Curtin University accounting students will have the opportunity to gain an additional qualification allowing them to potentially work anywhere in the world, as the result of a new agreement signed with the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), signed between Curtin University’s School of Accounting and the ACCA, confirms a five-year exclusivity agreement that positions Curtin as the sole approved university provider of ACCA training and material in Western Australia until January 2025.
Professor Saurav Dutta, the Head of Curtin’s School of Accounting, said the new agreement provided an outstanding opportunity to work with the ACCA, offering students exclusive access to high quality learning support from Curtin academics to assist them to pass ACCA examinations and attain the organisation’s international certification.
“The ACCA certification will benefit Curtin accounting students throughout their career, regardless of where they choose to practice, opening up a whole host of new potential job opportunities,” Professor Dutta said.
“Curtin is a global university with students from more than 140 countries, so it is important for graduates to be able to professionally prosper in whichever country they decide to reside. Students need a ‘global passport’ to practice accounting, not just in Australia, but anywhere in the world.
“We are delighted to partner with a global leader in the accounting industry and look forward to working together on collaborations in the coming years. The ACCA currently has more than 219,000 members worldwide, with a further 527,000 future members working towards the Association’s qualifications. It has a strong presence in the UK, Africa, the Caribbean, Mauritius, Europe and Southeast Asia, and is also rapidly expanding in China and India.”
Maurice Cheong, Head of ACCA Australia and New Zealand, expressed excitement about the collaboration.
“Continuously creating and maintaining mutually beneficial partnerships with global academic partners is integral to ACCA’s vision to become number one in developing the accountancy profession the world needs. This partnership with Curtin University leverages the expertise of world-class accounting academics at a key Australian university, supporting the delivery of the ACCA Strategic Professional papers and increasing students’ ability to progress towards becoming an ACCA qualified accountant,” Mr Cheong said.
“We’re proud to partner with a progressive university which places emphasis on helping students develop transferable business skills and communication skills to meet the demands of the workplace.
“Our objectives are aligned, as ACCA strives to develop commercial acumen, professional scepticism, emotional intelligence and understanding of business analytics, with a strong focus on communication skills, throughout our content and exams to ensure that ACCA qualified accountants are highly employable and future-proof in an ever-changing workplace.”
The ACCA provides opportunities and open access to people of ability wherever they are in the world, supporting and promoting the highest ethical, governance and professional standards.
The MOU was signed at Curtin University’s Perth campus on 10 December, 2019. Further information on the ACCA can be found online here.
