SMU’s School of Accountancy (SoA) has done well again according to the latest Brigham Young University (BYU) Accounting Research Rankings 2019 (released in February 2020). SoA is now ranked first in Asia and third in the world for Archival Research (All Topics) and first in Asia and second in the world for Archival Research (Financial Accounting).
It also ranks first in Asia for All Areas and All Disciplines, placing it in the league of the top American universities and ahead of London Business School. Massachusetts Institute of Technology and City University of Hong Kong. This table shows the areas where SMU takes top spot in Asia and compares its achievements in the last three years:
Acclaimed as an objective and key ranking to watch for in accounting research, the BYU Accounting Research Rankings are based on award winning research and rankings are based on classifications of peer reviewed articles in 12 accounting journals since 1990, which in turn determines university ranking based on authors’ affiliation. Researchers at BYU measure the intellectual contribution of accounting faculty members at all institutions in the world. They go through publications in the top peer-reviewed accounting journals and rank departments or schools in the recent years based on the number of publications.
A high ranking signals that SMU has the highest research productivity in the top peer-reviewed journals as compared to other peer schools worldwide, particularly in the fields that SMU’s SoA emphasises – archival-based financial accounting research. Associate Dean (Research) of School of Accountancy, Lee Kong Chian Professor Zhang Liandong says, “The ranking is a natural result of the continuous effort of all School of Accountancy faculty members and the strong research support of the University. SMU's School of Accountancy has become one of most influential and respected accounting schools in Asia.”
Accounting research at SMU has also helped put Singapore on the map with a reputation for excellence in accounting education and research. In December 2019, SMU School of Accountancy hosted the Review of Accounting Studies (RAST) Conference 2019 – an exclusive research conference held every year. The invitation-only event drew accounting professors and top scholars from leading universities around the world and received highly positive feedback from participants and speakers alike.
Under the leadership of Lee Kong Chian Chair Professor Cheng Qiang, who has been Dean of the School since July 2015, the SoA’s reputation for its high quality research has grown from strength to strength. He says, “In the last twenty years, we have come a long way for a new university to achieve such robust rankings. This signifies the high standards of accounting research and education here at SMU and this achievement could not have been without the dedicated and collective efforts of the School of Accountancy faculty members. Our faculty members are thoroughly committed to conducting research of the highest quality and constantly publish their work in top tier accounting journals.”
*Source: BYU Accounting Research Rankings:
