The Department of Accountancy (DoA) hosted the International Conference for Accounting Researchers and Educators (ICARE) for the 9^th consecutive time on 1^st February 2024 at the University of Kelaniya under the theme of “Empowering sustainability: Uniting climate actions, transparent reporting, and digital transformation

”. ICARE facilitates a platform for academics and professionals to rethink strategies to cater contemporary accounting atmosphere while opening new directions for accounting educators and researchers to enlighten the future of the accounting discipline with collective learning to explore opportunities for sustainable corporate development.

This year’s conference featured with inauguration ceremony, technical forum, magazine launch, and students’ forum. Mr. Rajeeva Bandaranaike, Chief Executive Officer at Colombo Stock Exchange graced the event as the Keynote Speaker of the conference. The purpose of the technical forum was to create a platform for an eminent panel of speakers to stimulate discussion on policymaking toward empowering sustainability. The technical forum was facilitated by renowned industry experts. Accordingly, Mr. Chaaminda Kumarasiri, Chairman, H C P Consulting (Pvt.) Ltd; Ms. Mahesha Amarasuriya, Director, Mastercard Sri Lanka; Mr. Dhananath Fernando, Chief Executive Officer, Advocata Institute, Sri Lanka; Mr. Heshana Kuruppu, President, CA Sri Lanka participated as the panelists of the technical forum. The technical forum was moderated by Professor Amila Munasinghe, Professor in Accounting, Department of Accountancy, University of Kelaniya.

ICARE magazine addresses corporate strategies of businesses in empowering sustainability considering climate actions, transparent reporting, and digital transformation. It includes articles on contemporary topics relating to the conference theme and presents practical overviews from renowned professional institutes and audit firms. The key events of the students’ forum comprised of Digital Poster Presentation, a 5MT Research Competition, and Students’ Abstract Book Publication.

The event was graced by the Chief Guest of the event Professor Bandara Wanninayake, Dean, Faculty of Commerce and Management Studies, and Professor Dilrukshi Yapa Abeywardhana, Head of the Department of Accountancy. Further, the event was graced by Professors, Senior Lecturers and Lecturers of the department and faculty, industry experts, alumni members, professionals, and undergraduates of the Department of Accountancy.

The conference was hosted under the guidance of the Head of the Department of Accountancy, Professor Dilrukshi Yapa Abeywardhana, and the conference was chaired by Dr. Amila Rajapakse, co-chaired by Ms. Navini Perera, and secretary to the conference was Mr. Dhananjaya Pathiraja and conference treasurer was Mr. Ashen Rajapaksha.