HKICPA Council members and members completed Ministry of Finance's "High-level Finance and Accounting Talent Quality Improvement Project (Young and Middle-aged Talent Cultivation – CPA Class)"

The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) is pleased to announce that Past President Roy Leung, along with four Council members, including Frank Lam, Michael Li, Charbon Lo, and Parco Wu, and five other HKICPA members, have successfully graduated from the Ministry of Finance's “High-level Finance and Accounting Talent Quality Improvement Project (Third cohort of Young and Middle-aged Talent Cultivation – CPA Class)” (The Third Cohort of Young and Middle-aged Class). This marks a pioneering step for the Hong Kong accounting profession's deep involvement in national high-level talent training initiatives, simultaneously enhancing their professional competence and comprehensive perspective.

The 2022 Ministry of Finance's “High-level Finance and Accounting Talent Quality Improvement Project (Young and Middle-aged Talent Cultivation – CPA Class)” was centrally managed by the Ministry of Finance of the People's Republic of China, with the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants responsible for administration, and the Shanghai National Accounting Institute undertaking the specific experimental training tasks. For the first time, the Hong Kong Association of Accounting Advisors was invited to lead the selection process, and with recommendations from the Liaison Office of the Central People's Government in the HKSAR, a total of ten Hong Kong industry representatives participated. Along with 35 other accountants from across the country, they attended classes, conducted field visits, and participated in educational activities in ten Mainland cities, including Shanghai, Beijing, and Xiamen, starting in 2022. They also engaged in activities such as debates, presentations, and case analysis competitions. The students attended the graduation ceremony of the Third Cohort of Young and Middle-aged Class at Xiamen National Accounting Institute on 3 December, marking the perfect end to their three years of study.

Stephen Law, HKICPA President, said: "The HKICPA has been committed to promoting exchanges between the accounting professions in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland. The HKICPA members are privileged to participate in the Ministry of Finance's talent development program, learning alongside their Mainland counterparts, which fully demonstrates the nation's emphasis on Hong Kong's accounting profession. Through participating in courses that integrate theories and practices, I believe that the participants have not only enhanced their professional competence but also deepened their understanding of national development, injecting new impetus into the integrated development of the accounting professions in Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland, and working together to contribute to the high-quality economic development of Hong Kong and the nation.”

Roy Leung, HKICPA Past President and Deputy Monitor of the Third Cohort of Young and Middle-aged Class, said: "The three-year Young and Middle-aged Class has deepened our understanding of and connection with the accounting profession and our counterparts in the Chinese Mainland. It has also given us the opportunity to introduce Hong Kong's capital market and accounting profession to our Mainland counterparts, explore more collaboration opportunities, and jointly foster the integration of the accounting profession into the national development."

This year marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the MoF’s "High-level Finance and Accounting Talent Quality Improvement Project ". Since 2005, the Project has cultivated many financial and accounting leaders with both professional depth and strategic vision, becoming an important impetus in serving national strategies and promoting the transformation and upgrading of the accounting profession. The completion of the Third Cohort of Young and Middle-aged Class by Hong Kong participants signifies the continuous deepening and expanding influence of the Project, which will further promote exchanges and integration of financial and accounting professionals between Hong Kong and the Chinese Mainland.

In the future, the HKICPA hopes that more members will have chances to participate in the upcoming Young and Middle-aged Class to further enhance their professional competence and join hands with financial and accounting bodies of Hong Kong and Chinese Mainland to contribute to national development.

^{The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) Past President Roy Leung (Fifth from left), along with four HKICPA Council members, including Frank Lam (First from left), Michael Li (Fourth from left), Charbon Lo (Second from left), and Parco Wu (Third from right), and five other HKICPA members, have successfully graduated from the Ministry of Finance's “High-level Finance and Accounting Talent Quality Improvement Project (Third cohort of Young and Middle-aged Talent Cultivation – CPA Class)”.} 

^{This year marks the 20th anniversary of the launch of the Ministry of Finance’s "High-level Finance and Accounting Talent Quality Improvement Project ". Since 2005, the Project has cultivated enormous number of financial and accounting leaders with both professional depth and strategic vision.}