History of CIERA

In 1962 the Center for International Education and Research in Accounting (CIERA) was established. This was long before the global marketplace made international programs at major universities commonplace. CIERA was created as a center to focus on the teaching and research of international topics as they related primarily to the field of accounting. However, Vernon Zimmerman, its long-time Director, never limited his thinking to accounting alone. He believed that accounting was integral to all commercial transactions and that accountants had to be knowledgeable about all aspects of business.

Business in all countries find that they need to internationalize in order to survive. Even small companies trade in one or more foreign markets and/or establish financial and operating relations with foreign companies. As a result, accounting, auditing and tax issues arise in many settings where it could be ignored only a few years ago. Universities all over the world are entering this specialty in larger numbers in order to meet the needs of their stakeholders.

Mission Statement

The Center for International Education and Research in Accounting supports the vision of the College of Commerce and Business Administration: "to be a world class business school renowned for its commitment to learning and the principle of innovation, its academic leadership, the focus and quality of its programs, the impact of its research, its internationalism, and strong ties to business and community."

CIERA serves the academic and professional communities by providing world-class leadership in international accountancy and business research and education support. CIERA strives to provide innovative learning experiences for faculty, students, and professionals in all aspects of scholarship, including the creation, integration, dissemination and management of accounting knowledge in the international domain.

CIERA has set a goal to be a world-class Center for faculty, students, and visiting scholars.