Dr Bayerlein presenting at the CPA Australia Emerging Academics Forum 2019

Accountants are often criticised for being unable to make a positive contribution to the future of business and society as a whole. Dr Leopold Bayerlein at the UNE Business School is working to change this narrative by re-vitalising the way accountants are educated throughout their professional career. Last week, Dr Bayerlein was invited by CPA Australia (one of the world’s largest professional accounting bodies) to mentor a group of 30 emerging accounting academics from across Australia.

Each year, CPA Australia invites the 30 most promising young accounting academics from across Australia to a three-day training session that aims to establish a new way of thinking in tertiary accounting education programs. Dr Bayerlein has been able to share his passion as mentor and expert-presenter at the Melbourne CPA Australia Emerging Academics Forum for the last three years.

What I enjoy most about the Emerging Academics Forum is that it enables me to meet and mentor amazing individuals, all of which share my passion to change the accounting profession for the better” Dr Bayerlein says. For Dr Bayerlein, “being able to create meaningful real-world research impact whilst enabling junior colleagues to make a difference in their own institutions is a real buzz. Coming back from the Forum, you just know that many of the individuals you have met and mentored will become leaders in the world of accounting, and you really feel that your research enables and supports them in creating a better future for society”.

Dr Bayerlein (6th from left) with participants and co-mentors at the CPA Australia Emerging Academics Forum 2019