Benghazi – A wide-ranging academic forum organized by the National Program for the Development of the Accounting Profession, under the sponsorship of the Center for Financial Studies and Training of the Ministry of Planning and Finance, was held Monday at the Jasmine Hotel in Benghazi. The event focused on ways to improve accounting departments in Libyan universities and strengthen the quality of their educational outcomes to meet international standards and market needs.
The forum brought together leading accounting experts and veteran faculty members from the Department of Accounting at the Faculty of Economics at the University of Benghazi. Attendees discussed the current state of accounting education in Libya, the challenges facing existing curricula, and methods for bridging the gap between academia and the professional sector.
Professor Khaled Abdelwahid Al-Nekhbat, a faculty member in the Department of Accounting at the University of Benghazi and discussion panel committee member, told the Libyan News Agency that the forum is part of ongoing scientific and professional efforts to update accounting departments at Libyan universities, ensuring they keep pace with modern international standards and improve educational quality.
Al-Nekhbat explained that the forum produced several recommendations, most notably the need to update accounting curricula according to international standards and to review certain courses by merging or streamlining them to optimize academic integration. The forum also emphasized the importance of strengthening student field training programs and linking theoretical study with practical application in institutions.
Participants stressed the importance of building strong partnerships between academic institutions, represented by universities, and professional bodies and organizations related to the job market. These collaborations would help enhance accounting education and improve graduate competence.
The forum’s recommendations also called on companies and relevant organizations to support and develop accounting programs and departments and to help bridge the gap between educational outcomes and market demands.
The event concluded with recognition of the first generation of faculty from the Department of Accounting at the Faculty of Economics, University of Benghazi, honoring their academic contributions in establishing and developing the department. Organizers underscored the importance of continuing such scientific meetings to support academic and professional development in Libya.