A group of twenty two leaders from various Universities in China and The Hong Kong Polytechnic University convened at the Hyatt Hotel in Dublin.

The event opened with an interactive workshop led by Dr Charles Vincent, Programme Director for the MSc AI in Business at Queen’s Business School. The session on “Agentic AI for Accountability”, explored the emerging role of Agentic AI systems and how organisations can ensure accountability through transparency, auditability, and responsible oversight.

Participants examined the strategic challenges of accountability in AI-enabled environments, including liability, ESG-informed governance, and the importance of keeping humans in the loop.  The session encouraged leaders to think beyond compliance and consider actionable governance strategies for the responsible deployment of AI.

Reflecting on the session, Dr. Charles noted:

"It was a real pleasure to contribute to the ACCA China event in Dublin and engage with academic leaders from across China and Hong Kong. As we embrace this new wave of agentic AI, it is essential to recognise that while AI can recommend a course of action, only a human can be held accountable for the outcomes. This new wave does not eliminate responsibility; rather, it demands deeper accountability. The human face behind every decision remains vital."  

This programme offered a valuable platform for cross-cultural exchange and forward-thinking dialogue on responsible AI leadership.

The second day, International Cooperation Day, highlighted the strength of global partnerships in shaping the future of accounting and business education. Delegates heard from representatives of ACCA Ireland, Queen’s Business School, Atlantic Technological University Sligo, Guangdong University of Finance, and Ulster University.

Queen’s Business School’s Director of Internationalisation, Dr. Alex Wilson, showcased the range of high calibre undergraduate and postgraduate accounting programmes, such as MSc Accounting, Finance and Analytics and MAcc Advanced Accounting with Placement, and how we support students from the outset on their professional accounting journey.  Dr. Alex also highlighted, Queen’s strong track record in graduate outcomes and its close alignment with professional bodies in the UK and Republic of Ireland.

Speaking about the event, Dr. Alex said:

“The two-day event with colleagues from schools of accounting and business across China was enormously valuable. With ACCA we had the perfect forum to discuss the future in terms of the accounting profession and our shared mission to develop accounting professionals for a fast-changing world.  It was a pleasure to present the innovations in our accounting programmes and to connect with existing and new university partners”.

The forum offered a great opportunity to meet our fellow international ACCA accountancy colleagues, discuss potential collaborations and share experiences and insights.

A special thank you to our ACCA China colleagues for their warm welcome and hospitality.

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