STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

Introduction:

Ahmed Saeed s/o Muhammad Hamid born on 11th January, 1993. I am 29 Years old and belong
to Gujranwala, Punjab, Pakistan. I am going to list the reasons why I want to study MPA
Masters of Professional Accounting from University of Wollongong, Australia.

Academic Background:

My academic journey has been detailed here in chronological order. I

completed my Matriculation from Garrison Academy, Gujranwala Cantt in 2010
with A grade. Then comes the Intermediate which I studied from Gift College,
Gujranwala in 2012 and scored B grade in it. I attained Higher Diploma in
Accounting awarded by SQA Scottish Qualification Authority in July 2013.
Higher Diploma in Accounting HDA sparked my interest in the field of
accounting and finance which explains why I selected ACCA as my next
academic qualification. I started my ACCA in December 2013 and concluded the
same in March 2021. Till December 2016 my experience in ACCA was one to be
cherished and one which other students wanted to replicate as I succeeded in
passing my 13 out of 14 ACCA exams by this time. This claim or fact is also
backed by my ACCA transcript which has been attached with my application to
support and validate my narration. As soon as 2017 started life took a sharp
turn and my father was diagnosed with heart disease. After detailed checkups
and examination by couple of cardiologists it was final that my father urgently
needed an Open Heart Surgery in order to survive. Finally, the surgery was
done in April, 2017 and from this period till the time when my father breathed
his last on 15th August, 2019 I was the one who was tasked with looking after
the health of my father, family matters and most importantly financial inflows
and outflows too. This time period was and will always be one of the hardest
phases of my life as when I thought that I had some control over my financial
matters the health of my father deteriorated and when I saw my father’s
health is getting better I was disturbed by monetary issues. The only thing that
I could have done during that period was to try and complete my ACCA as I
only had one exam to pass but this last exam took me 5 years to pass. I was
suffering mentally and I can still recall that I used to pay exam fee and reserve
my seat to appear for the same but the circumstances at home were not kind
enough to allow me to concentrate and pass my exam. Finally, I passed this
exam on March, 2021 and attained the ACCA certificate which I aimed for.
Taking care of my father, doing a job as a Tax & Audit Consultant and
continuing my ACCA journey on the sidelines too, doing all these tasks
simultaneously took a toll on me and can shed some light on the reason why it
took me some time to complete my studies. I have always been a good and
dedicated student who took his studies very seriously and had a genuine urge
to learn and get better every given day. The dip which can been seen in my
grades in my Intermediate education are also due to medical emergency at
home and the resultant demise of my mother in March, 2011. Same year in
which I appeared for my 1st Year exams of my Intermediate examination.

Having detailed my academics and the reasons why I faced some hurdles now I
want to share some bright things which I see for myself ahead. I want to add a
Master’s degree to my resume and that too in the same field which I have
studied and admired. I want to apply for Masters of Professional Accounting
(MPA) in your esteemed institution which will enable me to grow both
academically and professionally at the same time. During the time which I
spent doing my job as a Tax & Audit consultant I strongly felt that I need to
upgrade my knowledge and get to know better financial theories and methods
in practice in order to claim and serve my clients better and up to world class
standards. This dream can only be lived when I have the most updated and
practical knowledge in the field of accounting and finance which I think cannot
be achieved better than studying (MPA) Masters of Professional Accounting. I
have gone through the courses and structure of the above mentioned course
which further solidifies my claims and the impact which this qualification can
have on me and my professional development.

Working Experience:

My professional journey commenced in 2018. On 1 st January, 2018 I got my first job as

Assistant Tax Consultant in Saeed & Co, Gujranwala. The job was in the same city where I
reside so it was convenient for me to work and study simultaneously. The company provided
Tax & Audit consultancy to a wide range of clients and was a perfect fit for me to start my
career. Before working as Assistant Tax Consultant for 6 Months I was shifted to the Audit
department where I worked for 6 months and got the title of Tax & Audit Consultant. During
my stay there I got to know the taxation system of my native country and the applicable
laws for the same. I availed this opportunity to compute the tax liabilities of individuals and
corporations side by side. Along with computing tax liabilities of my clients I also advised
them about tax consequences of their transactions and business moves. After some comfort
in Taxation I shifted my focus towards Audit as Taxation & Audit go hand in hand. Audit was
also mastered by grasping the applicable laws in my country and advising my clients
accordingly. My 1st employment lasted on 31 st December, 2019. I wanted to learn new things
and elevate myself and for the same purpose I shifted to a new company.
The next destination in my career is Premier Law Company, Gujranwala, Pakistan. This
company provides services to its clients ranging from Taxation, Audit, Banking and other
corporate sector services like company registration, management, mergers and acquisition
analysis. I am a part/employee of this company since 1 st January, 2020. My designation in this
company is Tax & Management Consultant. With the aid of the environment and client base
provided by this company I feel I am growing in my field and broadening my skill set with
every client I serve.

Travel History:

My travel history includes a sole visit to Saudi Arabia in 2014 for performing Umrah. I visited
Saudi Arabia with my family and my trip lasted for 28 days.

Why Australia?

I ended up choosing Australia as the only destination for further studies after
going through all the other options available due to the following factors. A
healthy mind resides in a healthy body. Similarly, a competent student can only
be nourished in a healthy environment which is peaceful, beautiful and laced
with basic necessities at the same time. Australia is the only country which ticks
all these boxes as per my opinion. Australia is home to many cities which are
highly ranked among most live able cities globally. Australian environment is a
diverse one which is equally safer both for its residents and immigrants from all
over the world. No instances of any mishap or mistreatment towards students
from an ethnic background have been reported till date. With approximately
more than 40 high class, highly ranked and technologically advanced
universities to choose from Australia offers numerous options to diverse
students to choose from and study to accomplish their goals. Australian
Universities offer students the luxury to study their desired courses under
Trimester option, the option which to my knowledge is only available in
Australia. The option to study your entire degree via Trimester system makes
the course more understandable, manageable and obviously easy. The student
is not burdened with a ton of courses to study within a 6-month time
span/semester. The infrastructure of Australia is also second to none and is
often ranked above average globally in terms of its healthcare, transport &
other basic amenities. Australian people are also very friendly and welcoming
towards other people who travel to their country in order to benefit from their
offerings. At last, the most vital aspect and the factor that mostly is the
deciding factor is the cost of the offered programs in Australia. Not only the
course fees are affordable Australian Institutes are known to award one of the
greater percentage of scholarships to incoming students. These scholarships
are based on various criteria ranging from academic excellence, student’s
native country, handicapped students and International students. This way all
the foreign students are accommodated and find it easy to plan and pay their
fees accordingly. If the student is not burdened by the course fees he/she can
focus entirely on his/her studies and can excel at the same task. One aspect
that is only limited to me is the reality that If granted an opportunity by
esteemed institution in which I am applying is I will get to witness a new world
named Australia which is situated away from the rest of the world and is a
world of its own in the form of such a huge continent and Australian
government can proudly state that it’s the only one in this world to run and
inhabit a complete continent.

Why Not Other Foreign Countries USA, UK, Canada & Europe?
When I was looking for options to get a Master’s degree from a foreign land
the options I juggled were USA, UK, Canada and Europe. I am going to list the
reasons individually for all the above mentioned countries which forced me to
look for other options. In USA the cost of education is too high, scholarships
are limited and the facility to pay in installments is also missing. Further, the
native people are not very welcoming towards international students or I can
say students belonging to certain ethnic backgrounds. The 3 rd and final
hindrance as per my liking is the climate there which can be extremely hot or
extremely cold that too for most part of the year. The 2 nd option I analyzed was
UK, no doubt the education system there is great and the institutes are one of
the older one all over the world. Again some factors not allowed me to choose
UK which are high fees, lack of scholarships, congested environment with
overcrowded surroundings and universities alike. Canada is termed as the
heaven for international students but for those who like to stay in a snow park
as the weather there is very cold and remains like this for most part of the year.
High fees, high living cost and thousands of dollars to be placed in blocked
account are some of the reasons why my search did not end here and I was
forced to continue my quest for a better destination to study abroad. The last
country from this list was Europe. With 26 states to choose from and very
beautiful surroundings I thought that Europe will be the perfect spot for me to
continue my studies but when I encountered language barrier during my
interaction with couple of universities I was confused with the idea of studying
in a country where I will not be able to comprehend what my teacher is saying
and how am I going to explain my questions and standpoints. Secondly, the
curriculum taught in European universities is also well preserved like their
buildings and other attractions there with no touch of modernization and
amendment with the passage of time. When I examined the course structure
of their universities there was nothing new and they are still going ahead with
old syllabus plus the course I am applying for is not offered by European
Universities which is (MPA) Masters of Professional Accounting.

Reason for not studying in my home country Pakistan:

I am not continuing my studies in my native country not only because the

course I am applying for is not offered in my country but there are other
reasons too. During my employment I came to realize that graduates who have
graduated from some foreign universities attract better employment
opportunities and are awarded better career progression. This better career
progression and better remuneration is not given without a reason there is
huge difference between the knowledge and skill set of a domestic graduate
and a foreign graduate. Foreign graduates are not only equipped with latest
theoretical knowledge

but they are also provided practical training/employment opportunities to

better their skill set. So, if I plan to grow as a professional I must be able to
stand in the league of individuals who can demonstrate that they deserve
better than they are currently given. There are many examples to take
inspiration from or replicate of graduates who have graduated from Australian
Universities are doing way better back in our native country. When I met one of
these individuals I was amazed by the knowledge and confidence that person
had gained via his expedition abroad. I aspire to do the same and for that I am
applying for the course being mentioned repeatedly.
Why University of Wollongong?

I chose this university for many of its credentials. This university is one of the
well reputed and highly ranked Australian Universities. The course I was
looking for is being offered by this institute. The course structure is detailed
and well rounded. Course structure is as per my requirements and is about the
areas that I want to study and improve in. The mode in which the selected
course is being offered is convenient for me. The fee of the course is
reasonable and will be managed by me easily. Many sorts of scholarships are
also offered by this university which is an added bonus. The curriculum being
taught in this university is updated and well researched. Campuses of this
university are a treat for the eyes with all the facilities that a student can dream
of. Overall it will be a dream come true if I am awarded a chance to study in this
university and experience its offerings.

Reasons for choosing Master of Professional Accounting:

I am going to rationalize my decision to select Master of Professional

Accounting as the course I am going to study now. As I am an ACCA affiliate the
field of accounting & finance is the one which I have studied and worked in till
date. The course for which I am applying is relevant to my academic
background and my current employment sector. During my job I felt a need to
sharpen my managerial and accounting skills further. I needed a course to
equip me with the latest and adequate knowledge about the same. I have gone
through the course structure of this program and found all the courses
relevant and extremely interesting. I am very hopeful that the listed courses
will add to the credibility of my resume and elevate my professional standing.
Having worked for approximately 5 years in the same field and studying in
same field for number of years I think it’s the best way to get top notch and
updated knowledge in the similar field rather than going after other programs.
I do not want to be called Jackal of all trades master of none. I am striving to be
the master of one in which I am engaged and that is the field of accounting &
finance.

Future and Career Plans:

Once I am done with my Master of Professional Accounting I have many career

options chalked out in my mind. First and the obvious choice is to set up my
own Tax & Audit consultancy in my native city in my native country. Second
option will be to work in a multi-national entity at an executive post like
Finance Manager, Tax Manager, Audit Manager etc. Such designations not only
are rewarding monetarily buy psychologically too. Third option is the option
which I would try hard to exercise in amalgamation with either of the two
possibilities discussed above and it is Teaching I want to teach others what I
have learnt about the same field and help them hone the skills they were not
aware about. The reason behind becoming a teacher is that those like me who
want to get to the bottom of the ocean in the same field will not have to leave
their native country and can benefit from what I have learnt from esteemed
Institute in Australia in which I am requesting admission. Curiosity alone is not
enough for students to take this path as there are other factors involved too
which most of the students cannot afford in my resident country that is
financial capacity to pay for such programs abroad. So, I will do my bit to bring
about as little change as possible via my humble efforts.

Financial Arrangements:

Regarding the financial arrangements for my expenses involved in achieving a

Master’s degree from Australia I have got it all sorted. I have taken into
account all the expenses involved including living expenses, university fees,
travelling expenses and other costs to be met while I am in Australia studying
the course I am applying for. I have funds in my bank account for the same.
Apart from liquid sources of cash I also have sufficient properties in my name to
support my claims and I can easily cover all my costs for the same. All the
claims being made can be backed by documented evidence when required.

Understanding the visa conditions in Australia:

I would like to state that if granted the opportunity to study at University Of Wollongong, I
will perform to my full potential and hope to learn knowledge and skills that will help me to
make my dream come true. My visa subclass is 500 under SSVF (Streamline Student Visa
Framework). During my stay, I will abide by all the rules and regulations of the Australian
Government and my University and will respect the customs and norms of society. I will
remain registered in my selected course. I must maintain my health insurance and
attendance of 85% or more. I am allowed to work 40 hours per fortnight and any changes in
my contact details need to be informed to my Education Provider within seven days of
changing it.

Declaration

I hereby certify that the information above which has been supplied in support of my
student visa application to assist me to demonstrate that I satisfy the department of
immigration's GS and GTE compliance requirements has been completed in my own words
and handwriting and is a true and correct account. In the light of the above, I will anxiously
wait for the acceptance of my student visa application as a genuine student to study at CQ
University, Australia.

Applicant: Ahmed-Saeed

Dated: 15-12-2022