Exploring undergraduate students' understanding of Shari'ah auditing in Brunei

Islamic finance has recorded tremendous and stable growth over the past decades. However, there are various issues that could hinder its future growth and development. One of the most important issues is the lack of talents to cater for the industry. The purpose of this paper is to explore the undergraduate students' understanding of shari'ah auditing in Brunei. Shari'ah audit is the equivalent of the external auditors' assurances services only that they require additional shari'ah and Islamic finance knowledge. The paper uses quantitative approach of survey. Self-developed questionnaire are administered to respondents of the survey. The paper finds that students' understanding of shari'ah auditing is arguably "rudimentary" in nature. While the characteristics and knowledge expected of shari'ah auditor are well understood, the students are however unsure of the primary objective for shari'ah auditing. The paper highlights the practical imperative for the authorities to consider a holistic revamp of its education strategies in meeting future market demands for qualified and well trained shari'ah auditors. This paper is novel as it is the first attempt to gauge the undergraduate students' understanding of shari'ah auditing in Brunei. The undergraduate students are considered as one of the most important talent sources and need to be educated and trained accordingly.