Recently, the School of Accounting at Dongbei University of Finance and Economics (DUFE) received an official notification from the Initial Accreditation Committee (IAC) of the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) that its initial Progress Report (PR) has been successfully reviewed, officially advancing the School to the preparatory phase for the second Progress Report. This marks another significant milestone in the School’s AACSB international accreditation journey, following the approval of its initial Self‑Evaluation Report (iSER).

The successful review of the PR report represents a strong recognition by AACSB of the School’s previous rectification efforts, systematic development, and continuous improvement initiatives. After due deliberation, the review committee affirmed that the School has strictly adhered to AACSB’s global business education standards, steadily advancing the various tasks identified in earlier assessments. Notable progress has been achieved across multiple dimensions, including strategic planning implementation, faculty development, learning assurance outcomes, academic research impact, and societal value contribution, with overall performance meeting the accreditation requirements. In accordance with the accreditation process, the School is required to submit a second Progress Report within the prescribed timeframe, continuously reporting on its advancement across all areas. Upon full satisfaction of all accreditation criteria, the School will then host an on‑site peer review visit by an AACSB Peer Review Team (PRT).

Founded in 1916 and jointly initiated by world‑leading institutions such as Harvard Business School and the Wharton School, AACSB is globally recognised as the most rigorous and prestigious accreditation body for business schools, often referred to as the “crown jewel of business education accreditation.” Currently, fewer than 6% of business schools worldwide have earned this distinction, and its accreditation system represents the pinnacle of international business education standards. The successful passage of this PR report further demonstrates that the School’s educational framework, talent cultivation model, and overall institutional capacity have been deeply aligned with world‑class business education standards.

Taking this achievement as a critical impetus, the School will systematically review all accreditation requirements, refine corrective actions, improve supporting documentation, strengthen faculty classification and Assurance of Learning (AoL) assessments, and steadily prepare the final Self‑Evaluation Report (SER) in full readiness for the official AACSB on‑site peer review. At the same time, the School remains committed to using accreditation as a key driver for continuous enhancement—promoting construction through evaluation, driving reform through assessment, and elevating quality through review. It will further deepen internationalisation reforms, broaden global cooperation and exchange, and comprehensively enhance the overall strength, international reputation, and core competitiveness of its accounting disciplines, steadfastly advancing toward the goal of building a world‑class accounting school.