The 2026 Professional Degree Programs Opening Ceremony Was Grandly Held

On the morning of September 13, the Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Professional Degree Programs of Shanghai National Accounting Institute (Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Institute) was grandly held at the International Conference Center. New doctoral and master's students in professional degree programs of the Institute, as well as new international students from 12 developing countries across Asia and Africa, gathered together to embark on a new journey of study. Members of the Institute's leadership team, faculty representatives, and practice mentor representatives attended the ceremony. A delegation led by Mr. Ashwani K. Muthoo, Director General of the Independent Evaluation Office of the New Development Bank, was invited to attend the event.

The ceremony opened with the solemn national anthem. Lu Wenbin, President of Shanghai National Accounting Institute (Asia-Pacific Finance and Development Institute), addressed the attendees. Centering on the essence of the finance and economics profession and the connotation of the school motto "Never Cook the Books," he explained the core value of financial and accounting work in the new era in safeguarding market trust and supporting economic operation. In the face of AI-driven transformation and the new global economic landscape, he encouraged the new students to break free from the limitations of traditional disciplines, move from "recording value" to "creating value," hone their professional judgment, uphold professional truthfulness, and shoulder the responsibilities of the times, empowering high-quality development with professionalism, integrity, and a sense of responsibility.

Zhang Feng, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute, delivered a speech titled "Uphold Integrity, Sharpen Competence, and Unite Knowledge with Action," offering earnest messages to the new students. In direct response to the industry question of "Will accounting be replaced in the AI era?", he pointed out that the more the economy develops, the more important accounting becomes. The accounting profession will not disappear; instead, it will become increasingly important in serving strategy, creating value, and preventing risks. What will truly be eliminated are traditional financial personnel who only know how to keep accounts and dare not break out of the ledger mindset. He encouraged the new students to "look beyond accounting to understand accounting, and achieve business-finance integration; look beyond the enterprise to understand the enterprise, and study industries within the coordinates of the macroeconomy and society," striving to become financial and accounting backbones with a macro perspective, systematic thinking, firm political conviction, solid professional foundations, and a spirit of advancing with the times. He put forward four hopes for the new students: First, calibrate the coordinates of values, cultivate a deep sense of patriotism, keep in mind the school motto "Never Cook the Books," and take integrity as the foundation of one's conduct; second, cultivate philosophical thinking, temper political capability, enhance critical thinking, and use a dialectical perspective to see through appearances; third, refine professional skills, strengthen professional competence, administrative capability, and innovation ability, and firmly uphold disciplinary bottom lines; fourth, build a strong physique, practice the concept of "health first," and integrate the spirit of sports into the new four-in-one education paradigm of "forging the soul, strengthening the body, sharpening competence, and shaping character."

At the ceremony, Chen Yangang, a representative of the 2026 doctoral students in auditing, Catherine Odiambo, a representative of international students, Yao Jingwen, a representative of the 2025 master's students, Bao Jialong, a representative of practice mentors, and Fang Guobin, a representative of faculty members, spoke successively. Chen Yangang spoke about the mission of auditing in the new era; Catherine said she would learn from China's financial and economic experience and serve as a good ambassador for cultural exchange; Yao Jingwen shared her growth insights and sent messages to the new students; Bao Jialong, drawing on his own study experience at SNAI, encouraged the new students to embrace AI-driven changes and hone practical skills; Fang Guobin, combining his professional experience, explained the professionalism of finance and accounting professionals and the progressive path of talent development in the field.

In the special lecture segment of the opening ceremony, Mr. Muthoo, Director General of the Independent Evaluation Office of the New Development Bank, shared a presentation on the theme "Driving Development Impact through Evaluation: Opportunities and Challenges for Developing Countries and Emerging Markets." As the first Director General of the Independent Evaluation Office of the New Development Bank, Mr. Muthoo has 35 years of experience in international cooperation management. He previously worked at the International Fund for Agricultural Development of the United Nations, and his work has taken him to more than 50 developing countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East and North Africa. During the interactive Q&A session, doctoral students, master's students, and international students on site actively asked questions on issues such as evaluation for livelihood improvement, South-South cooperation, and practical talent training, creating a lively atmosphere. At the end of the lecture, Mr. Muthoo solemnly presented the New Development Bank's China Country Evaluation Report to the Institute, and Secretary Zhang Feng accepted the book on behalf of the Institute. Both sides stated that they would continue to deepen cooperation, explore the opening of a series of courses and internship programs, and build a regular exchange platform.

The tide is rising and the wind is strong; seize the momentum and embark on a new journey. The Institute will continue to leverage its advantages in internationalized education, devote itself to cultivating high-end financial and accounting talent, and looks forward to the 2026 cohort making the most of their youth, integrating personal development into the broader trends of the times, and contributing youthful strength to national development and global financial and economic cooperation.