On October 22, 2025, the FBM Business and Career Talk titled “Future of Finance 2.0: Re-defining Finance for a Sustainable World” was held in T2-102 at our university. The event featured Mr. Eric Jianbiao PAN, Regional Director of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) South China. The talk attracted enthusiastic participation from students and faculty members in the fields of accounting, finance, and management.

Before the lecture, Dr. Sun LIU, Head of the Department of Accounting, presented Mr. Pan with a gift to express the university's appreciation for his visit. Both parties expressed their enthusiasm for fostering deeper cooperation between the university and CIMA in the future.

In his talk, Mr. Pan delved into how digitalization and information technology are fundamentally transforming the role of Accounting. He highlighted that the financial function is evolving from traditional bookkeeping to strategic decision-making and value creation. Speaking about the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), he emphasized that AI will not replace accounting professionals but will empower them to focus on higher-value tasks and work more efficiently. In the future, he said, Accounting professionals will need to combine analytical thinking, data skills, and business insight to drive sustainable growth.

Mr. Pan also introduced CIMA’s international qualification framework and the mutual exemption policy between CIMA and our university. Under this agreement, students from relevant programs may apply for exemptions from certain CIMA exams after completing designated courses, enabling them to obtain the global qualification more efficiently.

During the Q&A session, students raised questions about topics such as “the impact of AI on Accounting careers” and “career prospects with CIMA qualifications.” Mr. Pan responded thoughtfully, blending industry insights with personal experience, earning warm applause from the audience.

The lecture provided students with valuable insights and new perspectives on the evolving role of Accounting and Finance in the digital era.