The International Accounting Education Standards Board: Influencing Global Accounting Education

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is to make readers aware of Accounting Education Standards (IESs), which are developed by the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB). These standards are influencing accounting education and training worldwide. Less than a decade old, the IESs are enforced through the member bodies of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and professional accountancy organizations throughout the world. The goal of the IESs is to ensure that economic decision makers can rely on the competence of professional accountants regardless of the country where the accountants received their education and training.

Differing cultures, languages, and social, educational, and legal systems pose a challenge for developing a globally applicable set of international accounting education standards. Accounting educators can help the IAESB meet this challenge by responding to IAESB exposure drafts, undertaking research relevant to issues being addressed by the IAESB, becoming directly involved in the standard-setting process, and using IAESB standards, practice statements, information papers, and other information on the education and training of professional accountants in developing, assessing, and evolving accounting education programs.

Keywords:  international accounting, accounting education, education standards, accounting profession

David McPeak is Senior Technical Manager for IAESB, Karen V. Pincus is a Professor at the University of Arkansas, and Gary L. Sundem is Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington.

Source : David McPeak, Karen V. Pincus, Gary L. Sundem (2012) The International Accounting Education Standards Board: Influencing Global Accounting Education. Issues in Accounting Education: August 2012, Vol. 27, No. 3, pp. 743-750.