Business School’s Wai Fong Chua joins Accounting Hall of Fame

Professor Wai Fong Chua, who completed her doctoral studies at the University of Sheffield, joins University of Sydney professors Ray Chambers and Murray Wells in the Hall of Fame, which honours accounting researchers dating back to the 19^th century.

A Hall of Fame citation said that Professor Wai Fong had "built an international reputation" for her research on "accounting issues from the management of strategic supply chains in the private sector, to the use of public-private-partnerships for infrastructure development."

"Her work demonstrates how accounting changes social routines and patterns of meaning in organisations," the citation said. "Wai Fong has published consistently in top journals and continues to attract significant competitive grant funding."

Describing her entry into the Hall of Fame as "humbling," Professor Wai Fong said the recognition by her peers was "precious and priceless" and made her very proud to be an Australian.

"The honour is also testament to the inclusive nature of the Australian accounting community," she said and went on to thank her students and colleagues and to "acknowledge their support over many decades."

Commenting on her research, Professor Wai Fong, said it was "anchored in organisational and sociological understandings of accounting as a socio-technical system."

"Accounting is not merely a technical information system; it is grounded in social norms and has a social impact on organisations and societies," she said. "For such research to be so honoured alongside more traditional forms of quantitative accounting research speaks volumes about the breadth and diversity of the Australian accounting community."

Professor Wai Fong’s Hall of Fame induction took place at a Melbourne dinner event attended by more than 100 accounting regulators, standards setters, practitioners and academics including Business School’s staff John Roberts, Sue Newberry, Graeme Dean, Maria Dyball, Baljit Sidhu, Tanya Fiedler and Shan Zhou.

The annual dinner was sponsored by CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand

According to the University of Melbourne, "Accounting in Australia has a long and distinguished heritage. From the early years of European settlement accounting has played important roles as the country pursued economic and social advancement."

"Throughout this long and distinguished history there have been many individuals whose achievements have been significant and whose impact on the discipline has been profound," it concludes. "The Australian Accounting Hall of Fame seeks to identify and recognise these individuals and their contributions."

The Australian Accounting Hall of Fame resides in the Department of Accounting at the University of Melbourne and is administered by the Department's Centre for Accounting and Industry Partnerships (CAIP).