DESIRED Project & the 1st Annual ICPAU Accountants conference 14th Nov 2025

At the 1st DESIRED PROJECT & ICPAU Research Conference, Prof. Samuel Sejjaaka underscored the important role of research and evidence-based practice in strengthening professionalism and accountability within the accounting field. He emphasized that the profession can only remain relevant if it continuously generates context-based evidence and applies it to real-world challenges, a clear aim of the DESIRED Project led by MAT ABACUS Business School.

In the conference, Prof. Sejjaaka called for a renewed commitment to systematic inquiry, empirical validation, and intellectual curiosity. This is one of the reasons why the project was created. Through its focus on Work-Integrated Learning (WIL), industry engagement, and capacity building among higher education institutions, the project operationalizes the very ideals of research-driven practice that enhance relevant outputs.

The conference was one of the several activities by the DESIRED PROJECT, which is funded by the European Union, to bridge the divide between academic knowledge and professional application. While the conference provided a platform for the accounting fraternity to reflect on how evidence can shape better policy and professional judgment, the DESIRED Project demonstrates this in practice. This is achieved through embedding research-informed learning into accounting education to produce graduates who are not only technically skilled but also evidence-driven and professionally grounded.

Prof. Sejjaaka’s also noted that research is an important component of building professionalism, which the DESIRED Project intends to use through collaboration, empiricism and reflective practice to transform accounting education and elevate the profession’s impact in Uganda and Nigeria.