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.

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 ic chaired by Professor Jan Bebbington (Lancaster University) and Professor Matias Laine (Tampere University). CSEAR’s journal, the 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). It is supported by the University of St Andrews Business School and aligned with the research interests of the Governance, Organisations and Accountability thematic group.

CSEAR Council
CSEAR Office

Jan Bebbington

Co-Convenor

Director of the Pentland Centre for Sustainability in Business at Lancaster University (UK)

Ericka Costa

Council Member

Associate Professor, Trento University, Italy

Colin Dey

Council Member

Professor of Accounting, School of Business, University of Dundee, UK

Matias Laine

Co-Convenor

Academy Research Fellow, University of Tampere, Finland

Carlos Larrinaga

Council Member

Professor of Accounting Universidad de Burgos

Ellie Norris

Council Member

Senior Lecturer at the Department of Accounting and Information Systems, University of Canterbury

Leonardo Rinaldi

Council Member

Professor of Accounting, Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

Michelle Rodrigue

Council Member

Professor of Accounting, Université Laval, Quebec, Canada

Juliette Senn

Council Member

Assistant Professor of Accounting, Montpellier Business School, France

Madlen Sobkowiak

Council Member

Associate Professor, Accounting for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity Conservation, EDHEC Business School, UK

Matt Sorola

Council Member

Assistant Professor, Toulouse Business School, France

Ian Thomson

Council Member

Professor of Accounting and Sustainability, University of Dundee School of Business, UK

Helen Tregidga

Council Member

Professor of Accounting Royal Holloway, University of London, UK

Eija Vinnari

Council Member

Professor of Public Financial Management University of Tampere, Finland

Giulia Capacci

CSEAR Administrator

University of St Andrews Business School, The Gateway, North Haugh, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9RJ, Scotland

John Ferguson

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

Lee Parker

Distinguished Expert Advisor

Research Professor in Accounting (Accounting and Finance), Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow

Shona Russell

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 Partners and Satellite Offices

CSEAR welcomes interests to establish partnerships and satellite offices around the world to energise social and environmental accounting and accountability work in their respective countries.

CSEAR offices are located in Canada, France, Italy and South America.