FACE TO FACE
WITH PUSHPA KALUBOWILA
By Dr. Tak S.Fernando
Picture Credit: Google
Pushpa Kalu (Kalubowila) placed
Sri Lanka in the International map of Academics and professionals at an award
ceremony held on 27 March 2004 at London's Café Royal in Piccadilly, when she
received the Business Enterprise Award for the Best Lecturer 2004, from
the International Association of Book-keepers; simultaneously assisting the
West Hertfordshire College, (where she is a senior lecturer in Accountancy and
Business studies) to receive the Business Enterprise Award for the Top
college for the second year running.
Pushpa
obtained her first degree from the University of Ceylon, Colombo Campus, and
worked as an Economics Lecturer upon graduating. Responding to a SOS call from
her fiancé, who was in London reading a CEng degree, she 'followed her
heart' to support him, and to act as a tower of strength.
Abandoning
her University lecturer's career in Sri Lanka, her life began in London on a
low key, but soon her ambition, skills and determination helped her to raise
her head again. Consequently, she managed to become a lecturer at West Herts
College in Accountancy and Business studies, bringing out her inborn refracted
skills in selecting, pioneering and designing accountancy courses for mature
students, who attended West Herts College. Her abilities and capabilities were
proven beyond any doubt, when West Herts College received the Top UK College
Award from the International Association of Book-keepers in the year 2002.
Following
are the excerpts from a Face 2 Face interview with Pushpa Kalu.
Q. Would you
like to start with your Sri Lankan family background?
A I am the eldest of a family
of four children out of Sriya & Amarasiri Padmaperuma of Arukwathu Pura,
Padukka. My father was the Village Headman, succeeding the family tradition. My
parents were public-spirited community leaders. All four children were brought
up with a community spirit, and it was imperative that we got involved in all
rural development matters to set an example to the community. My father had a
vision for the community and made pioneer initiatives soon after Sri Lanka
received her Independence in 1948. His work spread out into many areas such
Health, Education, Agriculture, Irrigation (for paddy cultivation), and cottage
industry. As a result of his dedicated service, Arukwathu Pura village was
recognised as the Best Model Village in Ceylon by the government in 1968
Q. Where
were you educated in Sri Lanka?
A. Up to
grade one, I was educated at a school in a nearby village. From grade two up
until University education I was at Anula Vidyalaya, Nugegoda.
Q Have you
shown your initiative and leadership skills at school age?
A. Yes, I
believe so. I was a Prefect, House Captain (Chulasumana), Leader of the debate
team and the School Captain (Head girl), and the best student of the year
before entering the University of Ceylon, Colombo Campus, to read Economics.
Q. Have you
ever thought of repaying back to your alma mater?
A. Yes, many
a time. I am very keen to set up an OGA for Anula Vidyalaya in the UK, where
we can help our alma mater. If I may, can I please make a request through your
column for the Anulians in the UK to contact me (anuliansintheuk@hotmail.com).
Q. What did
you achieve academically in Sri Lanka before coming to the UK?
A. I read
Economics under professor Indraratne and passed out with honours, and as a
post-graduate obtained a B.Phil. Soon after my graduation, I became a lecturer
attached to the Department of Economics.
Q. When did
you arrive in the UK? And what made you come to England?
A. In the
month of April, exactly 30 years ago I followed my heart! Kalu, my fiancé, came
to the UK to complete his C. Eng, and found his new life in London very
difficult. He requested my parents to send me to the UK and, with great
resistance from both families; I arrived in the UK on a fiancé visa.
Q How did
your life in London begin?
A.
Obviously, I came to London to support Kalu. We had a small wedding arranged by
my guardian family Disa and Mali Dissanayake (both deceased). The first year
was tough, and it took us a while to get settled down to London life. My first
job was at a local Tesco as an invoice clerk. I soon moved to Ryman’s Head
Office, Accounts Department, where I received the best training from Renee
Sugden, which helped me to blend into the London working culture. I worked
there during the day, and at St. Mary's Hospital, London, three evenings a week
as a nurse as a second job. My Red Cross qualifications from Sri Lanka helped
me in that situation tremendously.
Q. How
did you get a break to be a lecturer, and what prompted you to make that
decision?
A. In early
nineties, I was in a senior accounting post in a Plc (Public Limited Company)
and had to present a full-blown business plan to the Board of Directors. I
picked up a short course at West Herts College, in spreadsheets to support my
work. My lecturer, Liz Dobson, who found out my background told me that they were very short of specialists in this
field and wanted to know whether I would like to consider a teaching post? Liz
got me the Dean's address and made me promise that I forwarded my CV without
fail. Thanks to Liz, I, not only became a lecturer at West Herts College, but
received 2004's Business Enterprise Award for the best Lecturer.
Q. Coming
from a rural environmental background in Sri Lanka, you have certainly become
highly successful in the sophisticated world in the West, and today recognised
as a top academic in the UK. How did you make it to the top?
A. I am very
fortunate to have had the rural roots and a Colombo education. The initial
training was given by our unique parents to suit any universal environment.
Q. You have
a very impressive CV. Can we talk about your recent EMBA (Executive Master of
Business Administration)?
A. I studied
at the University of Hertfordshire, Business School and completed 12 modules
within 18 months on a part-time basis, and it took me a further year to
complete my dissertation.
Q. You
have published a report recently, what was your project and in aid of what ?
A. The
County of Hertfordshire, where I live at present, is endowed with an excellent
infrastructure. It has an ideal business location, which attracts diverse
global, national, regional, and local businesses. My aim was to contribute to
that community. The project was titled "Investigating Skills Gaps
in Decorum’s Business Community" which was carried out in partnership
with my local District Council, Dacorum, and West Herts College. It was based
on a questionnaire sent to 2000 businesses in the Dacorum Borough Council area,
which investigated the potential skills and training that were required for
business development in the community. In my report I made recommendations for
skills development, and it has already been used for bidding for funding and
training for the Borough.
Q. You have
been appointed as an Advanced Practitioner at West Herts College, What does
that title mean?
A The appointment
was made in recognition with my contribution to teaching and learning. It simply
means a Senior Lecturer.
Q So, as a
Buddhist who believes in Karmic effect (Law of cause and effect), do you think
it has something to do with your positive karma in a previous birth that you
have risen to this level in this life?
A. Certainly,
I have been very fortunate to be born into a noble family. My husband
Kalu, and our three most wonderful children Samitha, Samali & Dasal support
me fully in every respect. May be, I have brought forward a certain amount of
positive karma, but certainly I am accruing my good karma in this life
too by making an impact on so many others' lives and by providing a good
career path for them and arousing their refractive potential to better
themselves in life.
Q What
special qualities or charisma helped you to outshine many other professionals
of equal or even with higher qualifications in this country in becoming a
Lecturer in Accounting and Business Studies at West Herts College in
Hertfordshire?
A. Perhaps
it was my first experience in accounting studies! I deliver teaching in a
diversified form, which is " all in one session". It
consists of a lecture, seminar/discussion, practice, and tutorial. I integrate
my industrial and real life experiences into teaching to make it relevant and
interesting for students to learn. We all know that a thorough understanding,
revision, mock papers, tutorials are the key factors to success in exams. I
prepare students by covering the full syllabus, and when they come to the
exams, the question paper becomes reasonably easy for them. I also evaluate
each course at the end of every session and students are prompted to provide
feedbacks for development. I also use that as an action plan for the next round
of course delivery.
I am also
a 'hands on practitioner' providing accounting, business
solutions and trouble shooting for Small to Medium size Enterprises. Trico
International Shipping Ltd, Sen & Co Solicitors, Blue Skies Nursery, and
companies in London and Hertfordshire receive my services. My accounting and
accounting software-training services are provided to corporate customers such
as Dixons Plc., Voluntary Organizations, SMEs (Small to Medium size Enterprises
) and individuals.
Q. You have
so much to give back to your mother country where you were given a free
education in the first place to reach out to this level in an advanced society.
Have you not ever thought of giving back your knowledge and services to your
mother country as part of your gratitude on being so academically successful in
the UK?
A. I do not
think I can ever re-pay enough to my parents or my mother country. I keep in
contact with my hometown and help as much as I can. I like to have more
involvement with Sri Lanka, and I am planning to live in Sri Lanka as soon as
my children are independent.
Q. On
March 25th 2004 you received The Business Enterprise Award - the Best Lecturer
2004. Simultaneously your employer West Herts College was also awarded the Top
College of 2004 because of your excellence. How do you feel about these
achievements, and is there a message for others?
A. Have your
aims simple. In my case, my aim is to help individuals, the business community,
as well as my employer, who provides me with my daily bed and butter and to
achieve the best results. It is really gratifying to be appreciated and
recognised at the end of the day.
I would also like to send a message
to the individuals at large, and that is the good work one puts in, at home and
to the community, will always be recognised sooner rather than later. We must
all aspire to achieve our best for our families, employers, and our community
as well as to ourselves.
London 2004