The Department of Financial Management, Faculty of Management Studies and Commerce, University of Jaffna, organised an Educational Exposure Visit to Colombo on 31 August 2026. Designed for final-year Financial Management students, the programme aimed to bridge academic theory with real-world financial operations.
OBJECTIVES OF THE VISIT
- Provide final-year students with practical insights into capital markets, regulatory bodies, and financial institutions.
- Expose participants to operational frameworks including corporate governance, risk management, and artificial intelligence (AI) applications in financial sector.
- Strengthen institutional and professional linkages between the University of Jaffna and the financial sector.
KEY INSTITUTIONAL ENGAGEMENTS AND EXPOSURE
- Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL)
The visit began at CBSL at 8:45 a.m. with a one-hour session. Students gained insights into the legal independence and structural updates introduced under the Central Bank of Sri Lanka Act, No. 16 of 2023. The session highlighted the dual-board governance model, comprising the Governing Board and the Monetary Policy Board, as well as the operationalisation of the Flexible Inflation Targeting (FIT) framework aimed at maintaining domestic price stability.
- Currency and Economic History Museum
Students were shown the money-preparation process, the historical evolution of currency, and the security features of genuine currency notes.
- Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)
At the CSE, online trading platforms and stock trading mechanisms were demonstrated by CSE officials. At SEC auditorium, the role of the SEC as a regulator was explained by Mr. Hasindu Wilegoda, Executive – External Relations, while the session on corporate governance was led by Ms. Semini Diayanika, Manager – Corporate Affairs Division. The practical briefings at the CSE and SEC focused on capital market regulation, stock trading mechanisms, and investor protection frameworks, along with best practices in corporate governance and ethics.
- HNB Finance PLC
A session on practical risk governance and the influence of AI on audit processes was conducted by Mr. Mahadevan Suthakar, Deputy General Manager and Chief Risk Officer, Risk Management Department, HNB Finance PLC. Students reviewed the three lines of defence model and examined key risk verticals, including credit, market, liquidity, operational, cyber, strategic, reputational, ESG, and climate risks. Discussions also covered modern audit environments, with emphasis on the growing influence of AI on audit processes.
- Imperial College – Professional Interactions
The session commenced with a warm welcome from Mr. Praveen Namasivayam, Head of Student Recruitment and Services at Imperial College of Business Studies. Discussions, led by Mr. Sampath Soysa, Head of Marketing at Imperial College of Business Studies, covered the importance of pursuing a qualification in Analytics and AI.
KEY OUTCOMES
The visit enabled students to contextualise classroom theories against real-world practices, enhancing their understanding of monetary policy execution, market regulation, corporate governance, enterprise risk management, and the application of AI in the financial sector. The initiative also fostered professional networks and strengthened academic-industry collaboration for future cohorts.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
The Department of Financial Management extends its sincere gratitude to the officials of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, the Colombo Stock Exchange, the Securities and Exchange Commission, HNB Finance PLC, and Imperial College of Business Studies for their generous time, insights, hospitality, and financial support in making this exposure visit a valuable and memorable learning experience for our students.s
