Deloitte is proud to support the International College of the Cayman Islands’ fundraising initiative for an academic chair to hire a full-time professor, which will strengthen and expand its popular business programme.

Deloitte is committing to a sponsorship over a three-year period to help fund the academic chair for a full-time professor in accounting. An academic chair is a university designation given to a professor for specialized knowledge and research and is traditionally funded by either private corporations or foundations.

“We are pleased to support the business program at ICCI and in particular the accounting faculty. As an organisation we are aware of how important education is to society and that education has the power to unlock potential and change individual lives. We are committed to building a skilled labour force and providing opportunities for Caymanian students which will help the Cayman Islands stay competitive in the global market,” explained Deloitte Partner Stu Sybersma.

Student enrolment among high school graduates and adults is growing in the accounting, finance, banking and management programmes to meet the demands of a competitive business environment, explained International College President John Cummings, PhD.

“This new academic chair will provide students with more exposure to high quality instruction, research and the benefit of the professor’s industry experience,” said Dr. Cummings. “The timing for hiring a professor couldn’t be better as we just opened our new business building for the fall term, which will enable us to accept more students into our business programmes.“

A key part of what International College stands for is being accessible to all students who are academically-ready to earn an associate, bachelor or masters degree, but who have limited financial means and may face work or family obligations that prevent them from attending an accredited university overseas.

As a non-profit, private institution, the International College has made it a priority to offer affordable tuition to both Caymanians and residents and still maintain its international accreditation, which undergoes a rigorous review every few years.

International College Dean Scott Cummings expressed his gratitude to Deloitte for their three-year sponsorship commitment to the academic chair.

“Deloitte has been incredibly generous with their professional advice and financial support,” said the Dean. “Providing this level of corporate sponsorship for the academic chair is invaluable in providing the best possible opportunity for success to our business and accounting students.”

Since 1973, Deloitte Cayman has grown to be one of the largest professional services firms in the Cayman Islands, with a staff of almost 160 employees we are able to offer a full range of services from audit, tax, consulting, financial advisory and enterprise risk to public and private clients spanning multiple industries.

With a globally connected network of member firms in more than 150 countries, Deloitte brings world-class capabilities and high-quality service to clients, delivering the insights they need to address their most complex business challenges. Deloitte’s approximately 182,000 professionals are committed to becoming the standard of excellence.