The project of the Educate Me! podcasts was initiated by the EAA EC to support EAA members who seek answers to questions about current topics that concern us all. The objective of the podcasts is to act as an open content project of high-quality materials for the benefit of international members (either as audio companion or support material for teaching and learning). These podcasts are available in English and will be distributed via the EAA ARC.
The first podcast series is hosted by Gia Chevis (EC member) and co-produced by David Derichs (EC members). The podcast is dedicated to Environmental, Social, Governance (ESG). It contains eight episodes across four themes. The first six episodes span the three pillars of ESG and take us inside the issues shaping the world today, while the final two episodes focus on how accounting academics can integrate ESG into their teaching.
Environmental Issues
Description: In part 1, we discuss what’s included in the environmental component of sustainability, how it links to the other components, and whether the market’s take on the value of environmental goals even matters. In part 2, we discuss the top challenges and concerns about environmental sustainability and whether we pay more attention to environmental issues because the data seems more easily quantifiable.
People:
Charles Cho, Professor of Sustainability Accounting and the Erivan K. Haub Chair in Business & Sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, York University
Ian Thomson, Professor of Accounting and Sustainability at the University of Birmingham and Director of the Centre for Responsible Business
Social Issues
Description: In part 1, we discuss the social component of sustainability, how it relates to human rights, and the unique challenges it poses relative to other components of sustainability. In part 2, we discuss whether there can be broad, meaningful international agreement on the importance of social sustainability and the challenges of quanitification.
People:
Yingru Li, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at the Adam Smith Business School at the University of Glasgow and a co-convener of the Glasgow Human Rights Network
Linda BenraĂŻs, Professor of Comparative Law and Mediation affiliated with ESSEC, Director of the Governance and Conflict Resolution Programmes at the Institute for Research and Education on Negotiation, Research Associate at the London School of Economics and Political Science, judge-assessor at the National Court of Asylum under the auspices of the UN High Commissioner on Refugees, and mediator at the Court of Appeal of Paris
Governance Issues
Description: In part 1, we discuss definitions of governance, its relationship to law and the other pillars of the sustainability framework, and the benefits and costs of thinking of corporations as legal persons. In part 2, we discuss whether there’s a consensus about the measurements used to assess governance and the purpose of corporations.
People:
Niamh Brennan, Michael MacCormac Professor of Management at University College Dublin, Founder and Academic Director of the UCD Centre for Corporate Governance
Michel Magnan, Stephen A. Jarislowsky Chair in Corporate Governance at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University
ESG in the Accounting Classroom
Description: In part 1, we discuss key sustainability topics to keep our curriculum relevant and how we can adapt our mindset and approach more quickly than is traditional. In part 2, we discuss how incorporating sustainability into the classroom can help students find meaning in the profession and how to support faculty as they adapt and upskill.
People:
Madlen Sobkoviak, Assistant Professor, Birmingham Business School
Adriana Popa, Associate Professor, Bucharest University of Economic Studies
Brief Introduction on the Podcast
In this episode of the Educate Me Podcast, Professor Joan Ballantine speaks with Dr Mike Farrell about using the flipped classroom as an inclusive, scalable, and practice-oriented approach to accounting education. The discussion highlights how core content delivery is shifted to the pre-class stage, freeing class time for structured application, problem solving, and judgement based activities. Dr Farrell outlines his transparent model of providing full access to notes, questions, and solutions in advance, combined with progressively scaffolded in-class question packs that benefit prepared students while remaining accessible to all. The Podcast explores how the flipped classroom approach works well across undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and is not affected by class size. It also considers how student motivation is fostered through manageable pre-work expectations and visible learning gains rather than punitive accountability measures which help to build student ownership, motivation, and a more collaborative learning culture. Evaluation of the approach is also considered, relying on reflective practice and ongoing student feedback. The episode concludes with practical advice: start small, refine over time and keep pre-class preparation short and clearly connected to in-class learning.
Podcast Speaker: Dr. Mike Farrell
Dr Mike Farrell is the KPMG Lecturer in Accounting at Cork University Business School, University College Cork. A Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland (FCA), he combines academic insight with substantial experience gained from working in practice and industry. He draws on this background in his work as a researcher and educator, with over fifteen years’ experience in university teaching and professional training. His teaching spans undergraduate, postgraduate, executive education, and continuing professional development programmes, with a strong emphasis on inclusive learning design and applied teaching approaches. His research centres on accounting for uncertainty, particularly how it is navigated through accounting and innovation, the use of professional judgement, and the evolving organisational implications of digital transformation within finance functions.
Podcast Host: Professor Joan Ballantine
Joan is an accounting graduate and Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA). After qualifying and working in industry, she moved into academia, holding posts at Warwick Business School, where she completed her PhD, and Queen’s University Belfast. Since 2008, she has been Professor of Accounting at Ulster University, teaching undergraduate and masters’ level students. Her research focuses on accounting education, entrepreneurship, and gender equality. She has secured £600k in research funding as principal investigator and leads a work package within the £4.8m UKRI-funded EPIC Futures NI Local Policy Innovation Partnership. Joan is widely published, has examined numerous doctorates, and serves on several journal editorial boards. She is an Independent Assessor for the Commissioner for Public Appointments in Northern Ireland and, in 2023, received the British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA) Outstanding Contribution to Accounting & Finance Education Award.
