If there was ever a student destined to spend a lifetime on campus, it might just be Sistine Sun.
After three and a half years at University Hall, Sistine will move out in July, hopefully with a new title to add before her name: Dr Sistine Sun. Yet even as she completes her PhD at The University of Western Australia, she isn't leaving university life behind. Instead, she's heading home to China to begin her next chapter as an Assistant Professor of Accounting at Xi'an Jiaotong University, one of China's prestigious C9 universities.
In many ways, Sistine has never really left school.
Her academic journey has taken her across the globe. She began her undergraduate studies at Shandong University in China before spending time at the University of Cincinnati in the United States. She then moved to Australia to complete a Master of Commerce (Advanced) at the Australian National University before being awarded a prestigious scholarship to undertake a PhD at UWA.
For someone who has studied in three countries and travelled extensively for conferences and research, the path seems almost inevitable. Yet accounting wasn't always about academia.
"People often think accounting is just spreadsheets, profit and loss statements, and balance sheets," Sistine says. "But accounting is really the language of business."
While her undergraduate studies focused on the practical side of accounting, her PhD research has explored the foundations of business success. Her work examines how organisations respond to environmental and regulatory pressures, using data, modelling, and analysis to better understand what drives corporate performance and decision-making.
Her thesis, Corporate Financial and Environmental Responses to Climate-Related Pressures, has already attracted significant recognition. During her candidature, Sistine published research in some of the world's leading accounting and business journals, including Organization Science and The Journal of Law and Economics. She was awarded Runner-Up Best Paper at the 2025 International Symposium on Carbon Accounting, Reporting and Sustainability, and was nominated for a UWA Business School Teaching and Learning Award. Her growing research profile has also seen her invited to present at conferences across Australia, Asia, and Europe, including most recently in Prague.
Despite her impressive achievements, Sistine describes her PhD experience as a careful balancing act.
To manage the demands of doctoral study, she divides her week into three distinct areas.
The first is research, where she works on papers, publications, and projects. The second is teaching. Across her candidature, she has taught and tutored accounting students at UWA and Murdoch University, an experience she credits with developing her communication skills and confidence.
"I've learned how to explain complex ideas in ways that make sense to different people," she says.
The third area is service, giving back to the communities that have supported her journey.
For University Hall residents, this is where many will know Sistine best. In 2023 she became a Residential Advisor, helping students navigate Hall life while building connections within the community. She has also served as a Higher Degree by Research representative within UWA, advocating for fellow PhD students and creating opportunities for connection and support.
"Service has given me the opportunity to contribute to communities that have helped me grow," she says.
Of course, balancing research, teaching, and service is not without its challenges. For Sistine, success has relied on structure, prioritisation, and making time for herself.
Running, swimming, and going to the gym have become important ways to reset and recharge, while maintaining friendships and social connections helps provide perspective outside academia.
"Self-care comes first," she says. "If you don't look after yourself, it's hard to do your best in everything else."
As she prepares to leave University Hall, Sistine reflects on a journey that has taken her from China to the United States, Canberra, and Perth, opening doors she never imagined when she first began studying accounting.
Her advice to current students is simple: be brave and embrace every opportunity.
It's advice she has clearly lived herself.
Her favourite quote comes from Scarlett O'Hara in Gone with the Wind: "Tomorrow is another day."
For Sistine, the quote is a reminder to maintain a positive attitude, do your best today, and remain open to whatever tomorrow may bring, whether that's a new opportunity, a new challenge, or a new adventure on the other side of the world.
For a lifelong learner, after all, every ending is simply the beginning of another chapter.