AICPA and Oxford team up on sustainability program

The Association of Certified Professional Accountants and the University of Oxford's Saïd Business School will jointly offer a new executive management program in sustainability for accounting and finance professionals.

The program offers live online classes for professionals in mid- to senior-level career roles, as well as CFOs, CEOs and board members. Students will have the opportunity to develop a global network with their peers while having access to faculty members with insight in sustainability issues. Graduates of the program will earn a certificate jointly signed by Oxford Saïd and the AICPA & CIMA (Chartered Institute of Management Accountants).

"Simply put, this exciting collaboration will help to improve the world we live in," said Soumitra Dutta, dean of the Said Business School. "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 program, as we all face the very real dangers of the growing climate crisis."

Expected to launch later this year, the certificate will provide candidates with expertise in how sustainability issues affect their organization's ability to create long-term value, and the implications for decision-making and resource allocation. Participants will also have the opportunity to understand how to apply their business skills to ESG issues to have a positive impact on an organization's business model. Students from the program will also have the chance to join the Oxford Saïd Alumni Network after completion of the program.

When it comes to the future of the collaboration, the AICPA and Oxford Saïd may introduce other joint executive management programs relating to management accounting and the future of finance.

"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 organizational transparency beyond traditional financial metrics," said Andrew Harding, AICPA & CIMA's CEO of management accounting. "Our new program 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."