Dear members,
Meeting young members of our community keeps me informed about their needs and concerns, and I feel excited for the profession’s future when I meet with energetic accounting students and young accountants. This month, I had the opportunity to meet a great number of them.
I began the month as the guest of honour for the inauguration of the Accounting Students’ Society at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Speaking to the young students about the accounting profession, and the opportunities available in it, showed me that much has changed since I began my career regarding the training of accountants and the roles they play in business or practice. Now truly is the age of Accounting Plus.
I also took the annual trip presidents of the Institute make to see our friends and colleagues in Zhuhai at United International College (UIC). As a project between two universities from the Mainland and Hong Kong, UIC represents a beacon of collaboration for the Greater Bay Area to follow. On the trip, I oversaw the renewal of the agreement between the Institute and UIC for the operation of the Qualification Programme Resource Centre. In the evening, I gave a presentation to the students and guests about the Greater Bay Area and the important role Accountants Plus have to play in the success of the initiative.
I had the pleasure of attending the Institute’s Mentorship Programme 2019-20 Ceremony on 13 April. The ceremony brought together mentors and mentees finishing their cycle with those just about to begin a new one to share their experiences and expectations with one another. The mentorship programme is a brilliant way for members to connect with one another and to truly grow into Accountants Plus.
At the event, some mentors together with their mentees spoke of the excitement, insights and different experiences they had interacting with their energetic mentees, and how the programme helped them as mentors to develop. It’s important to remember that the concept of Accounting Plus is about continuous growth and development. The Mentorship Programme demonstrates how we can all learn from one another – no matter how far into our careers we are.
“The Mentorship Programme demonstrates how we can all learn from one another – no matter how far into our careers we are.”
Turning to more formal occasions. At the Institute we welcomed a delegation from the Ministry of Finance on 17 April for our annual meeting. We discussed the latest development of the profession in Hong Kong and the Institute’s major initiatives, including the new Qualification Programme. After our update, we shared views on the proposed revision of the PRC Accounting Law on a range of subjects including different modes of operation, the professional services provided by CPA firms, quality assurance, and professional liability. It is good to be able to meet with and share our experiences with our colleagues in the Mainland, and discuss the mutual development of the profession with them. International collaboration is an important facet of our continuing success.
This month ended with me joining the Chief Executive of Hong Kong’s delegation to the Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing. At the event I met representatives from a number of different countries and industries keen on involvement in the initiative. I believe that the Belt and Road initiative represents an opportunity for the Hong Kong accounting profession to apply our professional knowledge and leverage our international connections to help countries across the world to develop.
Patrick Law
President
