Professor Samsul Alam

About

I am Professor of Sustainability and Accounting at Derby Business School, University of Derby, with an internationally recognised track record of research excellence, leadership, and impact in the fields of business sustainability, environmental disclosure, climate finance, auditing, accountability, and corporate governance. I am recognised among the World's Top 2% Scientists (Stanford University ranking) and have accumulated over 5,000 Google Scholar citations, reflecting the sustained influence and global reach of my research.

My scholarship has consistently combined academic rigour with practical relevance. Recently, our team secured a major Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) funded project (£645,000) examining sustainability and labour practices within the garment sectors of the UK and Bangladesh. Beyond academia, my research has informed policy discussions involving governments, NGOs, and international development organisations, including the UK Parliament. One of my recent studies received substantial international attention and was featured in more than 50 global media outlets, including Forbes, The Telegraph, and Yahoo News, demonstrating my ability to translate research into wider societal and policy impact.

I have published extensively in internationally leading journals, including five ABS-4 journals, two FT50 journals, and more than twenty ABS-3 journals. My publications appear in prestigious outlets such as Journal of Business Ethics, Journal of Corporate Finance, British Journal of Management, Annals of Tourism Research, Corporate Governance: An International Review, ABACUS, Journal of Financial Stability, Journal of Accounting Literature, Energy Economics, Business Strategy and the Environment, and Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, among others. I regularly engage with wider audiences through public scholarship, media contributions, policy dialogues, and research documentaries designed to communicate complex sustainability and societal challenges to practitioners, policymakers, and communities.

I have successfully secured competitive research funding from major national and international funding bodies in the United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and Bangladesh. Over the course of my career, I have held various leadership roles, including Associate Head of the Department and Faculty-lead for Research-led Knowledge Transfer Activities at De Montfort University. Currently, I lead Sustainability Research within the Derby International Business School. Prior to joining the University of Derby, I worked as an Associate Professor at Sheffield University Management School, University of Sheffield. In the wider professional community, I serve on the editorial boards of various journals as an editorial board member and editor for special issues.

Teaching responsibilities

Sustainability, Governance and Auditing
Global Sustainability Business
Research Methods and Data Analysis

Research interests

Environmental Reporting
Business Sustainability
Corporate Governance
Auditing
Modern Slavery
Responsible Business

Currently accepting PhD students.

Membership of professional bodies

British Accounting and Finance Association

Recent publications

Prem, P., Alam, M.S., Siva, S & Hasan, S,B. (Forthcoming). Making the intangible tangible: Organizational capital and stock liquidity. British Journal of Management (ABS-4).
Halim, S. Hoque, F, Alam, M.S. & Prem,P. (Forthcoming). Managerial tone and audit outcomes: Do firms’ information environment and governance monitoring matter? Journal of International Accounting, Auditing and Taxation (ABS-3).
Alam, M.S., Prem, P., Dulal, M. (2026) Audit in Uncertain Times: Geopolitical Risk and Audit Outcomes. Journal of Accounting Literature (ABS-3).
Alam, M.S., Prem,P., Hoque, F. Hossen, S (2026) Whoever Walks in Integrity Walks Securely: Does Corporate Integrity Culture Mitigate Climate Change Exposure? Journal of Business Ethics (FT 50).
Faizul, H., Prem Puwanenthiren, Alam M.S., Siva, S. (2025). Managerial ability and audit outcomes. Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance (ABS-3).
Alam, M.S., Hasan, M., Alam, N & Islam, S (2024). Managerial ability and debt Choice. Abacus (ABS-3)
Alam, M.S., Atif, M, Cuming, D & Islam, S. (2023). Does board gender composition attenuate loan covenant violations. Corporate Governance: An International Review (ABS-3, ABDC-A)
Safiullah, M., Alam M.S., & Islam, M.S. (2022). Are all institutional investors cautious about firm-level carbon emissions? Energy Economics (ABS-3, ABDC-A*)
Atif, M. Hossain, M., Alam, M.S., & Georgen, M. (2021). Women on Board: Does Gender Diversity Affects Renewable Energy Consumption? Journal of Corporate Finance (ABS – 4, ABDC-A*)
Paramati S.R Rafia, S., Alam M.S., & Hafiz. K. Does institutional quality matter for renewable energy promotion in the OECD economies? Evidence for the policy and practice. International Journal of Finance and Economics (ABS-3)
Alam, M.S., Islam, S.M., & Atif, M (2022). Cash-rich firms and carbon emissions. International Review of Financial Analysis (ABS-3, ABDC-A)
Atif, M., Alam M.S., & Islam, M.S. (2022) Firm energy and carbon emissions: Does sustainable investment matter? Business Strategy & the Environment (ABS-3, ABDC-A)
Malik, I., Chowdhury, H., & Alam, M,S. Equity market response to natural disasters: Does firm’s corporate social responsibility make a difference? Global Finance (ABDC-A)
Islam, S, M, Alam, M.S., Hasan, S. & Mollah. S (2022). Firm-level political risk and distance-to-default. Journal of Financial Stability (ABS-3, ADBC-A).
Hasan, S. Alam, M.S., Sudhu, S & Islam, S, M, (2022)Does firm’s political risk affect cash holdings? Review of Quantitative Finance and Accounting (ABS-3)
Taiwah, V., Nadarajah, S., & Alam, M.S., Allen, T (2022). Do partisan politics influence domestic credit? Institutional Economics (ABS-3, ABDC-A)
Shafiullah, M., Alam M.S., & Islam, M.S (2021). Does Economic Policy Uncertainty Affect Renewable Energy Consumption, Renewable Energy (Scopus-Q1)
Alam, M.S., Paramatai, S.& Apergise, N., & Fangi, C. (2020). The impacts of R&D investment and stock markets on clean energy consumption and CO₂ emissions in OECD economies. International Journal of Finance & Economics (ABS-3)
Atif, M., Alam M.S., & Hossain, M (2020). Firm Sustainable Investment: Are Female Directors Greener? Business Strategy and The Environment (ABS-3, ABDC-A)
Alam M.S., Islam, M.S., Jawad, M. & Shazia, B (2020). Rapid Rise of Life Expectancy in Bangladesh: Does Financial Development Matter? International Journal of Finance and Economics (ABS-3)
Alam, M.S., Jawad, M & Roman, F. (2019). Causal flows between oil and FX markets using high-frequency data: Asymmetries from good and bad volatilities. Energy Economics (ABS -3, ABDC-A*)
Alam M.S., Ali.S., Naceur K., & Shahzad S.J.H. (2019). Time-varying causal nexuses between economic growth and CO2 emissions in G-7 countries: A bootstrap rolling window approach over 1820–2015. International Journal Journal of Finance and Economics (ABS-3)
Paramati, S.R, Alam, M.S., & Lau C.K. (2018). Economic and Environmental Benefits from Tourism Investment in the EU. Journal of Sustainable Tourism, (ABS – 3, ABDC-A*)
Alam, M.S., Atif, M., Chu, C-C., & Soytas, U. (2019). Does Corporate R&D Improve Firm Environmental Performance? Energy Economics (ABS – 3, ABDC-A*)
Hossain, M., Islam, T. Momin, M. Nahar, S, & Alam, M.S. (2018). Understanding Communication of Sustainability Reporting: Application of Symbolic Convergence Theory (SCT), Journal of Business Ethics, (ABS-3, ABDC-A)
Alam, M.S., Selva, S., Saroja, S. & Hossain, M (2018). Determinants of Apparel Exports in Major Exporters. Applied Economics, (ABS-2, ABDC-A)
Paramati, S. Alam M.S., Shawkat, H. & Hafeez, K. Long-run Relationship between R&D Investment and Environmental Sustainability: Evidence from the European Union Member Countries. International Journal of Finance & Economics (ABS-3)
Alam, M.S., Selva, S., Saroja, S & Hossain, M (2018). Apparel Industry in the Post-MFA— A Review. Review of Development Economics (ABS – 2)
Alam, M.S., Mia, D., Tiwari, A.K., & Shawkat, H (2018). The Nexus between Access to Electricity and Labour Productivity in Developing Countries. Energy Policy (ABS-2, ABDC-A)
Paramati, S.R., Alam, M.S., & Apergis, N. (2018). Do the Stock Markets Decrease CO₂ Emissions in Developed and Emerging Market Economies? Emerging Market Review, (ABS-2, ABDC-A)
Alam, M.S., & Paramati, S.R. (2017). The dynamic role of tourism investment on tourism development and CO₂ Annals of Tourism Research (ABS-4, ABDC-A*)
Alam, M.S., & Paramati, S.R. (2017). The Impact of Tourism on Income Inequality in Developing Economies: Does Kuznets Hypothesis Exist. Annals of Tourism Research, 61,111-126 (ABS-4, ABDC-A*)
Paramati, S.R., Alam, M.S., & Chen C-F (2016). The Effects of Tourism on Economic Growth and CO₂ Emissions: A Comparison between Developed and Developing Economies. Journal of Travel Research, 56(6), 712-724 (ABS-4, ABDC-A*)
Paramati, S. R., Shahbaz, M. & Alam, M. S. (2016). Does Tourism Degrade Environmental Quality? A Comparative Study of Eastern and Western European Union? Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment (ABS-3, ABDC-A)
Alam, M.S., Selva, S., & Saroja, S. (2016). Determinants of the Bangladesh Garment Exports in the Post-MFA Environment. Journal of the Asia Pacific Economy 22(2), 330-352. (Excellence in Research for Australia – A)
Alam, M.S., Paramati, S.R., Shahbaz, M., & Bhattacharya, M. (2016). Natural Gas, Trade and Sustainable Growth: Empirical Evidence from the Top Gas Consumers of the Developing World. Applied Economics, 49 (7), 635-649 (ABS-2, ABDC-A)
Alam, M. S., Shahbaz, M., & Paramati, S. R. (2015). The Role of Financial Development and Economic Misery on Life Expectancy: Evidence from Post-Financial Reforms in India. Social Indicators Research, 128 (2), 481-497 (ABDC – A)
Alam, M. S., & Paramati, S. R. (2015). Do Oil Consumption and Economic Growth Intensify Environmental Degradation? Evidence from Developing Economies. Applied Economics, 47(48), 5186–5203 (ABS-2, ABDC-A)
Alam, M. S., Raza, S. A., Shahbaz, M., & Abbas, Q. (2015). Accounting for Contribution of Trade Openness and Foreign Direct Investment in Life Expectancy: The Long-Run and Short-Run Analysis in Pakistan. Social Indicators Research, 129 (3), 1155–1170 (ABDC – A)
Alam, M. S., & Natsuda, K. (2015). The Competitive Factors of the Bangladeshi Garment Industry in the Post-MFA Era. Canadian Journal of Development Studies, 1–21(ABDC – B)
Islam, S., Chowdhury, J. & Alam M.S. Do political factors affect climate financing? Evidence from disaster risk funding? Journal of Risk and Financial Management (ABDC-B)