Sri Lankan Professor Shines Globally: Wins Prestigious
CGMA Teaching Award 2025
Senior Professor and Chair Professor of Accounting at the
University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Kennedy Gunawardana, has put Sri
Lanka on the global map by winning the CGMA Teaching Award 2025,
presented by AICPA & CIMA.
Prof. Gunawardana clinched the award for Outstanding
Contribution (Sri Lanka) in recognition of his trailblazing work
in Transformative Sustainability Program Development. The award
celebrates his efforts to push accounting education beyond traditional
boundaries and integrate sustainability into the heart of finance training.
Widely regarded as one of the most prestigious international
honors in accounting education, the CGMA Teaching Awards spotlight
educators who are reshaping how future finance leaders are trained.
“This recognition is not just for me but for the University
and my students,” Prof. Gunawardana said after the announcement. “The
accounting profession today must be about more than numbers — it must play a
central role in building a sustainable future.”
His initiatives, which weave sustainability, ethics, and
innovation into accounting curricula, have earned praise for preparing
graduates to tackle real-world challenges such as climate change and
responsible corporate governance.
University officials described the award as a “landmark
moment” for Sri Lanka’s higher education sector. “Prof. Gunawardana’s
achievement underscores the global impact of our academic community,” the
university said in a statement.
With this honor, Prof. Gunawardana joins an elite circle of
international educators driving change in the finance profession and
reinforcing Sri Lanka’s reputation as a rising force in world-class education.
By Rishar M Saleem
