UPHOLDING TRUST: ADVANCING EU VALUES IN AUDIT, ETHICS, AND PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY IN FINANCIAL GOVERNANCE

forthcoming

The EU-TRUST Jean Monnet Module aims to align Ukraine’s audit practices with EU standards, strengthening financial transparency, auditor independence, and public accountability. It responds to critical deficiencies in Ukraine’s financial governance by integrating EU best practices, focusing on three key regulatory areas: mandatory auditor rotation, restrictions on non-audit services, and self-regulation of the audit profession. These reforms are essential to ensuring integrity, trust, and resilience in financial reporting - key priorities for Ukraine’s EU integration. The module delivers 375 hours of structured learning over three years, engaging 255 participants through: 1) Modernized university courses for bachelor’s and master’s students, incorporating EU directives and advanced methodologies such as flipped classrooms and case-based learning; 2) An open online lecture series, accessible globally, fostering EU public diplomacy; 3) Professional training webinars and workshops for auditors and policymakers, promoting EU-aligned audit standards; 4) Research and policy contributions, including six academic publications, an online knowledge platform, and participation in international conferences to bridge the gap between academia and professional practice. The project fosters EU values, addressing corruption risks, enhancing professional ethics, and improving public trust in financial governance. It directly supports Ukraine’s EU candidate status reforms, ensuring bottom-up change by empowering future professionals and policymakers with knowledge and tools to advance audit integrity and accountability. Through an inclusive, transnational, and sustainable approach, EU-TRUST strengthens the role of EU policies in global financial governance, reinforcing Ukraine’s path toward European integration.