This story was originally posted on June 23 on UH News.
By Marc Arakaki
Bridging the gap between academic accounting research and current professional accounting practices was the focus of an international accounting research conference, hosted for the second consecutive year by the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa. The Hawaiʻi Accounting Research Doctoral Institute (HARDI) was held at the Shidler College of Business by the School of Accountancy, June 3–22.
Every year, HARDI sends invitations to a select number of top universities worldwide to nominate one of their PhD students for the institute, and from those, nominated only 25 students are accepted to the program.
“This annual consortium brings together top caliber doctoral students, along with the world’s best accounting researchers for a true meeting of the minds,” said Hamid Pourjalali, conference co-chair, and UH Mānoa professor of accounting and director of the School of Accountancy. “In addition to the annual Hawaiʻi Accounting Research Conference, the HARDI program further elevates Hawaiʻi and the University of Hawaiʻi as a leader in the forefront of accounting research. The connections and professional network cultivated within the HARDI program will endure many years after the conclusion of the conference.”
Participants engaged in a series of workshops and activities in multiple areas, including financial accounting, managerial accounting, auditing, accounting information systems and experimental research in accounting. They learn from top researchers around the world and join a large research network that will play a significant role in their future research. Participants were also expected to develop a workable research idea/proposal that is practice relevant.
Benefitting UH Mānoa and Shidler College
Shidler doctoral students in accounting and School of Accountancy faculty members interacted with well-known accounting researchers and a diverse group of students from around the world. Pourjalali also said that the institute will be beneficial to our recruiting efforts, since some students from the institute may decide to apply to Shidler because they are more familiar with Hawaiʻi and the school, increasing UH Mānoa’s chances of hiring excellent future researchers.
The Hawaiʻi Accounting Research Doctoral Institute was formed from the Hawaiʻi Accounting Research Conference, which is held annually in January at UH Mānoa. Pourjalali is also a co-chair of the conference, and assists in UH systemwide initiatives, including serving on the General Education Curriculum Revisions Team.
