Curtin Sarawak and ACCA Malaysia establish cooperation with signing of MoA

Miri – 28 October 2015 – A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) signed between Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Malaysia today will facilitate student support in their professional development and careers in accounting, business and finance.

Signing the MoA on behalf of Curtin Sarawak at a signing ceremony at the Curtin Sarawak campus were Pro Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Jim Mienczakowski and Dean of Faculty of Business and Humanities Professor Jonathan Winterton. Country Head of ACCA Malaysia David Chin and Senior Manager of Business Development Vincent Hah signed on behalf of ACCA Malaysia.

Also present were Peter Gabriel, Manager of Business Development of ACCA Malaysia, and heads of departments and academic staff of the Faculty of Business and Humanities.

The agreement facilitates the inclusion of Curtin Sarawak in the ACCA Accelerate Scheme which provides its students pursuing Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) and Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Finance) courses access to ACCA professional qualifications before they graduate.

As Curtin Sarawak is accredited by ACCA, students are exempted from the nine ACCA professional papers and are only required to sit for five papers in order to become professional chartered accountants.

Students under the scheme are entitled to complimentary sign-up, initial registration fees and annual subscription fees up to two years after graduation (inclusive of graduation year) and deferred exemption fee payment up to 24 months after graduation.

In addition, ACCA Malaysia is committed to supporting the students and the university in various areas. These include rendering support for orientation sessions, information events, meetings with ACCA members and annual conferences or seminars; promoting ACCA qualification; and providing access to ACCA’s online resources.

In his speech during the ceremony, Professor Mienczakowski said the MoA provides a significant opportunity and access for Curtin Sarawak students to the highest professional standards.

“We thank ACCA for giving our accounting course the due recognition and allowing us to join the ACCA Accelerate Scheme. It is a testimony to the quality of Curtin’s business courses which are recognised and highly regarded across the world, as well as highly ranked in the various global university rankings,” he said.

He added that Curtin Sarawak is pleased and honoured to be the first foreign branch campus in Malaysia to be included in the Scheme, giving the university a competitive edge and strengthening the marketability of the Curtin business courses offered. This will greatly benefit the Faculty of Business and Humanities’ over 500 accounting students and the close to 200 who graduate and join the profession each year.

Professor Mienczakowski (4th left), Chin (middle) and representatives from Curtin Sarawak, ACCA Malaysia and Sunway College Kuching posing for a group photo at the end of the ceremony.