About CSEAR

The Centre for Social and Environmental Research (CSEAR) is an international membership-based network that aims to mobilise accounting scholarship to enable a more sustainable society.

CSEAR is overseen by an Executive Council (currently Co-Chaired by Jan Bebbington, Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business, Lancaster University and Matias Laine, University of Tampere, Finland) and managed on a day-to-day basis by its Directors (Professor John Ferguson and Dr Shona Russell, University of St Andrews).

Mission

Our mission is to encourage and facilitate high quality, relevant research, teaching and external engagement with practice and policy through developing knowledge, expertise, resources and a supportive network for mentoring and career development.

Vision

CSEAR aims to be a world-recognized, global community of scholars who engage with students, activists, practitioners, policy makers and other interested groups in order to generate and disseminate knowledge on social and environmental accounting and accountability.

Featured Post

Tribute to Rob Gray

By John Ferguson, CSEAR Co-Director

The Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) was established in 1991 by the late Prof. Rob Gray. Rob’s seminal research, along with his passion for challenging environmental degradation and social injustice, laid the foundations for the field of social and environmental accounting (SEA) research and practice.

History

CSEAR was formed in 1991 by Professor Rob Gray at the University of Dundee. In 2000 the Centre moved to the University of Glasgow and in 2006 CSEAR was re-established at its current location at the University of St Andrews.

CSEAR’s journal, Social and Environmental Accountability Journal, is published by Routledge. The journal was first published in 1993, replacing the Social Accounting Monitor, which was formed by James Guthrie and Reg Mathews 1982. Learn more about the Social and Environmental Accountability Journal here.

CSEAR currently has over 250 members from 35 different countries, with partner offices in Canada, France and Italy and international associates presenting 14 countries.

CSEAR conferences are held around the world with an International Congress held in St Andrews, Scotland alongside conferences in Australasia, France, Italy, Spain, South America, Portugal, China and Hong Kong. To find out more about forthcoming conferences and other events, click here.

Activities

  • Conferences in the UK and around the world.
  • Social and Environmental Accountability Journal.
  • Regular communication via social media, websites and monthly newsletters.
  • Research projects undertaken by CSEAR.
  • Sponsoring and commissioning research.
  • Research training.
  • Mentor emerging scholars in the field.
  • Engaging with practice, the profession, NGOs, activists, government and academe.
  • Making research accessible to society-at-large through communications such as press releases and non-academic articles.
  • Building the network of CSEAR members, including through Partners and Satellite Offices.

CSEAR Governance

The Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) is run by the democratically elected CSEAR Council which is chaired by Professor Ian Thomson (University of Birmingham), and which in turn is supported by the Committee of International Associates. CSEAR’s journal, Social and Environmental Accountability Journal is supported by the SEAJ Editorial Board.

CSEAR is managed on a day-to-day basis by Co-Directors (Professor John Ferguson and Dr Shona Russell) and an administrator (Louise Henderson). It is supported by the School of Management at the University of St Andrews, and in particular by the Accounting, Governance and Organisations thematic group.

Council Member
Professor of Public Financial Management University of Tampere, Finland
CSEAR Council Member - Helen Tregidga, Professor of Accounting Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
Council Member
Helen.Tregidga@rhul.ac.uk
Professor of Accounting Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
CSEAR Council Member - Michelle Rodrigue, Professor of Accounting, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
Council Member
Michelle.Rodrigue@fsa.ulaval.ca
Professor of Accounting, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
CSEAR Council Member - Matias Laine, Academy Research Fellow, University of Tampere, Finland
Co-Convenor
Matias.Laine@tuni.fi
Academy Research Fellow, University of Tampere, Finland
CSEAR Council Member - Colin Dey, Senior Lecturer, Stirling University, UK
Council Member
Professor of Accounting, School of Business, University of Dundee, UK
CSEAR Council Member - Massimo Contrafatto, Associate Professor, University of Bergamo, Italy
Council Member
massimo.contrafatto@sussex.ac.uk
Reader in Accounting (Accounting and Finance) University of Sussex Business School, UK
CSEAR Council Member - Erica Costa, Associate Professor, Trento University, Italy
Council Member
Associate Professor, Trento University, Italy
CSEAR Council Member - Charles Cho, Professor of Accounting and the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada
Council Member
Professor of Accounting and the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada
CSEAR Council Member - Ian Thomson, Business School & Director of Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business, University of Birmingham, UK
Council Member
i.thomson@bham.ac.uk
Professor of Accounting and Sustainability, University of Dundee School of Business, UK
Council Member
Professor of Accounting Universidad de Burgos
Co-Convenor
Director of the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University (UK)
Council Member
sheila.killian@ul.ie
Associate Professor at the Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick
Council Member
Professor of Accounting, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK
Council Member
Assistant Professor, Toulouse Business School, France
Juliette Senn
Council Member
j.senn@montpellier-bs.com
Assistant Professor of Accounting, Montpellier Business School, France
Madlen Sobkowiak
Council Member
m.sobkowiak@bham.ac.uk
Associate Professor, Accounting for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation, EDHEC Business School, UK
Council Member
Senior Lecturer School of Business, University of Wollongong
CSEAR Administrator Louise Henderson, School of Management, University of St Andrews
CSEAR Administrator
University of St Andrews Business School, The Gateway, North Haugh, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9RJ, Scotland
CSEAR Co-Director, Shona Russell, Senior Lecturer, School of Management, University of St Andrews
CSEAR Co-Director
Senior Lecturer, University of St Andrews Business School, The Gateway, North Haugh, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9RJ, Scotland
CSEAR Co-Director, John Ferguson, Professor in Accounting, School of Management, University of St Andrews
CSEAR Co-Director
Professor in Accounting, University of St Andrews Business School, The Gateway, North Haugh, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9RJ, Scotland
Distinguished Expert Advisor
Research Professor in Accounting (Accounting and Finance), Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow
CSEAR International Associate - Chris Van Staden, Professor of Accounting, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Professor of Accounting, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
CSEAR International Associate - Mohamed Saeudy, Senior Lecturer, University of Bedfordshire, UK
Senior Lecturer, University of Bedfordshire, UK
CSEAR International Associate - Sophie Spring, Professor of Accounting Montpellier Management Institute, Université de Montpellier, France
Professor of Accounting, Montpellier Management Institute, Université de Montpellier, France
CSEAR International Associate - Hongtao Shen, Professor of Accounting, School of Management, Jinan University, China
Professor of Accounting, School of Management, Jinan University, China
CSEAR International Associate - Den Patten, Professor, College of Business, Illinois State University, USA
Professor, College of Business, Illinois State University, USA
CSEAR International Associate - Hannele Mäkelä, University Lecturer, Faculty of Management and Businees, Tampere University, Finland
University Lecturer, Faculty of Management and Businees, Tampere University, Finland
CSEAR International Associate - Carlos Larrinaga, Professor of Accounting, Universidad de Burgos, Spain
Professor of Accounting, Universidad de Burgos, Spain
CSEAR International Associate - Sheila Killian, Associate Professor, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland
Associate Professor, Kemmy Business School, University of Limerick, Ireland
CSEAR International Associate - Tiffany Leung, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Busines, City University of Macau, Macau
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Busines, City University of Macau, Macau
CSEAR International Associate - Teresa Eugénio, Adjunct Professor, Escola Superior de Tecnologia e Gestao Instituto Politeecnico de Leiria, Portugal
Associate Professor, Polytechnic Institute of Leiria, Portugal
CSEAR Council Member - Michelle Rodrigue, Professor of Accounting, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
Council Member
Michelle.Rodrigue@fsa.ulaval.ca
Professor of Accounting, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada
CSEAR Council Member - Erica Costa, Associate Professor, Trento University, Italy
Council Member
Associate Professor, Trento University, Italy
CSEAR Council Member - Charles Cho, Professor of Accounting and the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada
Council Member
Professor of Accounting and the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, York University, Toronto, Canada