Swinburne and KPMG collaborate on corporate governance training

Swinburne and global professional audit, tax and advisory services firm, KPMG, are working together to co-create Swinburne’s new Master of Corporate Governance program commencing in 2018.

The program forms part of Swinburne’s suite of programs delivered through the Australian Graduate School of Entrepreneurship, Australia’s first dedicated entrepreneurship school. The Master of Corporate Governance aims to equip executives and entrepreneurs with the skills needed to be governance-ready professionals.

The new collaboration sees KPMG’s involvement in the design and teaching of two units in the 12 unit Master of Corporate Governance program and ensures that students acquire the relevant skills and knowledge for good governance in authentic learning environments that reflect contemporary industry needs.

With input from KPMG on current best practices, this course aims to develop board-ready professionals equipped with real world insights” – Pro Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Business and Law, Professor Michael Gilding

“Corporate governance failures hit the headlines all too frequently in Australia and globally, with some of the world's largest businesses disgraced by misconduct at the board level,” says Pro Vice-Chancellor of the Faculty of Business and Law, Professor Michael Gilding.

“Senior managers, leaders and directors need to be willing and able to make accountable and transparent decisions. With input from KPMG on current best practices, this course aims to develop board-ready professionals equipped with real world insights.”

The two units with which KPMG will be involved are: risk and compliance; and governance and leadership.

Swinburne and KPMG will work together on the co-creation of the units and KPMG will provide guest lecturers during the delivery of the program.

Professor Stephen Parker AO, KPMG’s lead education partner, says that this kind of co-operation offers students the best of both worlds.  “It brings together high quality research-based thinking with specialised real-world experience, Professor Parker says.

“KPMG have long seen the need for ongoing professional development of Directors based on emerging issues for governance and ethics in a digital age. This gives professional directors the opportunity to hone their thinking with the latest emerging academic theories, other brilliant minds and the collective knowledge from partners who have years of practical case studies,” says Sally Freeman, KPMG’s partner in charge of Board Advisory Services.

Students will have the opportunity at a later stage to undertake projects in specific industry situations suited to their particular governance field of interest with a view to applying their new knowledge in real-world contexts.

The units will be taught in block mode over six weeks (eight hours per fortnight) mostly at KPMG offices in the CBD.

Networking opportunities will form part of the program.

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