To move forward the development of college management accounting, and strengthen the exchanges and cooperation among colleges on management accounting, the Seminar on the Construction of Think Tanks with Chinese Characteristics and College Management Accounting in the New Era, sponsored by Shanghai Academy, was held at the Training Center of Shanghai University of Electric Power on November 12. Wen Xueguo, Executive Vice President of Shanghai Academy, Li Hexing, President of Shanghai University of Electric Power, Hu Sheng, President of Shanghai Dianji University, Wang Zhiwei, former secretary-general of Shanghai Municipal Education Commission, Shi Xin, Vice President of Shanghai Maritime University, Liu Guoqiang, Director of the Accounting Research Editorial Department of the Accounting Society of China, He Pengcheng, Director of the Financial Department of Shanghai Municipal Commission, and Zhu Xinlong, Director of the Financial and Asset Center of Shanghai Municipal Commission, attended the meeting. The opening ceremony was chaired by Zhang Chuan, Chief Accountant of Shanghai University of Electric Power and Shanghai Dianji University.                                      

In his speech, Wen Xueguo extended a warm welcome to the experts and scholars on college financial management for their presence at the meeting. After introducing Shanghai Academy, he pointed out that universities face new opportunities and challenges in management accounting, and the discussions about the hot issues related to cost management, internal control, performance evaluation, budget management and management of project funds will help regulate financial management, optimize resources allocation and better serve the comprehensive educational reform at universities. He suggested that accounting management should be aligned with the construction of first-class universities and first-class disciplines and be planned from the perspective of college development; he also proposed to unify the standards between financial management and the use of scientific research funds, and to reduce restrictions and manage financial accounts with modern technologies.

The meeting included three keynote speeches. In the speech themed Only Changes Remain Unchanged in the Future – Changes and Changelessness in Accounting, Professor Luo Hong from the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics discussed the crises facing accounting and corresponding solutions; in a speech themed The Competence Framework for Management Accounting Talents in Administrative Institutions, Professor Chen Zhibin from Southeast University dwelled on three elements, i.e. core competence, general competence, and value judgment; in combination with cases, Professor Du Li, Chief Accountant of Jilin University, illustrated the contents, purposes, and basic methods of the assessment of the input-output performance of college funds; Zhang Pingwei, former chief economist of Shanghai University, analyzed the per capita cost of college students with detailed data and figures; Professor Zha Daolin, Chief Accountant of Beijing University of Chemical Technology, shared the results of the “research and analysis of the application of management accounting in colleges”; Professor Zhang Chuan explored college budget management, while recognizing the gap between ideals and reality; Xu Guodong, Director of AICPA|CIMA Chinese Mainland, explained the “path to success for international financial talents amid finance-business integration and financial transformation” from the perspective of market-oriented operation.

The two discussions held at two sub-venues in the afternoon were respectively chaired by Professor Yang Rong, Director of the Financial Department of East China Normal University, and Professor Zhang Aimin, Director of the Financial Department of East China University of Science and Technology. The experts and scholars had a warm exchange of opinions about the performance assessment system, internal control, and efficient government procurement, etc.

As part of the round-table conference, the discussion about “college internal control” was chaired by Chu Guizhong, Director of the Financial Department of Shanghai University. Professor Zhu Xinlong, Xu Yaoling, Chief Accountant of Shanghai Ocean University, Associate Professor Xiao Kangyuan, Director of the Financial and Accounting Department of Shanghai Maritime University, Lin Yan, Director of the Financial Department of Tongji University, and Wei Jianhua, Director of the Financial Department of Shanghai University of Electric Power, participated in the discussion. The participants agreed that college internal control starts from the source and budget constraints must be used properly. The discussion about the “management of college research funds” was chaired by Professor Yang Ying, Director of the Audit Department of the University of Shanghai for Science and Technology. Dr. Liu Guoqiang, Professor Yang Haiming from the Economic and Management School of Hubei University of Economics, Wang Guangyan, Director of the Financial Department of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Lin Xuelei, Chief Accountant of Shanghai International Studies University, and Jin Lei, Director of the Financial Department of Shanghai Dianji University, attended the discussion. In combination with their own working experience and research practice, the attendees pointed out that management of scientific research funds must highlight user experience, and intensified benefit-oriented management is required besides regulated management.The seminar was sponsored by Shanghai Academy, and jointly undertaken by Shanghai University of Electric Power, Shanghai Dianji University, Shanghai University, Shanghai Maritime University and AICPA|CIMA. The attendees included more than 80 experts and scholars from eight provinces (municipalities directly under the State Council) across the country.

(Article and photos by Xie Nini)