Ataur Belal is a Professor of Accounting and Sustainability in the Department of Accounting at Birmingham Business School, University of Birmingham. He joined in August 2022 after holding professorial and senior leadership roles at Aston and Sheffield Universities, including Head of Department and member of the Senior Management Team. His academic career spans institutions in the UK and Bangladesh, and he has held visiting positions at universities in Japan, Canada, France, Germany, and Colombia. His educational background includes a PhD from the University of Sheffield, an MBA from the University of Wales, Cardiff, and a B.Com. (Hons) and M.Com. from the University of Chittagong, Bangladesh. He is also a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA) and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Belal's research is centered on social and environmental accounting in emerging economies , particularly in Bangladesh, India, and Vietnam. His work explores NGO accountability with a focus on beneficiary accountability, and accounting for the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He employs critical perspectives to challenge traditional accounting paradigms, advocating for accounting as a tool for broader social and environmental accountability rather than solely for shareholder wealth maximization. His recent publications reveal a strong trend in examining accountability mechanisms in NGOs, CSR reporting in developing contexts, and the role of accounting in sustainability transitions. His work often involves qualitative, case-based, and critical discourse approaches, published in top journals such as Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal , Journal of Business Ethics , and Financial Accountability & Management . Belal has secured major international research funding from the British Council, British Academy, and CIMA. He has editorial experience as former Editor of Advances in Environmental Accounting and Management , Associate Editor of Accounting Forum , and editorial board member for several leading journals. He is also a grant review expert for ESRC and British Council and a member of the UKRI peer review college. He has supervised nine PhD students to completion and integrates his research into teaching, particularly in sustainability accounting. He has taught internationally, including at Kobe University, Japan, and engages with professional bodies and policymakers, notably influencing green banking guidelines in Bangladesh through his research.
