Colombo, 02 August 2023 – Acuity Knowledge Partners (Acuity), a leading provider of bespoke research, analytics, staffing and technology solutions to the financial services sector, launched its Capital Markets Webinar Series in Sri Lanka, inviting the participation of undergraduates and graduates at universities, educational institutions, and professional bodies.

The series will begin in August 2023 and offer final-year undergraduates and graduates an interactive way to gain critical technical and soft skills related to finance and data science, invaluable for a career in the financial services sector.

“As one of the largest recruiters of finance graduates in Sri Lanka, we are keen to work with our local educational partners to ensure students are trained in the skills needed to take advantage of employment opportunities. Acuity offers people in Sri Lanka the opportunity to gain exposure to global banks, asset managers, and private equity and other financial services firms,” said Acuity’s Jehan Jeyaretnam, Country Head of Sri Lanka.

The webinar series will be conducted both online and offline by Acuity’s senior leaders. Selected candidates will have an opportunity to attend the sessions from Acuity’s offices at the World Trade Center and join a post-event networking session with the Acuity team.

The sessions will cover topics such as financial modelling, formulating a defensible investment thesis, forensic accounting, tech and data science and digital marketing services in investment research, and corporate credit analysis. The first session will focus on the transition from a financial analyst to a global leader and will be conducted by Chanakya Dissanayake, Managing Director and Co-Head of Acuity’s Global Delivery.

“Training and knowledge sharing are deeply embedded in our DNA. Hence, we engage with leading universities in Sri Lanka to bring global standards of investment research skills and technologies to the classroom. The webinar series will be a natural extension of these initiatives and prove to be highly impactful for capital market participants and those who aspire to enter this field,” said Nuwan Jayawardana, Director of Investment Research and Head of Acuity’s University Outreach Programme.

The Capital Markets Webinar Series has the support of leading educational institutions including the Universities of Colombo, Jaffna, Kelaniya, Moratuwa, Peradeniya, Sabaragamuwa, Sri Jayewardenepura and Wayamba, the British Computer Society, Asia Pacific Institute of Information Technology, National Institute of Business Management and Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology.

The initiative is also supported by leading industry associations such as CFA, CIMA, ACCA, and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka.

Acuity currently employs more than 6,000 industry experts globally, including more than 500 in Sri Lanka. It plans to more than double its employee count both locally and internationally over the next three years as industry’s appetite for outsourced financial services grows and is increasing its engagement with educational partners to meet this demand.

The Sri Lanka delivery centre has undertaken several initiatives in recent years to benefit the student community, including guest lectures, contributing to setting industry-relevant curricula, offering internship programmes, and providing opportunities to network with Acuity’s senior leadership through “Tea with Acuity Seniors” sessions and acting as the official knowledge partner for professional bodies.