Critical Perspectives on Accounting Conference draws experts from around the world
The Critical Perspectives on Accounting (CPA) seminar was held on the Schulich School of Business Keele Street campus in early July. This was the first time that this conference – typically held in New York City– was held on Canadian soil. “It was an incredibly prestigious event. This was the first time many of the delegates had ever visited Canada,” said Marcia Annisette, co-editor of CPA and Director of Schulich’s Master in Accounting program. The conference, which invites critical, radical and other interdisciplinary approaches to the study of accounting, attracted nearly 200 people from over 20 countries.
Keynote speaker Kevin Haggerty, a Professor of Sociology at the University of Alberta, spoke on ‘Surveillance: The Master Patterns.’
The conference saw many call for an innovative approach in accounting. “Einstein said that insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. We need to go beyond the ordinary in global accounting practices with respect to public policy,” said Prem Sikka, Professor of Accounting at Essex Business School.
“There are so many important people here – those who talk about real people and real world issues like social justice and the inequalities that exist,” said Pamela Stapleton, a Professor of Accounting at the University of Manchester. “I have really enjoyed my time here in Toronto and especially here at Schulich School of Business and the lovely York University campus.”
“The conference was extremely well organized and there were some very fruitful discussions,” said Afshin Mehrpouya, an Assistant Professor of Accounting and Management Control at HEC Paris. The conference witnessed passionate discussions on how accounting could help the current challenging economic climate. “The need to look at global accounting practices with this viewpoint is now more important than ever,” said Dane Pflueger from London School of Economics.
As Keith Robson from Cardiff Business School said, “Accounting matters. It is not a matter of technicality, but needs to be seen from the lens of social sense.”