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.
