As part of AIUB Sustainable Futures 2026, a professional knowledge-sharing session titled “ESG, Sustainability Reporting & AI in Finance: A Conversation with the Profession: Save Green Numbers, Smart Machines for the Bigger Impact on Economies” by Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), was held on August 24, 2026, at the AIUB Media Studio, bringing together academia and industry to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of sustainability, ESG, sustainability reporting, and Artificial Intelligence in finance.

The program commenced with a welcome message by Dr. Md. Sazzadur Rahman Khan, Associate Professor and Head, Department of Accounting, who welcomed the distinguished speakers, faculty members, and participants and highlighted the importance of equipping future accounting and finance professionals with emerging knowledge and skills. The first session, AI in Sustainability Reporting and Finance, was delivered by Mr. Raihan Safa FCCA, Global Finance Director & Controller, Optimizely, who explored the practical applications of AI across the reporting cycle and demonstrated the use of AI and Power BI tools through a live demonstration, while highlighting the growing demand for technology-enabled skills and the career opportunities emerging for finance professionals.

The second session on Sustainability Reporting was conducted by Mr. Raqibul Faiaze Md Ikramah FCCA, CPA, Deputy Director and Head of Financial Accounting & Reporting at Grameenphone, Vice Chair Member Advisory Committee, ACCA Bangladesh, Member of ACCA’s Global Forum for Corporate Reporting and ACCA International Assembly Member, who provided practical insights into sustainability reporting, including what a sustainability report looks like, the relevance of IFRS S1, and IFRS S2 and its four key pillars, Governance, Strategy, Risk Management, and Metrics and Targets.

The third session on Sustainability & ESG was delivered by Mrs. Prawma Tapashi Khan FCCA, Country Manager, ACCA Bangladesh, who discussed the meaning and significance of ESG, its distinction from Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), the Environmental, Social and Governance dimensions, and why businesses are increasingly responding to sustainability expectations from buyers, financial institutions, and regulators.

Each session incorporated an interactive Q&A segment, allowing participants to engage with the speakers and gain practical perspectives from the profession. Following each segment, students also participated in an interactive quiz, where they tested their understanding of the topics discussed. Several students emerged as winners and received exciting prizes from ACCA, adding an engaging and rewarding element to the sessions.

The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Prof. Dr. Anwar Hossain, Advisor and Dean-in-Charge, Faculty of Business Administration, who expressed appreciation to ACCA and the distinguished speakers for their valuable contributions and engagement with the AIUB community. As a gesture of appreciation, tokens of souvenirs were handed over to the distinguished speakers, while faculty members from the Faculty of Business Administration and participants attended the session, making it a meaningful platform for professional learning, industry-academia engagement, and strengthening awareness of sustainability and emerging technologies in the accounting and finance profession.