Guangzhou Study Tour August 2014




Background
Led by members of the teaching faculty, a group of students visited Guangzhou in August 2014. They spent a month at Sun Yat-Sen University (SYSU), where students attended a course entitled “Accounting and Taxation Systems in the Chinese Mainland (AC3252).” This is a three-credit course that covers Chinese Accounting, Chinese Taxation, Internal Control, and Corporate Governance.




Broadening views
This Guangzhou Study Tour is a challenging and eye-opening program. Throughout the one-month tour, the students attended lectures delivered by professors at SYSU and experienced a different type of teaching and a new learning culture. Professors at SYSU tend to adopt a more interactive mode of teaching and encourage a dialogue based on questions. In addition to increasing students’ knowledge, they often share their insights on China’s changing taxation systems and of the accounting industry in general. The students learned the ways in which the accounting practices and taxation system in Hong Kong compare with China’s business sector.




What’s more?
In addition to classroom learning, the study tour included firm visits to Big 4 accounting firms, state-owned-enterprises, and private business organizations in Guangzhou. Through interactions with the senior management of these organizations, students gained insights into real life applications of their classroom knowledge.



The trip was also a good opportunity for students to get to know Guangzhou, the largest city in South China. They visited its well-known scenic spots, explored its culture, tasted its local food, and felt the warm and cozy atmosphere of the city. YUAN Chu-An, one of the participants commented, “when I registered for this program, I did not expect it to be a course taken at a different place. It was a fantastic opportunity to learn accounting/taxation concepts through real life examples and to apply the knowledge gained from textbooks to business operations in company visits. Through this Guangzhou Study Tour, I met many good friends and had an enjoyable time.”