AICPA & CIMA, which together form the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, and the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School are partnering to offer an executive management certificate programme in sustainability for accounting and finance professionals.
“Simply put, this exciting collaboration will help to improve the world we live in,” Soumitra Dutta, Dean of the Saïd Business School, said in a news release announcing the programme. “With our school’s world-class teaching, we will equip accounting and finance professionals across the globe with the skills and knowledge they need to better focus businesses on their social and environmental impact. I cannot imagine a more important time for such a programme, as we all face the very real dangers of the growing climate crisis.”
The programme, scheduled to launch later this year, is designed for mid- to senior-level accounting professionals, such as CFOs, chief accounting officers, and board members. It will be taught online through live classes, giving participants access to Oxford faculty members with expertise in sustainability issues, and will provide an unparalleled opportunity to develop a global network of contacts, the release said.
“As we move closer to global sustainability standards, there is high demand for accounting and finance leaders who can successfully navigate this dramatic shift to greater organisational transparency beyond traditional financial metrics,” said Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA’s CEO–Management Accounting. “Our new programme will give key players in this transformation the skills they need to build trust with stakeholders and provide consistent, comparable information to develop strategies and shape decisions related to sustainability.”
Graduates of the programme will earn a certificate jointly signed by Oxford Saïd and AICPA & CIMA, and they also will benefit from a dynamic and impactful global alumni network — the Oxford Saïd Elumni Network.
The programme is intended to:
- Equip aspiring professionals with subject matter expertise, insight, and practical knowledge to support and lead their organisation’s response to sustainability issues;
- Alert employers and prospective employers that certificate holders possess a deep understanding of how sustainability issues affect their organisation’s ability to create long-term value, with relevant implications for decision-making and resource allocation; and
- Deepen a professional accountant’s ability to apply business skills to sustainability issues, which will have a profound effect on organisational business models.
According to the release, AICPA & CIMA and Oxford Saïd plan to explore other joint executive management programmes relating to management accounting and the future of finance.
— To comment on this article or to suggest an idea for another article, contact Bryan Strickland at Bryan.Strickland@aicpa-cima.com.