of Kelaniya, Department of Marketing Management. A team of volunteers successfully completed a beach cleaning campaign at Crow Island Beach on June 05th, 2018.

Being an island nation, coastline protection plays a vital role of the environmental well-being in Sri Lanka.  The crow island beach, along with other coastal areas, are becoming a garbage dump at an alarming rate, making Sri Lanka the fifth worst ocean polluter in the world. High pollution levels are increasingly threatening marine life with marine life becoming exposed to hazardous pollutants such as polythene.

Thus, understanding the corporate responsibility, Nestlé took the initiative in solving the environmental issues caused due to garbage disposal and pollution. With the purpose of making beaches healthier and safe for all marine life, Nestlé collaborated with the young marketers from University of Kelaniya as engaging in environmental protection not only creates direct impact on changing youth behaviours and attitudes, but possibly influence the community they involve in.

The beach cleaning programme was initiated with the participation of the youth as an effort to see a clean coastal belt around the country.  At the beginning the beach was loaded with plastic containers, empty bottles, polythene bags, broken glasses, clothes and hundreds of items that had washed up on the shore. This issue is further escalated as the waves continuously brings endless mounds of garbage that float from the Kelani River and disperse throughout the beach. The litter dumped by beach-goers makes the beach site even more unpleasant.

After getting suited up with the gloves and trash bags, the team set off in groups to collect the litter. The enthusiastic effort and support of the team contributed towards an effective campaign to clean the beach site within a few hours. The team collected trash spread along   the   beach and   segregated the   trash as degradable and non-degradable garbage. At the end of the beach cleaning campaign, the beach regained its scenic view making it scenic and visitor friendly.

It  may  seem convenient  to  dispose  a  plastic  bottle   on  to  the  beach but  if that encourages several others to do the same, undoubtedly the collective result puts a huge / impact on the survival of coastal and ocean ecosystems. In turn if one person inspires change by taking the initiative to protect the environmental resources, it will convince the world that it needs to change towards a meaningful goal. This initiative by Nestlé was also a good exercise in building teamwork and imploring the necessity for every individual to contribute towards coastal and marine  life protection on the world environment day

Previous Next

Diploma in People Skills is a unique programme offered by the Department of Marketing Management, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies to its undergraduates focused on soft skills development. In January 2017, Nestlé Lanka PLC; a leading multinational of Sri Lanka which is the world’s largest food and beverage company; came on board as the key delivery partner of the Diploma in People Skills. As a result during the last 06 months, the students who were elevated to the Level 2 of the Diploma in People Skills, were taught and trained at Nestlé Lanka on the modules of Collaboration, Leadership and Innovation and Personal Development. To officially mark the conclusion of their training the Certificate Awarding Ceremony was held on the 26th of September 2017 at the H.T. Sunil Shantha Auditorium, University of Kelaniya and 30 undergraduates received Certificates at this event.

The event was graced by Prof. D.M. Semasinghe, Vice-Chancellor, University of Kelaniya, Dr. P.N.D. Fernando, Dean, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, Dr. Ajith Medis, Head, Department of Marketing Management, Ms. Enoca Sirimanne, Vice-President – Human Resources, Nestlé Lanka PLC, Mr. Shanaka Wijeweera, Senior Manager – Learning & Training, Nestlé Lanka PLC, and Ms. Erosha Fernando, Assistant Manager – Human Resources Business Excellence, Nestlé Lanka PLC. The academic staff of Department of Marketing Management and its undergraduates also participated in this event.

Previous Next

The University of Kelaniya and the Bharathi Airtel Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. on the 25th of October 2017 signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for the purpose of providing skills training and vocational training to the undergraduates of the Department of Marketing Management. The MOU was signed by Prof. D.M. Semasinghe, the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Kelaniya, as well as Mr. Jinesh Hedge, CEO of Bharathi Airtel Lanka (Pvt.) Ltd at the Vice-Chancellor’s Office of the University of Kelaniya.

The signing was witnessed by Dr. P.N.D. Fernando, Dean of the Faculty of Commerce & Management Studies, Dr. Ajith Medis, Head – Department of Marketing Management, Mr. Kanishka Ranaweera, Head of HRM – Bharathi Airtel Lanka (Pvt) Ltd, Ms. Sureni Dayaratne, Manager – Talent Acquisition & Resource Planning – Bharathi Airtel Lanka (Pvt) Ltd. The event was organized by the Department of Marketing Management of the Faculty of Commerce & Management Studies, University of Kelaniya.

Dr. Ravindra Dissanayake, Senior Lecturer, Department of Marketing Management, the Faculty of Commerce & Management Studies of the University of Kelaniya, has been appointed as the Chairman of the National Think-Tank of “Brand-Sri Lanka” project.

The National Budget of 2017 has proposed that the government undertake a Global Marketing Campaign to Boost the Exports, Tourism and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The Department of National Planning of the Ministry of National Policies & Economic Affairs, requested the Sri Lanka Export Development Board (EDB) to coordinate with relevant stakeholder institutions to formulate a strategic global marketing campaign to boost Sri Lanka’s Brand image. This exercise included the main pillars of export, tourism and foreign investments. The stakeholder committee, which consists of different institutions and professional bodies, proposed Dr. Ravindra Dissanayake as the Chairman to its strategic committee to head the Think-Tank of strategizing “Brand Sri Lanka” project. The appointment was done by the Sri Lanka Export Development Board as the coordinating body of the project.

Dr. Ravindra Dissanayake obtained his Bachelor of Business Management in Marketing (Special) from the University of Kelaniya, Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Postgraduate Institute of Management (PIM) of University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) from the European University, Switzerland. He is currently reading for another doctoral program (PhD) at the Taylor’s University in Malaysia. Dr. Ravindra Dissanayake is a brilliant scholar who has done much research in Brand Management, Consumer Behavior, Service Marketing and Business Case Studies. He serves for many reputed corporate sector organizations as a consultant in business development, brand building and strategic planning whilst being a trainer in professional soft skills and executive development programs.