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PRCA APAC appoints Country Representative for Lanka
ASIA PACIFIC – 8th September, 2022 – The Public Relations and Communications Association Asia Pacific (PRCA APAC) has announced Thanzyl Thajudeen MPRCA as its first country representative in Sri Lanka. Thajudeen is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (FRSA) and member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) with over 10 years of experience in advising, managing, and leading PR and communications for notable brands across diverse industry sectors in Sri Lanka.
Spearheading the strategy in the local context, the representative will pursue activities aimed at curating, sharing, and enforcing knowledge and insights, and actively engage with industry leaders and practitioners within agencies and organisations in Sri Lanka. Among the initiatives is to publish a brief report on the state of the industry in the country and organise an industry webinar with renowned communications experts in the APAC region on emerging challenges and insights.
Head of PRCA APAC Tara Munis said “Thanzyl Thajudeen is a positive driving force for PR in Sri Lanka. As the world’s largest and most influential professional PR association, our mission is simple – to raise standards across the world. We’re looking forward to working with Thanzyl to further untap PR’s enormous potential in Sri Lanka.”
Sri Lanka representative Thanzyl Thajudeen MPRCA said ‘‘It is with great pleasure to represent PRCA in Sri Lanka and I believe it is long overdue of having a global voice in the industry. As the world’s largest and most influential PR professional body, there is tremendous amount of insights and resources that can be mutually beneficial to making relevant, sustainable and responsible decisions in a practice that is constantly challenging and evolving.’
‘‘We look forward to actively engage and work together with diverse stakeholders such as agencies, organizations, media, associations, academia, policy makers and experts to uplift the communications landscape and standards of Sri Lanka through various activities that spur knowledge sharing, responsible practices, and continuous learning,’’ Thajudeen added.
The Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA) is the world’s largest professional PR body, representing more than 35,000 PR professionals in 82 countries worldwide, delivering exceptional training, authoritative industry data, and global networking, and development opportunities. Its mission is to create a more professional, ethical, and prosperous PR industry. It also manages the International Communications Consultancy Organisation (ICCO) – the umbrella body for 41 PR associations and 3,000 agencies across the world, and LGcomms – the UK’s national body for local government communicators. The Sri Lanka representative can be reached via srilanka@prca.global.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
