Pawan Adhikari

Pawan Adhikari is a Professor of Accounting at Essex Business School, University of Essex, where he serves as Director of Impact and Enterprise and Director of Essex Accounting Centre. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management and a Executive Board Member of the Comparative International Governmental Accounting Research Network (CIGAR). Previously, he led accounting reforms at Nepal’s Accounting and Auditing Standards Board and lectured at Nord University, Norway.

• PhD, Nord University Business School
• Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

His research focuses on public sector accounting in developing countries, particularly accounting reforms, public value creation, and climate accountability. He explores how accrual accounting and participatory budgeting can enhance transparency in South Asian and African contexts. His work has influenced policy-making in Nepal and is recognized with the 2023 Best International Research Impact award by the University of Essex.

Recent publications analyze wellbeing economies (2025), NGO accountability in disasters (2024), and climate budgeting (2023). He collaborates with institutions like the World Bank, European Commission, and British Academy, focusing on projects related to financial resilience, circular economy, and health sector accountability. Supervising 8 current PhD students, his advisees have produced work on topics like accrual accounting in Bangladesh and NGO accountability in Palestine.

• World Bank/PEFA Research Award
• African Accounting and Financial Association (AAFA) Award
• ESRC IIA Impact Fund
• GCRF and SeNSS Grants
• 2019 Best Postgraduate Supervisor (Essex)