THE 9TH INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCE (ICOAF-2024)

On the morning of July 12, the 9th International Conference on Accounting and Finance (ICOAF-2024) officially opened at the Grand Tourane Hotel, Da Nang. Co-organizing the conference with the University of Economics – The University of Danang were the Institute of Global Finance, University of New South Wales (Australia); Tunku Abdul Rahman University of Management and Technology (Malaysia); University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH); and the University of Economics and Business – Vietnam National University, Hanoi (UEB). The conference was honored to receive sponsorship from VINIF – the Vingroup Innovation Foundation. After eight successful editions, ICOAF has truly become an international academic brand of the University of Economics – The University of Danang and its partners.

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Doan Ngoc Phi Anh, Vice Rector of the University of Economics – The University of Danang, stated: “This year, ICOAF continues its proud tradition since its successful launch in 2015. Our journey over the years has been marked by an unwavering pursuit of knowledge and continuous development efforts by scholars and researchers in the fields of Accounting and Finance. I hope that all participants will actively engage, share their valuable insights, and offer perspectives on future trends and challenges in these fields.”

ICOAF serves as a platform for collaboration and the development of innovative ideas among experts and scholars from prestigious domestic and international universities. The conference provides an opportunity for participants to deeply analyze current and emerging trends in Accounting and Finance at both national and global levels. It is a dynamic forum that transcends geographical boundaries, bringing together a global community of scholars and learners to address the evolving landscape of these disciplines.

At the plenary session, delegates listened to and discussed keynote presentations by two distinguished speakers:

- Professor Cameron Truong from Monash University (Australia) with the presentation “Deciphering Corporate Communication: A Firm-Level Measure of Financial Reporting Risk."

- Speaker Ian Pay from ICAEW (United Kingdom) with the topic “The Analytical Future of Accounting.”

Across the specialized parallel sessions, 70 selected research papers were presented, attracting lively discussions and sharing of timely and emerging topics in Accounting and Finance in Vietnam and worldwide.

Within the framework of ICOAF-2024, a Special Session on Sustainable Finance was also held in collaboration with the University of Economics Ho Chi Minh City (UEH) and the University of Economics and Business – VNU (UEB). This session served as an in-depth dialogue forum on the importance of ensuring that sustainable finance activities are accessible and relevant to all stakeholders, fostering comprehensive and impactful discussions on topics such as: the impact of climate change and sustainable governance on corporate policy; innovations in environmental practices; corporate policies in response to climate change risks; exploration of ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance), CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), and sustainable practices; green bonds, carbon credits, and sustainable financial instruments; dynamics of green financial markets; corporate strategies for adapting to changes in environmental policy; and investment in Research and Development (R&D) and its role in promoting green innovation.

ICOAF-2024 stands as a unique convergence point for leading global researchers, experts, scholars, and policymakers in Accounting and Finance to meet, share ideas, and explore the latest innovations, trends, prospects, and emerging issues across various sub-fields. The conference also offers a valuable opportunity for academics and lecturers from domestic and international universities to exchange scholarly ideas, receive constructive feedback, and enhance the likelihood of their papers being accepted by ISI- and SCOPUS-indexed journals. Moreover, ICOAF-2024 contributes to nurturing a global research network in Accounting and Finance in Vietnam and strengthening international research collaboration in this field. At the closing ceremony, the Organizing Committee presented the Best Paper Awards to the author teams: Aigbe Akhigbe, Eric Brisker, Duong for the paper “CEO Inside Debt and the Sell-Off Decision,” and Albane C. Tarnaud, Mohammed Zakriya for the paper “CSR Disclosures and Firm Value: Disentangling the Role of ESG Rating Providers.”

With the goal of building a research-oriented university, the University of Economics – The University of Danang and its co-organizing partners strive to develop the annual ICOAF conference into one of the largest specialized conferences in Accounting and Finance in Southeast Asia.