How Hong Kong’s universities are preparing accountants for future requirements
If accountants want to thrive in a data-driven future, they’ll need to acquire new skills – soft and hard – with an eye on global trends and practical application

As corporations embrace new technology, regulations and social responsibilities, the accounting landscape is rapidly changing in tandem to meet their growing demands. This requires professionals to balance their soft and hard skills to stay competitive and create advancement opportunities.
A handful of Hong Kong’s higher education institutions offer postgraduate programmes to accounting professionals, aiming to give students with real-world work experience the opportunity to better understand the evolving nature of their industry and how it might impact their clients’ needs.
Proficiency in technology is crucial in the modern corporate world. Skills such as literacy in data analytics and artificial intelligence (AI) will allow accountants to remain competitive as they simplify procedures and improve efficiency.

Accountants who want to stay competitive in this environment must bring extra expertise that lets them work with these new tools in a way that will add a human touch and value that machines cannot replicate.
For instance, accountants proficient in data analytics can better interpret and deliver strategic propositions and make more informed decisions.
At Baptist University, Janet Kwan, senior lecturer in the Department of Accountancy and Law, School of Business, shares these sentiments. “Whilst digital literacy remains the top-valued skill in the future workplace, the possibility of integrating digital literacy with sustainability awareness would be an area worth exploring in the future,” she says.
Accounting professionals can also further acquaint themselves with evolving regulations and deliver more targeted compliance know-how to clients.