Playing Host to North American Sustainability Accounting Researchers
The Centre for Excellence in Responsible Business at Schulich recently hosted the 8th North American Congress on Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR North America Conference). The deliberately informal conference provides an opportunity to exchange ideas in a friendly, supportive, and relaxed environment. More than 50 academics, practitioners, and doctoral students attended.
“The main purpose of this conference is to foster social and environmental (SEA) research here in North America, but also continue to build a community by supporting scholars who work in this area, particularly early career researchers” said Schulich Professor and Conference Organizer Charles Cho. “We are thrilled to help continue the great and positive dynamic that has started in this region (in Montreal) 14 years ago.”
The Conference is a Centre for Social and Environmental Accounting Research (CSEAR) initiative. CSEAR is an international membership-based network that aims to mobilize accounting scholarship to enable a more sustainable society. Professor Cho also organized the first CSEAR North America Conference at Concordia University in 2008.
This instalment of the Conference featured insightful research presentations, engagement and discussions on topics including education and institutions; CSR/ESG ratings; modern slavery; Indigenous perspectives; taxes and tariffication; accountability; markets; CSR disclosure; sustainability practices; the role of individual actors; sustainable procurement; and ‘moving from hindsight to foresight & systems thinking’. It has also enabled PhD students and early career researchers to present their research in person (it was the first conference for some) and benefit from constructive comments and feedback, which is well aligned with CSEAR’s culture. Accounting Forum (which is a journal for which Professor Cho is Co-Editor) and the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability generously provided financial support to all PhD students by waiving their registration fee.
“I am already looking forward to the next (9th) edition of this conference, which will be held in the US, at Texas Tech University in 2024!” said Professor Cho.