UNNC links with Ernst & Young to provide high-quality internship opportunities for students

21 September 2022


On 20 September, the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC) and Ernst & Young signed the Internship Collaboration Agreement for the MSc Finance and Investment (Professional Accounting) programme to build a high-quality joint internship platform to foster extensive collaborations in other fields.

Dr Huimin Song, the Programme Director, presided over the signing ceremony. Professor Martin Liu, Interim Dean of Nottingham University Business School China (NUBS China), welcomed the delegation from Ernst & Young. He introduced the development of NUBS China and emphasised that developing international business leaders who can think forwardly and strategically, adapt to change, and deliver impacts is at the heart of who we are and what we do. He also explained that the collaboration with Ernst & Young marked a new stage for the MSc Finance and Accounting (Professional Accounting) programme, which represents a milestone in school-enterprise cooperation, forging a new mode of talent cultivation.

Mr Cheekong Lai, Markets Leader, Assurance, China Central Managing Partner, Zhejiang Province, Ernst & Young, briefly outlined the company’s current state of affairs, especially its layout in Zhejiang Province. This year in September, Ernst & Young successfully settled in Ningbo. He expressed that Ernst & Young attaches great importance to this collaboration with UNNC. During the internship, Ernst & Young will provide rich and diverse learning resources and strongly support the university to optimise the fostering of talent.

Mr Thomas Murphy, Chief Financial and Planning Officer of UNNC, was also in attendance and stressed that the importance of the internship lies in enabling students to enter a natural working environment, use the knowledge they have learned, and experience the fast pace of work, thoroughly preparing them for their future career development.

Student representative Shujing Wen is a beneficiary of the internship programme. She shared the experience and gains of the internship, "the school-enterprise collaboration has built a better employment service platform for us. Through this internship programme, I have learned a lot of extra-curricular knowledge. I understood a firm's primary responsibilities in treating people and matters better, furthering my understanding of accounting laws and regulations. I gradually became more familiar with the audit process and other critical steps. Due to my good performance during the internship, I was given an early partner interview opportunity and finally received an offer from the company."

Professor Martin Liu and Mr Cheekong Lai signed the Internship Collaboration Agreement representing both parties, witnessed by Professor Hing Kai Chan, Acting Associate Dean for Education and Student Experience, NUBS China, and Ms Wanyee Hooi, Partner, Assurance, Ernst & Young. Dr K. Cohen Tan, Interim Vice Provost for Teaching & Learning, and Mr Cheekong Lai then unveiled the "MSc Finance and Investment (Professional Accounting) Internship Collaboration Base" plaque. Both sides hope this collaboration will help develop a high-quality platform and provide students with a wealth of learning opportunities.

The MSc Finance and Investment (Professional Accounting) programme will equip students as international financial management talents with professional accounting skills, technical proficiency, and leadership traits. The programme works very closely with top global accounting firms, and students will be required to spend a nine-week internship (placement) each year with a large international accounting firm as an integral part of the programme. Companies include the accounting firms KPMG, PwC, BDO, Moore Global, and now Ernst & Young. The programme will provide students with experience in solving complex problems in unconventional settings to prepare them to immediately make their mark in public accounting. These opportunities offer a real-world grounding in high-quality accounting practices.