Jukka Sihvonen appointed Professor of Accounting at the University of Vaasa: “AI is changing work, but skills make the difference”

– Knowledge work carried out on computers is being transformed by artificial intelligence in ways resembling globalisation. As a professor, my task is to ensure that our students develop a competence profile that will enable them to succeed in the labour market of the future. The University of Vaasa’s new AI-focused master's programmes, combined with close dialogue with the business sector, provide a strong foundation for this, says Sihvonen.

Sihvonen’s research brings together accounting, finance, digitalisation and data science. He has studied topics including the use of artificial intelligence in business, cybersecurity, corporate reporting, sustainability and data-driven decision-making. His particular research interests lie in the organisational impacts of artificial intelligence and machine learning, as well as their application in corporate management and decision-making.

– Accounting lies at the heart of sustainable business, both from commercial and environmental perspectives. Business and societal decisions should be based on reliable information, and within organisations this information is produced by accounting professionals, increasingly supported by artificial intelligence, Sihvonen explains.

Sihvonen conducts empirical research using large datasets to identify how current developments affect companies and how organisations should respond to them. His research aims to generate knowledge that helps organisations utilise new technologies to improve management practices, enhance transparency in reporting and promote more sustainable business operations.

– The best research challenges prevailing assumptions in a credible way and provides practical models to support decision-making. This is why close cooperation with companies and other stakeholders is essential in business research.

The appointment marks a return to the University of Vaasa for Sihvonen. He earned his doctoral degree in finance from the University of Vaasa in 2013 and previously worked at the university as a researcher in the School of Accounting and Finance.

Before joining the University of Vaasa as a professor, Sihvonen served as Associate Professor of Accounting at the Aalto University School of Business. He taught and supervised studies in accounting, data analytics and business technologies in master's and doctoral programmes and also contributed to several executive education programmes. In addition, he played a key role in integrating AI and digitalisation topics into accounting education and executive education.

Sihvonen has extensive international research experience. He has been a visiting scholar at the Norwegian School of Economics, Copenhagen Business School, Umeå University, Goethe University Frankfurt, the European Central Bank and the Bank of Finland.