Hyderabad: In a decisive stride toward reshaping commerce education, Osmania University’s Department of Commerce and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) co-hosted a conference to mark Commerce Day. Attended by over 70 principals from affiliated and autonomous colleges under Osmania University, along with notable industry and academic leaders, the event explored how AI and technology can transform teaching and tighten the link between academia and industry.

Md. Sajid Khan, Director of ACCA, opened the session with a compelling keynote highlighting the fast-changing demands on finance professionals. He emphasized the role of ACCA’s globally recognized qualifications in delivering future-ready talent and advocated for embedding sustainability practices into the core of commerce education.

Prof. Kumar Molugaram, Vice-Chancellor of Osmania University, served as the Chief Guest and underscored the need for educational institutions to empower students with both ethical foundations and technological fluency. He remarked that the future of commerce lies in understanding the digital forces shaping global markets and credited Osmania University’s 108-year legacy and the Commerce Department’s 80 years of innovation as a strong foundation to embrace such change.

Faculty members Prof. M. Gangadhar, Head of the Department of Commerce, Prof. K. Krishna Chaitanya, Dean, Faculty of Commerce, and Prof. A. Patrick, Chairman of the Board of Studies, endorsed the collaboration with ACCA as a strategic move to align Indian commerce education with international trends and digital capabilities.

A key feature of the event was the panel discussion moderated by Prabhanshu Mittal, Head of Education Partners Relationships, ACCA India. Featuring voices from both industry and academia, including Professor Sanjay Kallapur of ISB, Sivaramu of Tech Mahindra, and Sai Prashant from Oasis Accountants, the conversation revolved around the integration of AI in education, personalized learning, and simulation-based teaching to bridge theory and practice. The conference concluded with closing remarks from Prof. Patrick, reaffirming the university’s commitment to continuous learning and cross-sector collaboration. Contributions from ACCA’s education leaders, including Althea Lee and Royston Ebenezer, conducted the programme.