Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) – University of St Andrews Business School
The Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) is an international membership-based network that aims to mobilise accounting scholarship to enable a more sustainable society and hosts the annual International Congress on Social and Environmental Accounting Research.
Headquartered at the University of St Andrews, and managed by directors Professor John Ferguson and Dr Shona Russell, CSEAR remains a global hub for scholars, educators, and practitioners seeking to transform how organisations measure and manage their social and environmental impact.
Dr Russell is co-lead, along with Professor Michelle Rodriguez (Université Laval) and Dr Caroline Linhares (Sheffield Hallam), of CSEAR’s Education Community of Practice (ECoP) which showcases innovative approaches to social and environmental accounting education, sharing insights on pedagogy and fostering collaboration and dialogue among participants.
ECoP workshops throughout 2024 and 2025 explored creative approaches to teaching, from immersive, game-based learning to reimagined curricula designed for the Anthropocene. These events fostered international collaboration, including partnerships with the Francophone Accounting Association and colleagues from Brazil, Canada, and the UK, broadening the reach of sustainability-focused pedagogy.
In August, ECoP hosted its first hybrid event as part of the 34th International Congress on Social and Environmental Accounting Research at St Andrews. Centred on the theme “What does it mean to teach accounting in the Anthropocene?”, the session featured provocations from leading educators including Rehema White (St Andrews), Sheila Killian (University of Limerick), and Ann-Christine Frandsen and Nicholas Bailey (Birmingham), sparking rich interdisciplinary discussion on the challenges and opportunities for accounting education in a rapidly changing world.
In November, ECoP coordinators and Social and Environmental Accountability Journal editor Ian Thomson contributed to the Association Francophone de Comptabilité workshop in Rennes, France. Under the theme “Environmental Transition: Challenges for Accounting Education,” the session focused on enriching sustainability accounting pedagogy through the development of case-based learning materials, supporting bilingual engagement and international collaboration.
Beyond teaching innovation, Professor John Ferguson and CSEAR members advanced research into sustainability governance, human rights, and ethical supply chains. Joint initiatives with Charles University and the Global Business School Network for Business and Human Rights explored how accounting and finance can better reflect social justice and environmental stewardship.