KU Business Centennial Celebrations: Deloitte/KU Audit Symposium
School’s 55-year partnership brings together academics, professionals to advance industry
Since 1970, the University of Kansas School of Business has hosted the Deloitte/KU Audit Symposium every two years, bringing academics and practitioners together to discuss current topics affecting the audit profession.
KU School of Business accounting faculty have been recognized globally for their research in auditing. According to the Brigham Young University’s 2024 index of accounting research, they rank №1 in the world for audit archival research and №2 globally for all audit research contributions. With both faculty expertise and industry leaders, the symposium is the perfect place to explore the practical and academic applications of auditing.
Participants hear from industry professionals, academics and practitioners to understand the current challenges in auditing, how public accounting firms and regulators address those challenges, and learn about the latest academic research in the area.
The symposium provides services to the academic and professional communities at KU, the state of Kansas, and at regional and national levels. The event features a mix of academic and practitioner presentations providing opportunities for discussions.
Speakers at the most recent symposium in May 2024 included Erica Williams, chair of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB), which is the regulatory body that oversees the audit profession. Other leaders from the public accounting industry regulate this event including Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB). Academics from universities across the U.S. and Europe spoke about their recent research.
The overall mission of this event is broken into three parts:
- Providing high-quality programs that prepare students for professional careers in accounting and the success of graduation;
- Enable faculty to conduct exceptional research contributing to the field of accounting;
- Share results of research with academic and professional communities.
“The Deloitte/KU Auditing Symposium highlights the University of Kansas’ longtime commitment to advancing the field of auditing through meaningful collaboration between academics and industry leaders,” said Keith Jones, Accounting area director and Deloitte Professor. “By bringing together top researchers and academics, the symposium fosters innovative discussion topics to shape the future of audit practices. KU continues to play a key role in developing leadership in the profession, ensuring that research and real-world application go hand in hand.”
The symposium will return in May 2026 and will continue to shed light on the field of auditing with some of the best researchers, professionals and practitioners in the industry.
By Grace Ludes
