The “2022 Digital Economy and Digital Management Accounting Development Forum” co-hosted by China International Talent Exchange Foundation (CITEF) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) was successfully held in Beijing on July 29, 2022. Wan Jinfa, Deputy Director (principal person in charge) of CITEF, and Li Ying, President of North Asia Region, the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA® & CIMA®), delivered speeches, and experts from China Talent Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Nankai University made keynote speeches on the development of digital finance and accounting professionals. Leaders, experts and scholars from the fields of finance, medicine, colleges and universities, Internet, etc. had Panel Discussion around the theme of “Exploration and Practice of Digital Management Accounting”. Over 30 representatives from government bodies, banking enterprises, colleges and universities, and training institutions were invited to the Forum. The Forum was thrown open to the public via webcast platforms and had a viewing audience of over 580,000 when it ended.

Wan Jinfa introduced the progress made by CITEF in the cultivation of international professionals and the importance of introducing the Digital Management Accounting Programme (the DMA Programme). He said that CITEF as a public institution directly under the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People’s Republic of China had always considered the “Four-Facing” (facing the world's science and technology frontier, facing the main economic battlefield, facing the major needs of the country, and facing Chinese people's life and health) as the main direction of cultivating international professionals, constantly striving to introduce international advanced knowledge system, and conduct and fund the cultivation and exchange of international professionals. The rapid development of digital economy had caused profound changes in the production methods and life styles, product manufacturing modes, value creating modes, as well as the decision-making functions of management accounting, management roles and management efficiency in the finance and accounting industry. The DMA Programme integrating leading international management accounting knowledge and digital skills provided internationally advanced concepts and methodologies for the training of domestic finance and accounting professionals with digital competencies and qualifications meeting the needs of today’s digital economy. 

Li Ying noted that the digital economy had gradually changed our employment structure and digital transformation in the accounting industry had put forward higher requirements for the qualifications and competencies of professionals. The DMA Programme would not only enable the digital transformation of the finance professionals, but also provide enterprises with complete internationally recognized competency training and certification systems for digital professionals.  

He Xian, President of China Talent Research Institute and former Vice Minister of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security of the People’s Republic of China, analyzed the great significance of cultivating digital professionals and the main direction of expanding China’s pool of digital professionals; Li Xuesong, Director of the Institute of Quantitative & Technological Economics (IQTE), CASS, made penetrating analysis of the development trends and characteristics of the global digital economy as well as that in China, and put forward the key path of vigorously developing digital economy to spur the upgrading of economic structure; and Li Quan, Professor from the School of Finance, Nankai University, systematically discussed the profound influence of digital economy on finance and accounting from the perspectives of industrial digitalization and digital industrialization.

Ms. Tian Miaomiao, Managing Partner of Sustainable Development, Greater China, EY, was invited to preside over the Panel Discussion session of “Exploration and Practice of Digital Management Accounting”, where Yang Shanhua, Chief Accountant of China National Pharmaceutical Group Co., Ltd., shared his understanding of success factors in the digitization of enterprise management accounting; Liu Yagan, General Manager of Finance and Accounting Department, Industrial and Commercial Bank of China (ICBC), introduced the new finance and accounting digitalization conducted by ICBC; Fu Junhua, Managing Director of Legend Capital, shared how the digitalization of finance enabled enterprises to create values; Zheng Yongqiang, Deputy General Manager of Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance (China) Company, Limited (MSI China) looked forward to the future of the digital transformation of enterprises; Guo Sheng, CEO of Zhaopin.com, shared how a digital workplace could improve efficiency and productivity through digitalization; and Liu Junyong, Professor from the School of Accountancy, Central University of Finance and Economics, analyzed the intrinsic values of digital management accounting professionals from the perspective of balanced score card (BSC).

Liang Ping, Director of Chinese Mainland Affairs, AICPA® & CIMA®, gave a detailed introduction to the DMA Programme, and announced launching the “DMA Metaverse Landing Token”, which was the first metaverse-based NFT collection produced by a global accounting professional organization. The Forum also announced the first 12 DMA Programme authorized training providers, including CIIC Training Center (CIICC), to whom the Certificate of Authorization was awarded by leaders of CITEF to cooperate in market development, student training and talent cultivation.

As an important part of the 20th Conference on International Exchange of Professionals, the Forum taking the introduction of the DMA Programme to China as an opportunity invited experts from all walks of life to discuss the development opportunities of digital economy and seek ways to cultivate digital finance and accounting professionals, further building consensus and pooling efforts. With concerted efforts from all sectors of society, the DMA Programme would certainly make positive contribution to the prosperous development of digital economy and the construction of talent centers and innovation hubs of global importance in China.