The opening and reform in China's economic system has revitalized the country-a country with a long history. With China's entry into WTO, senior managers in various enterprises are facing many more opportunities and challenges. As a result, they desire to learn how to tackle the challenges emerging from economic globalization, so that they may take a strong position in the ever-changing economic environment. Now it is evident that senior managers need to update their management knowledge on a daily basis, and to master the rules of a market economy and international business. Only in this way can they achieve success.

In line with the trend of social development and on the initiative of former premier Zhu Rongji, the Shanghai National Accounting Institute was founded in September 2000. "To develop into a world-class accounting institute" has always been our goal, and we are dedicated to building a senior-level, international and e-technology continuing education base. Priorities are given to exploring the rules of senior-level continuing education, and the operation pattern of the institute has been innovated. All these efforts are intended to provide senior managers with more knowledge and access to greater capabilities.

Thanks to the efforts of the faculty, over 20,000 students receive our training courses every year. While accepting an increasing number of students, we are also developing more training courses of various types. Now we offer a large number of courses designed to enhance the capabilities of CPAs and CFOs in large and medium sized enterprises. In addition, we seek active cooperation with famous Chinese and foreign universities and associations, and invite acknowledged experts from around the world to deliver various professional training courses for senior managers.

Shanghai National Accounting Institute is also the location of the Secretariat of the APEC Finance and Development Program (AFDP), which was proposed by the Chinese government and is co-chaired by the Chinese government and the World Bank. The institute serves as a training base for the program. It is to our great delight that, through various kinds of co-operation, Shanghai National Accounting Institute has developed into a platform where renowned government officials, scholars and businesspeople exchange their insights and improve themselves. We look forward to co-operation with more organizations, so that more financial personnel will be served and a greater success may be ensured for them.