International College of Business and Technology (ICBT) has been operating in Sri Lanka for the past 24 years, providing MBA degree programmes to a diverse cohort of students. We recently met with Dr. Sampath Kannangara to assess the value and impact of their MBA offerings.
Q: What innovative approaches does your MBA programme incorporate to prepare students for the dynamic business environment?
ICBT, which we call the International College of Business and Technology, has been operating in Sri Lanka for the last 24 years. In terms of the Sri Lankan higher education system, especially private higher education, we are one of the pioneering institutions in the country. When it comes to master’s education, we were the first private university in Sri Lanka to offer a foreign master’s programme, introduced by ICBT back in the day. Ever since, we have been leading master’s higher education, particularly in the MBA, where we are currently the market leader in higher education.
ICBT offers the MBA programme from Cardiff Metropolitan University, UK, and we have been offering this particular MBA programme continuously for the last 14 years. We have produced the largest MBA alumni network in Sri Lanka through this programme.
The programme has been evolving ever since we started, and it continues to evolve every year based on the dynamic and changing landscape of business, not just in Sri Lanka but worldwide. As we know, the business landscape is changing very rapidly due to technological advancements, new business models, and disruptions across many industries.
To cope with that and to keep our students or graduates on par with what is happening, our MBA programme has been evolving to incorporate all these aspects. This way, our MBA graduates not only gain theoretical knowledge and experience through the programme but also acquire the ability to change and adapt to the evolving business environment. This adaptability is actually built into the programme.
One of the key features of this programme is that change and adaptability are embedded so that the students become more agile.
Our MBA students come from a range of industries and professional standings, from C-level to middle management levels, and they all gain exposure to the changing business environment through the programme’s design.
Q: How does your MBA programme utilise the expertise of faculty and industry professionals to continuously adapt the curriculum for the job market?
As I mentioned earlier, our MBA programme offered by Cardiff Metropolitan University is the leading MBA programme in Sri Lanka, producing over 1,000 graduates per year. To achieve this level of success, one of the key pillars is our faculty.
Our faculty comprises internal lecturers and professors, as well as professors from State universities and industry professionals, particularly at the CXO level. These experts form the panel that lectures in the MBA programme, evaluates students, and helps design the programme. We continuously receive feedback from leading experts in Sri Lanka on what needs to be changed or incorporated, particularly to contextualise the UK MBA programme for Sri Lanka, especially in case studies and practical engagement. This feedback is communicated to the university, and the suggestions are incorporated into the curriculum with the input of this panel of experts, benefitting our students. As I mentioned earlier, the programme itself is very adaptive and agile because of the industry feedback we receive from the experts in Sri Lanka who are our panel members.
Q: How does your extensive alumni network support current students through opportunities like industry ventures, guest lectures, and professional development?
Over the last 14 years, we have produced more than 9,000 alumni just through this MBA programme. This means that if you look at any industry in Sri Lanka—whether it’s banking, telecom, hospitality, supply chain, or any other—at the topmost level, you will find an MBA graduate from Cardiff Metropolitan University. Through that network, we have built a vast pool of resources that we draw from to provide opportunities for our current students. We receive workshops from the industry, guest lectures, and continuous professional development opportunities for our students through this network of alumni who are also Cardiff Metropolitan University MBA graduates, particularly at high levels in telecom and other industries. These alumni are always engaged with our students in their development and, as I mentioned earlier, provide us with feedback and input to continuously develop both our students and the programme.
Q: How does your MBA programme address current business challenges and what role does networking play in enhancing students’ competitive edge?
Let me go back to the business landscape first. The business landscape, not just in Sri Lanka but all over the world, is driven by several factors, especially technological advancements, new business models, industry disruption, and the change management that comes with it. Additionally, there is the ever-increasing interdependency among different global economies.
These factors affect both the global and local Sri Lankan business landscapes, and that is what we need to address in an MBA programme. Traditionally, MBA programmes have been highly sought after by professionals, and employers see MBA graduates as a special breed because the MBA programme provides leadership skills, analytical skills, and decision-making skills, particularly in data-driven decision-making.
This makes MBA graduates very valuable to organisations. Typically, an MBA graduate will be in higher demand than a non-MBA graduate in any industry, and that tradition continues. However, what is new is that, on top of this, MBA programmes that address the needs of this changing business landscape give our students an edge. For example, in the area of tech entrepreneurship, we have many students who are tech experts and have started businesses or are involved in the startup ecosystem. For all of them, gaining broad business knowledge in finance, marketing, and operations is essential, and this knowledge is provided through our MBA programme.
Another example is change management, which is a part of the MBA programme. Every organisation is undergoing rapid change, especially after COVID, with the current technological advancements and new business models.
Any organisation that is resistant to change will not survive in this landscape, making change management extremely important. We prepare our students to manage and lead change. Leading change is one of the most difficult tasks in any organisation because people are comfortable with the status quo, making change challenging.
The success of an organisation depends on how fast it can change and adapt to the rapidly evolving business environment. The experience we provide through our MBA programme in change management, change leadership, and related areas equips our students to thrive in this changing landscape.
Another example is networking. One of the key features of this MBA programme is the networking opportunity. As soon as a student enrols in the Cardiff Metropolitan University MBA programme, they gain access to a vast network of professionals currently in the programme, as well as our alumni, which includes industry leaders, C-level executives, and CXOs who have completed the Cardiff Metropolitan University MBA.
I don’t think any other institution or university in Sri Lanka can claim this. The ICBT MBA has the largest market share, nearly 50% against all other MBAs available in Sri Lanka. So, if you consider MBA graduates in Sri Lanka, 50% of them are Cardiff Met graduates.
Everyone who goes through this programme gains access to this network, which gives them a significant edge due to the interdependency of different industries, professions, and economies. This is another example of how our MBA equips students to thrive in this changing business environment.
