Preparing future finance professionals

Finance and Society

Broadening students’ understanding of the purpose of finance

One of my earliest curriculum innovations was leading the development of Finance and Society, the capstone unit for the Bachelor of Banking and Finance. The unit was built around a simple idea: finance is more than the efficient allocation of capital or the maximisation of shareholder wealth. At its best, finance is the stewardship of society’s resources and a powerful mechanism for expanding opportunity, promoting prosperity, and addressing complex societal challenges.

Rather than treating ethics or sustainability as supplementary topics, the curriculum integrates contemporary issues — including corporate governance, financial regulation, inequality, financial inclusion, economic development, environmental sustainability, and professional responsibility — within mainstream finance education. Through seminars, case studies, and authentic professional dilemmas, students examine the responsibilities of finance professionals in creating long-term economic and social value.

Finance is the stewardship of society’s resources.

This educational philosophy has continued to shape my subsequent curriculum innovations.

Climate Literacy for Future Finance Leaders

Embedding climate change within finance education

Climate change is reshaping financial markets, investment decisions, corporate reporting, and regulation. Yet our research found that many finance students understood climate change as a global issue while struggling to explain its implications for professional finance practice.

Working with colleagues in business and education, I developed a research-informed climate literacy module that embeds climate-related financial risk, sustainable investment, governance, disclosure, and regulation within existing finance units. Rather than teaching climate change as a standalone sustainability topic, the module enables students to understand how climate-related challenges influence real-world financial decision-making.

Indigenous Perspectives in Finance Education

Broadening whose perspectives are represented

My journey in this area began through my contribution to Australia’s first Indigenous-led Master of Indigenous Business Leadership (MoIBL) — a programme designed to strengthen Indigenous leadership and entrepreneurship through business education. This work contributed to Monash University’s commitment to advancing Indigenous education and engagement.

Working alongside Indigenous colleagues fundamentally reshaped my understanding of finance education. It reinforced that preparing future finance professionals requires more than technical knowledge — it requires students to appreciate how financial systems affect different communities and how diverse knowledge systems contribute to more inclusive financial practice.

Building on this experience, I developed curriculum initiatives that embed Indigenous perspectives within finance education. Rather than treating Indigenous content as an isolated topic, these initiatives integrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into discussions of financial inclusion, economic development, governance, international trade, ethical decision-making, and community wellbeing.

The broader goal is to help students understand that finance is ultimately concerned with the stewardship of society’s resources — and that more inclusive financial systems require diverse voices, perspectives, and ways of knowing.

Building Belonging in Higher Education

Creating learning environments where students thrive

A strong sense of belonging is fundamental to student success. Students who feel connected to their teachers, peers, and university community are more likely to engage with learning, maintain wellbeing, seek support, and succeed academically.

Working with business and education colleagues, I investigated the drivers of students’ sense of belonging. The research findings suggest that belonging emerges through supportive teaching, meaningful peer relationships, visible institutional support, and opportunities for students to actively participate in university life.

These findings are informing the development of the Sense of Belonging Toolkit for Academics, an evidence-based resource designed to help educators strengthen belonging through practical teaching strategies that can be embedded within everyday classroom practice.