ISCA expands overseas footprint with SHICPA MoU and Singapore intensive training
The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) and the Shanghai Institute of Certified Public Accountants (SHICPA) have formalised a memorandum of understanding designed to deepen co‑operation between the accountancy sectors of Singapore and Shanghai and to support the international development of the profession. According to contemporary coverage of the agreement, the MoU is intended to align practices with international standards and to broaden professional linkages across the two financial centres.
Central to the partnership is a planned Singapore Intensive Training Programme. ISCA and SHICPA will coordinate a delegation of more than 20 Shanghai accounting practitioners to attend the course in Singapore, with organisers emphasising the programme’s focus on technical upskilling, exposure to global perspectives and the cultivation of cultural and soft skills necessary for cross‑border work. The training is presented as a forum for practical exchange between firms and regulators, and as a way to equip participants to support cross‑border investment and regional sustainable development goals.
ISCA vice‑president Judy Ng described the collaboration as reflecting the institute’s “ongoing commitment to raising professional standards and strengthening global ties within the accountancy profession”, remarks made to The Accountant. SHICPA vice‑president Fang Yifeng said the partnership would give members “the opportunity to gain global perspectives and practical insights in Singapore”, comments likewise reported to The Accountant. These statements frame the MoU as both an educational initiative and a people‑to‑people bridge between the two jurisdictions.
Reporting that placed the agreement in a wider diplomatic context noted that the MoU was signed on 9 July 2024 during the fifth Singapore–Shanghai Comprehensive Cooperation Council meeting. That coverage named ISCA president Teo Ser Luck and SHICPA president Gu Hongxiang among the signatories and said the pact establishes platforms for information exchange, international visits and collaborative training. Industry reporting also highlighted that the arrangement is pitched to benefit thousands of members from both institutes and to offer guidance on market rules, regulatory developments and technology‑driven practice innovations.
The ISCA–SHICPA accord sits within a deliberate expansion of ISCA’s overseas footprint. ISCA’s own recent materials and third‑party reporting document a sequence of international moves during 2024–25: the opening of a representative office on Singapore‑Nanjing Eco Hi‑Tech Island in December 2024; the establishment of scholarships and exemptions pathways with Xi’an Jiaotong‑Liverpool University announced in February 2025; and earlier arrangements with Nanjing University of Finance & Economics. ISCA’s annual reporting presents these steps as part of a strategy to deepen collaboration, deliver professional programmes abroad and support regional firms.
Beyond the immediate training cohort, commentators say the MoU could have practical value for small and medium‑sized practices and for firms seeking clearer guidance on cross‑border regulatory and market developments. Digital‑focused reporting stressed that the agreement is intended to help members adapt to technology changes in practice, while official accounts emphasise the potential for closer academic–industry pipelines and internship routes that can feed talent into both markets.
Taken together, the MoU between ISCA and SHICPA is being positioned as a measured, institutional response to growing demand for transnational accounting expertise in Asia. Reporting is consistent that the initiative combines short‑term professional development with longer‑term institutional ties; where accounts differ is largely in the level of detail about timing and the named signatories. ISCA’s expansion of representative offices and academic linkages suggests the organisation intends to convert training exchanges into sustained professional networks rather than one‑off interactions.