Since 2000, over 28,000 students from across the globe have successfully graduated from Oxford Brookes University with a BSc in Applied Accounting. This is thanks to an innovative, on going partnership between Oxford Brookes and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Gaining a degree is often a life-changing achievement, as our featured alumni can testify. Many ACCA alumni have never been to the UK but they are all a valued part of the Oxford Brookes community.
Observe spoke to three ACCA alumni about the impact of their degree and what Oxford Brookes means to them.
Hamza Saleem Virk ’17 from Pakistan 
At 19, Hamza is the youngest of Pakistan’s 5,458 ACCA alumni. He currently works as a Functional Consultant with AF Ferguson & Co, a member of the PricewaterhouseCoopers multinational network.
“The main attraction of the Applied Accounting degree was the research and analysis project, which is of great value,” Hamza says.
“The ACCA professional qualification equips you with the professional training to survive in an executive working environment. Oxford Brookes made me apply all those technical skills in practical business scenarios.”
“The experience of gathering raw data and extracting useful information out of it was challenging and interesting too. My research and analytical skills dramatically improved after completing the project.”
Hamza is also part of the Brookes Connections career mentoring scheme. “As an alumnus of Oxford Brookes I feel very proud, and would like to contribute as much as I can towards other students carrying out their degrees at the University.”
Natia Shengelia ’17 from Georgia 
“Oxford Brookes has had a great impact on my life,” says Natia, Senior Financial Auditor at RSM Georgia and Quality Assurance Manager at LLC Bakashvili and Company.
“The University’s ACCA programme made me stand out in my country with a brilliant CV in a competitive work environment.”
“I acquired many important skills that I use every day at my work. But the degree not only significantly enhanced my career path, it also radically improved my private life. The University has such a big history, and after the graduation party I felt that I was a real part of the Oxford Brookes community.”
Ebrima Sawaneh ’12 from the Gambia 
Ebrima, bestselling author and Associate Vice President at Africa Finance Corporation, benefited from his degree even before graduation.
“In 2011, I was offered a job and a degree qualification was required. I informed the recruiters I was on the Oxford Brookes ACCA programme and they agreed I would finish the degree before the end of my probation.”
“Oxford Brookes gives the opportunity to develop business research, data analysis, presentation and communication skills that are all essential for postgraduate work and in the office. The Oxford Brookes programme was a worthy journey for me.”
Global partners
This innovative partnership means that students who are studying for ACCA’s professional examinations can simultaneously work towards a BSc in Applied Accounting at Oxford Brookes.
Alumni of this collaboration benefit from both the enhanced career prospects and advanced skills associated with degree graduates. Upon successful completion of their course students are invited to attend special regional graduation ceremonies in Oxford, Malaysia or Dubai.
The collaboration with ACCA is just one of many ways in which Oxford Brookes works in partnership with international educational providers. Other partners include the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the Alliance of International Education and the International Hotel Management Institute.
For further information visit www.brookes.ac.uk/global-teaching-partners
Words by Ben Catley-Richardson
Read about ACCA graduate and winner of the 2019 Dedicated Teacher Award, Ahmed Saya ’08