Long gone are the days when accountancy was solely about financial reporting. Themes such as sustainability, fraud detection and cybersecurity are also coming to the fore. This requires adjustments in the degree program, as Prof. Dr. Ruud Vergoossen RA asserted on Feb. 29 in his emeritus speech.

How can we encourage organizations to reduce their negative environmental and societal impacts? This question is central to the research of Ries Breijer, who obtained his PhD on December 18th. His research shows that regulatory changes on non-financial and financial reporting can play an important role.

Researcher Diane Zandee, who obtains her doctorate from Nyenrode Business Universiteit today, wants to connect finance and sustainability. That is why she has conducted research into how accounting can contribute to the transition towards a circular economy. There is a need for a common language and structure in order to embrace this new economy. “We are still focusing too much on the financial side and not enough on ecological and social values. We can only change this if the entire chain changes along with it. For that we need a conductor, a coordinator who ensures that everything goes at the right pace and that everyone works together to find harmony.”

We often underestimate how much power we hold in terms of being able to make a difference. We are all capable of contributing to bettering the world in one form or another.

The current working methods of accountancy firms continue to remain unchanged. This vicious circle needs to be broken in order to prevent the sector from grinding to a halt as a result of more and more checks and controls.

“Take the time to learn. It takes a lot of courage and it takes energy, but it’ll benefit your company in the long run." This is some of the advice that Prof. Dr. Willem Burggraaf gave his audience in his emeritus speech titled “De ondernemer centraal, tijd voor reflectie” (The entrepreneur as central theme, time to reflect). The speech took place on September 7th 2020 in the sports hall of Nyenrode Business University.

Dissertation Nika Salvetti: What factors influence Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) behaviors in the garment sector of Bangladesh?

The risk of burnout problems is steadily increasing. That requires a different mindset when it comes to HRM.