In April 1999, HKUST became the first accounting program outside North America to be accredited by AACSB.

Organized in 1916, AACSB is the premier accrediting agency for bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs in business administration and accounting. Its founding members include Columbia University, Cornell University, Dartmouth College, Harvard University, New York University, Northwestern University, University of California at Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Pennsylvania, University of Texas, and Yale University.

The AACSB accreditation review involved thorough preparation and a campus visit by a top-level team of inspectors that included the Deans of the University of Chicago, Ohio State, and UCLA plus prominent scholars from the US, Europe and Japan.

HKUST Accounting achieved AACSB accreditation within 8 years after the founding of the Department, a record in AACSB history.

AACSB accreditation adds to accreditation by the Hong Kong Society of Accountants in 1998.