Personal Statement

I have cherished a constant gratitude to fate, for it endows me with wisdom, health and a strong-willed character. I have also cherished a constant worship for fate, for it is the most fair judge in this world who awards the badge of honor only to the most indefatigable. But I would never surrender to fate because one can acquire meaning for his existence only by battling against fate. Therefore, my heart was permeated with a sense of gratitude and gratification when I succeeded in entering Peking University Studies in 19xx in my capacity as the 4th top humanities student in xxxxxx Province.

The free academic atmosphere at Peking University made it possible for me to select a wide range of subjects that fascinated me. My studies of international economy and trade during the first two years of undergraduate program enabled me to develop some initial understanding of economics. Encouraged by this "minor" achievement, I opted for finance and devoted myself as usual to the careful study of every discipline, every principle, and every formula related to economics. Meanwhile, in order to expand my ken of knowledge, I kept reading many influential magazines like The Economist, Fortune, and Forum so that I kept myself abreast with the latest international development in economics. I also participated actively in the on-campus Economic Forum during which, together with my teachers and classmates, I conducted detailed analysis of the typical events in both domestic and international economy. The perceptive comments and unique perspective that I presented on those occasions usually won me wide acclaim. My relentless efforts paid off. I always remained among the top few among 256 students in my grade in terms of each examination result and for three consecutive years I was awarded the university‘s comprehensive first-class scholarship and many specialized scholarships. During the Band VI English Proficiency Test administered nationwide, I achieved a very high score of 97, the full mark being 100.

Among numerous subjects related to my speciality, Bank Accounting and Securities Accounting fascinated me most. I came to understand that accounting is not only the "barometer" of a nation‘s economy but also the propellant of that nation‘s economic development. In my spare time I immersed myself in the study of xxxxxxxxxxxx, the Guidelines for Chinese Accountants, and International Accounting Principles. At the xxxx , as a representative of our university, I took part in xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx hosted by the Institute of Management of xxxxxxx University. The presentations by scholars and experts produced a profound impact on me, enabling me to develop an in-depth and rational understanding of the new orientation of Chinese accounting in the new century and to confirm my resolution of pursuing accounting as my lifelong career. It has been universally acknowledged that the 21st century will be an age of knowledge economy, a fact that will necessarily introduce major reforms into the traditional accounting enterprise. The conventional concept in accounting tended to underrate the value of the resource of human intelligence, regarding the input of human intelligence merely as a form of expenditure cost or an intangible asset in the activity of an enterprise. The prospective reform in accounting, as far as I am concerned, should be undertaken both in the theory and the methodology of accounting, more specifically, in accounting objectives, accounting principles, accounting hypotheses, accounting components, accounting equilibrium equation, system of check computation, confirmation of assets, and calculation. More importantly, a system of knowledge-oriented accounting centered around intellectual assets must be established. In the face of such an urgent and heavy task of reform, China is in desperate demand for a new generation of accountants who possess a systematic command of modern accounting theory, are capable of great innovation and creativity in their research and practical work, and provide significant intellectual support for the government, enterprises, institutions of higher learning, and research institutes. All those rigorous challenges have captured my passion and imagination, making me all the more determined to develop myself into one of China‘s prominent accounting professionals.

While entertaining my ambitions, I am also clearly aware that China lags far behind the developed countries in the West in terms of development of accounting as a science. Serious flaws are rampant in auditing, for example. Some financial institutions illegally utilize accounting items, artificially manipulate statistics, evade proportion control and scale management, and resist the country‘s macro manipulative measures. Some securities companies grossly violate accounting principles and accounting system by conducting arbitrary evaluations of an enterprise‘s assets, debt, profit and loss. All the foregoing facts can be attributed to the imperfections inherent in China‘s accounting and auditing system. Under such circumstances, it is imperative to expedite the growth and amelioration of China‘s accounting system and to borrow from the advanced theories and managerial concepts from the West. Moreover, China‘s accession into the WTO in the near future will further facilitate China‘s trade exchanges with the international community as well as global economic and technological interactions. Inevitably, the pace of China‘s globalization in accounting practice will quicken. Theoretically speaking, this process of globalization, for China as well for the rest of the world, will be a process in which the science of accounting and the practice of accounting will come into reciprocal interplay, reciprocal facilitation, reciprocal complementation and gradual fusion. China‘s coordination with the development of international accounting industry will play a significant impact on the development of Chinese economy and on the improvement of the international status of Chinese accounting industry. Those factors have constituted for the irresistible motive of my applying for pursuing an advanced degree program in the United States where I can acquire the most systematic and the most advanced accounting knowledge from the most prestigious university in the area. My ultimate plan is to apply this acquired knowledge to solve some of China‘s problems in the field of accounting, to facilitate the development of China national economy, to act as a messenger in the exchanges between China‘s accounting profession and that of the world, and to make my contributions to the globalization of China‘s accounting

The reason of my applying for a Ph.D. program in accounting at your renowned university is that your university possesses many prominent and experienced professors in the field and first-rate educational facilities, in addition to a stimulating academic environment. The Ph.D. program at your university not only lays emphasis on a solid command of basic knowledge of accounting but also encourages students to undertake independent research. In this ideal milieu, I will have an opportunity to obtain constructive instructions from the internationally distinguished professors on one hand and to know and cooperate with excellent students from all parts of the world from which I can derive important experiences to make possible my progress in my academic work. I have no doubt that your university has the most favorable conditions for me to embark on studies and academic research.

The achievements that I have scored so far are only bygone history. Now my effort to apply for a degree program in the United States symbolizes for me an attempt to meet greater challenges and to quest for higher and more difficult objectives. But the confidence that I have acquired after surmounting each challenge and the latent power awakened in confronting each new challenge will always accompany me to proceed onto ever greater successes in my career and life.