Professional Attachment (PA) is an integral part of our Accountancy and Business programmes and it provides an opportunity for our students to gain practical experience of the industry. Every year we have about 1400 students attached to more than 500 organisations for a period of 8 weeks. Out of these, 45 go overseas for attachment in countries like Australia, Brunei, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, New Zealand, South Africa, United States, Vietnam, etc…. During the attachment students get to interact with practitioners in their areas of specialisations and to learn the ropes of the real business world.

To my mind, enhancement of knowledge and skills has two elements - a sound academic foundation in theoretical aspects is essential and it must be fortified with practical experience of the nuances of the way business is actually conducted. Both are important and have their respective roles. At the same time the two aspects, theory and practice, are not separated from each other; in fact they mesh with each other. Theory will lose its value if it is not supported by practice, and practice without a valid theoretical justification may not be sustainable. Our PA programme was devised with this in mind, when our students spend a few weeks in industry, they get their bearings more correctly.

I would like to convey many thanks to our industry partners who have been so supportive, giving our students the opportunities to learn, patiently guiding them and answering the many queries that they have. It must at times seem an onerous addition to an already busy day. Yet there will be those delightful times when intelligent minds demonstrate how much they have benefited from your commitment to them. In participating in our PA programme, you are making a useful donation of your time and resources. It is a splendid expression of your social commitment and we are grateful for your full cooperation in supporting this important part of our degree programme.

To our SAB students, I urge you to make full use of this opportunity to learn the technical know-how; to develop your interpersonal skills and problem-solving skills in a real business environment; and to have an open mind, looking out for opportunities and challenges available in the area of your specialisation. Besides adopting a positive attitude in learning, you should also contribute whenever you can in order to make PA a mutually beneficial exercise for the organisation and yourself.
So enjoy your PA and have a memorable experience.