HONING GLOBAL SKILLS

The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is a UK based leading management accounting professional body that provides exciting opportunities for aspiring accountants who can, financial expertise with business decisions and drive strong, sustainable performance.

"In 1919 Lord Lever Hume, the founder of Lever Bros (later became Unilever), realised the fundamental change that had taken place in the business world and the need of management of business," says Zareef Tamanna Matin, Country Manager of CIMA. "He founded CIMA's predecessor, the Institute of Cost and Works Accountants (ICWA). Now, adjusting with the ever changing world of business, to enable employers to find people capable of adding value such as flexibility, speed and accuracy of understanding, problem solving and effective communication, dynamism and entrepreneurism, CIMA and the AICPA (American Institute of Public Accountants) created the Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA)," she continues. The institution to date, has 218,000 students across 178 countries upholding high ethical and professional standards to maintain public confidence in management accountancy.

CIMA Bangladesh set its footprint in the year June 2011 and by now has successfully positioned itself as the leading professional business qualification required for driving suitable business. "Currently we have around 1,100 students in Bangladesh who are studying CIMA from 2 different entry routes- standard entry route and the Gateway entry route," says Matin.

"As traditional accounting skills are being replaced by technological applications, management accounting is set to become more focused than ever on strategic decision making," Matin tells us. "And technology is increasingly affecting how our members and students learn. It provides them with flexibility to choose where and when they study. In combination of the above, CIMA will greatly help developing market like Bangladesh where new business opportunities are growing. It will help one to drive sustainable business growth."

According to Matin, CIMA is a total 17 papers qualification and the entire qualification is standing on 3 pillars called Enterprise, Performance and Finance. These pillars are further divided into three levels which are certificate, operation and strategic level. "We have a MoU with Dhaka University AIS (Accounting and Information System) department and also Brac Accounting department which benefits their existing students to study CIMA simultaneously besides their academic degree at a special discounted price," she says. "This qualification will give them a global passport and also help them get membership of other professional bodies like CPA Australia or CMA Canada without any exam."  

CIMA will benefit others who are from non- business backgrounds if they want to hone their entrepreneurial skills. "Nowadays we are seeing bloom of new entrepreneurs in Bangladesh, therefore the CIMA level wise certification will help them to prepare their own business strategy and give them the knowledge about the business should be managed," says Matin, "Most importantly the qualification is accepted globally and will benefit one with global skills." 

For further information please visit www.cimaglobal.com