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AICPA and CIMA have partnered with Saïd Business School, University of Oxford to offer a new executive management certificate programme in sustainability for accounting and finance professionals.
AICPA said the course will equip finance professionals with the tools and knowledge to make businesses more sustainable and socially responsible.
The programme, which is expected to launch later this year, is geared towards professionals in mid- to senior-level career roles, such as chief finance officers, board members and chief accounting officers.
It will be taught online through live classes, giving participants access to faculty members with “world-leading” expertise in sustainability issues. Graduates of the programme will earn a certificate jointly signed by Oxford Saïd and AICPA and CIMA.
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
- Deepen a professional accountant’s ability to apply his or her business skills to sustainability issues, which will have a profound effect on organisational business models.
Soumitra Dutta, dean of Saïd Business School, said: “Simply put, this exciting collaboration will help to improve the world we live in. 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.”
Andrew Harding, FCMA, CGMA, AICPA & CIMA’s CEO of management accounting, added: “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.
“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.”
