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ACCOUNTING & AUDIT
Preparing Future Accountants for a New Role in a Changing Profession
Professor Petros Lois, Head of the Department of Accounting at the University of Nicosia (UNIC), explains how students are being taught the traditional and new skills that they will require in future leadership roles and how internships help them convert their academic knowledge into vauable industry skills. Tell us about the wider importance of the field of Accounting in Cyprus and your commitment to this. Cyprus is a global accounting services hub and a perfect location to study Accounting, boasting among the world’s highest per-capita rate of Chartered and Certified Accountants. Correspondingly, our commitment to education in Accounting mirrors the importance of the field to the island. Over the years, we have dedicated ourselves to providing top-quality education in the fields of Accounting, Banking and Finance, with a strong focus on instilling in our students the importance of ethics and ethical behaviour in the profession. Today, we consider ourselves one of the
ACCOUNTANCY CYPRUS
top universities for Accounting in the region.
As a ship needs an anchor, a business needs an accountant What advantages does an Accounting degree from the University of Nicosia offer? The UNIC Accounting Programme addresses the individual needs and goals of our students. During their studies, they learn to challenge established thinking, embrace new technologies, develop relevant attitudes and abilities, and continually assess the wider possibilities available in a challenging world. One thing I am certain of is that the future of accounting will continue to be affected by technology. Cloud accounting packages, for example, have made accounting software accessible from anywhere. To that end, Accounting education at UNIC is facilitated through our Accounting Lab, utilising specialised software and offering practical training. Our experienced, professional faculty helps prepare students for leadership roles and for advancement on several exciting career tracks, including accounting services, accounting information systems, taxation, internal and external auditing, corporate management ac-
counting and management advisory. Our accounting graduates are also in an excellent position to pursue professional qualifications (ACCA, ACA, CFA, CIA, ADIT, CMA, ICA) through Globaltraining, our affiliated professional training organization, as well as our Joint Masters Programme in Banking, Accounting and Finance with the Hellenic Open University, and doctoral studies in related fields. Does the University collaborate with any organisations that provide students with internship opportunities? We believe that it is essential for our accounting students to have internship opportunities. This is why we introduced a placement opportunity as a course on our accounting pathway this year, with great success. More generally, students may be employed for a set period of time by local accounting and audit firms with which the University maintains close links. Internships are where higher education meets employment, allowing students to gain experience working in an organisation while studying. This is also enabled through our participation in the ERASMUS+ mobility programme. Students benefit greatly from such internship programmes, having made industry contacts, converting their academic knowledge into industry skills, while gaining an unforgettable life experience in the process.
