GOODMAN NEWS
NEW AND NOTABLE More than 100 accountants, academics and students gathered at the Goodman School of Business in February to discuss the future of accounting.
GOODMAN SYMPOSIUM DISCUSSES THE FUTURE OF ACCOUNTING By Jocelyn Titone
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he need for critical thinking and communication skills was a recurring topic of discussion at the Future of Accounting Symposium hosted by the CPA Ontario Centre for Public Policy. The symposium, which was held in the Goodman Atrium in February, featured a mix of panel discussions and presentations from practitioners and academics from across Canada. Topics ranged from analytics and social issues to innovative technology, such as artificial intelligence. “Employers are looking for people who can engage and adapt quickly in a fast-paced world,” said Andrew Gaudes, Dean of the School. “It’s not about the technical skillset as much as it is about the human experience. As educators, we’re looking to provide opportunities for students to develop critical thinking and emotional intelligence, while still addressing students’ educational interests, such as innovation, data analytics and sustainability.” During a panel discussion about the future of accounting, Mark Squire (BAcc ’05,
MAcc ’07), a partner with Crawford, Smith and Swallow Inc., said automation benefits entry-level accounting professionals because it eliminates boring and menial tasks. “Entry-level positions are starting at a higher level than ever before,” he said. “As a co-op student, I did a lot of data entry. Now, co-op students jump right into the exciting parts of analysis, interpretation and discussing results with clients.” Automation and new technologies are scary for some, said event organizer Jennifer Li, who is also a Goodman professor and Director of the CPA Ontario Centre for Public Policy and Innovation in Accounting. But there is potential for accounting professionals to take on new roles in the industry. “Artificial intelligence may improve assurance quality. However, there will be a need to ensure the technology is working properly and ethically,” she said. “We’re all confused about technology’s implications about the future of accounting. The symposium was one way to face the issue head on, get a bit uncomfortable and share ideas for how we can all move forward for the overall betterment of the industry.”
NEW PARTNERSHIP EXPANDS DOUBLE DEGREE PROGRAM TO THE UNITED KINGDOM By Kaitlyn Little
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rock University business students can now study and work in the United Kingdom thanks to a new partnership with Lancaster University. The agreement allows students from the Goodman School of Business to study at the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) as part of Goodman’s Bachelor of Business Administration Co-op International Double Degree program. The double degree program offers undergraduate students the chance to study and work abroad. They earn degrees from two universities for the price of tuition at Brock. “LUMS is highly respected and is in great alignment with the programs that Goodman offers in terms of our shared values of corporate social responsibility and commitment to global engagement,” Goodman Dean
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GOODMAN: THE MAGAZINE
Andrew Gaudes said. Students starting Goodman’s double degree program in September will be the first cohort to choose Lancaster as their preferred international university. The program includes two years of study at each university and a co-op placement in both Canada and the U.K. Both Brock and Lancaster are members of the International Partnership of Business Schools, a network of 13 partner schools that promotes language and cultural fluency alongside business aptitude through double degree programs. “Welcoming these top students from our partner schools into Goodman classrooms adds a diverse and important international perspective,” Gaudes said. “The program benefits our students studying both at Brock and abroad.”
Lancaster University, United Kingdom.
