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Ali, Searat Dr.

Lecturer

  • School of Business
  • Faculty of Business and Law - University of Wollongong
  • Finance discipline representative - School research committee 2020 -
  • Academic Director Financial Planning - Faculty of Business and Law, University of Wollongong 2020 -

Overview

I am currently working as a Lecturer in Finance in the Faculty of Business at the University of Wollongong (UOW). Previously, I worked as a Sessional Lecturer at the Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics at Griffith University. I also worked as a Lecturer in Commerce at Punjab College of Commerce, Pakistan.

I received my PhD in Finance from Griffith University on a fully funded scholarship by the Australian Federal Government. I am also a recipient of a Gold Medal and an Excellent Academic Award in his Master of Science (MS) and Bachelor in Business Administration (BBA) degrees.

I have teaching experience of more than 5 years at both local and international universities. I have taught several finance courses and was privileged to be included in the list of ‘High Student Experience of Teaching’ at Griffith University and nominated for the Vice-Chancellor's Awards for  Outstanding Contributions to Teaching and Learning (OCTAL) at UOW.

I am an expert in empirical research on issues related to corporate finance, corporate governance and capital markets. His academic works appeared in the internationally recognized peer-reviewed ABDC  A/A* ranked journals such as Journal of Financial Markets (A*), International Review of Economics and Finance (A), Pacific-Basin Finance Journal (A), Journal of Contemporary Accounting and Economics (A), and Applied Economics (A). I am also an ad hoc reviewer of Corporate governance: An International Review, International Review of Economics and Finance, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal, Accounting and Finance, Australian Journal of Management, Studies in Economics and Finance, Business Ethics: A European Review, Emerging Markets Finance and Trade, Qualitative Research in Financial Markets, and Journal of Risk and Financial Management.

To support my research activities, I have received several grants. To name a few, I have received Start-up grant (2019-2021) and Extraordinary research funding (2020) from UOW. I have also received a competitive Publication Assistance Scholarship from Griffith Graduate Research School in 2016 and I was one of the few Australian PhD scholars to receive the travel grant from the American Finance Association (AFA) to attend the 75th Annual Meeting in Boston, US in 2015 and interact with the top scholar from world-class universities. Further to this, I have received Best Paper Award in corporate governance stream from the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand (AFAANZ) in 2016 and Best Pitch Research Letter Award of the year from Journal of Accounting and Management Information System (JAMIS) in 2017.

To disseminate my empirical findings in the wider community, I have made my presence at various domestic (AFAANZ, FMCG, AFBC) and international conferences (SFM, AFA, AOM).

I am also acting as a pitch ambassador for Professor Robert Faff from the University of Queensland to promote his “pitching research template” in Pakistan and across world. I have delivered several pitching research seminars in Pakistan also worked collaboratively with Professor Robert Faff to organize number of online webinars, with a theme “reaching the unreachable”.




Top Publications

Research Overview

  • I am currently working on following research areas;
    • Effects of external factors on environmental performance of the firms.
    • Determinants and consequences of ESG.
    • Determinants and implications of corporate board diversity.
    • Insider trading, board governance, default risk.
    • Level of financial comparability among mining firms and its implications for the capital markets.
    • Implications of Modern Slavery impact on Australian firms.
    • Impact of COVID19 on public health outcomes.

Available as Research Supervisor

Available for Collaborative Projects

Selected Publications

Impact Story

  • <p>An examination of corporate governance in Australia in the wake of a series of corporate collapses after the turn of the century has been recognised at the 2016 <a href="http://www.afaanz.org/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand</a> conference on the Gold Coast.</p><p><a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/business-government/griffith-business-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Griffith Business School</a> researchers, Searat Ali (PhD candidate), Dr Benjamin Liu (principal supervisor) and Dr Jen Je Su (co-principal supervisor) carried out the study which saw their work awarded Best Paper in the Corporate Governance Stream.</p><p>The paper is titled ‘Corporate governance and stock liquidity: Panel evidence from 2001 to 2013’ and finds that corporate governance positively and significantly affects stock liquidity, indicating that firms with better corporate governance have a greater stock liquidity.</p><p>Searat outlined his motivations for his empirical investigation of the governance-risk nexus.</p><p>“A series of corporate collapses happened in the early 2000s due to improper governance structures,” he said. “These included the HIH collapse in 2001 with debts of $5.3 billion.</p><p>“I was also motivated by the massive economic and social costs of default to the stakeholders.”</p><p><strong>Risk</strong></p><p>Searat’s PhD research is based on three empirical essays that investigate the impact of corporate governance quality on firm risks in Australia.</p><p>The first empirical essay examines if corporate governance quality reduces default risk. The second essay investigates if corporate governance quality affects all stock liquidity dimensions, and the third explores the risk-taking perspective of corporate governance by addressing whether corporate governance has a differential effect on downside and upside risk.</p><p>The research is aimed towards the development of a sound corporate governance environment in Australia, where firms increasingly comply with ASX corporate governance recommendations.</p>

     Detail View

Available as Research Supervisor

Potential Supervision Topics

  • Corporate Governance
    Corporate Finance
    Capital Markets
    Political Connections
    National Culture
    Corporate Life Cycle
    Climate Change
    International markets

Advisees

  • Graduate Advising Relationship

    Degree Research Title Advisee
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Relationship Between Change in Leadership (Prime Minister) and Natural Disasters and Its Impact on Stock Exchange Returns and Volatility; a Study on South Asian Countries Vohra, Aqdas
    Doctor of Philosophy ESG, Firm Risk and Performance: A Global Perspective Khan, Vina Javed
    Doctor of Philosophy In Search of the Right Price for Air Travel: Price-demand Elasticity and Optimal Price Ladder Perera, Suranga

Reviewer Of

Education And Training

  • Ph.D., Griffith University, Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Corporate governance and firm risk in Australia 2013 - 2017
  • M.S. in Finance, Iqra University, Co-movement between South Asian and Developed equity markets in the era of financial crunch 2009 - 2011
  • B.B.A. in Finance, University of Central Punjab 2004 - 2008

Keywords

  • Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Capital Markets

Mailing Address

  • School of Accounting, Economics & Finance (SAEF)

    University of Wollongong

    Northfields Ave, Wollongong

    Nsw

    2522

    Australia

Top Publications

Research Overview

  • I am currently working on following research areas;
    • Effects of external factors on environmental performance of the firms.
    • Determinants and consequences of ESG.
    • Determinants and implications of corporate board diversity.
    • Insider trading, board governance, default risk.
    • Level of financial comparability among mining firms and its implications for the capital markets.
    • Implications of Modern Slavery impact on Australian firms.
    • Impact of COVID19 on public health outcomes.

Selected Publications

Impact Story

  • <p>An examination of corporate governance in Australia in the wake of a series of corporate collapses after the turn of the century has been recognised at the 2016 <a href="http://www.afaanz.org/index.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand</a> conference on the Gold Coast.</p><p><a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/business-government/griffith-business-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Griffith Business School</a> researchers, Searat Ali (PhD candidate), Dr Benjamin Liu (principal supervisor) and Dr Jen Je Su (co-principal supervisor) carried out the study which saw their work awarded Best Paper in the Corporate Governance Stream.</p><p>The paper is titled ‘Corporate governance and stock liquidity: Panel evidence from 2001 to 2013’ and finds that corporate governance positively and significantly affects stock liquidity, indicating that firms with better corporate governance have a greater stock liquidity.</p><p>Searat outlined his motivations for his empirical investigation of the governance-risk nexus.</p><p>“A series of corporate collapses happened in the early 2000s due to improper governance structures,” he said. “These included the HIH collapse in 2001 with debts of $5.3 billion.</p><p>“I was also motivated by the massive economic and social costs of default to the stakeholders.”</p><p><strong>Risk</strong></p><p>Searat’s PhD research is based on three empirical essays that investigate the impact of corporate governance quality on firm risks in Australia.</p><p>The first empirical essay examines if corporate governance quality reduces default risk. The second essay investigates if corporate governance quality affects all stock liquidity dimensions, and the third explores the risk-taking perspective of corporate governance by addressing whether corporate governance has a differential effect on downside and upside risk.</p><p>The research is aimed towards the development of a sound corporate governance environment in Australia, where firms increasingly comply with ASX corporate governance recommendations.</p>

     Detail View

Potential Supervision Topics

  • Corporate Governance
    Corporate Finance
    Capital Markets
    Political Connections
    National Culture
    Corporate Life Cycle
    Climate Change
    International markets

Advisees

  • Graduate Advising Relationship

    Degree Research Title Advisee
    Doctor of Philosophy (Integrated) Relationship Between Change in Leadership (Prime Minister) and Natural Disasters and Its Impact on Stock Exchange Returns and Volatility; a Study on South Asian Countries Vohra, Aqdas
    Doctor of Philosophy ESG, Firm Risk and Performance: A Global Perspective Khan, Vina Javed
    Doctor of Philosophy In Search of the Right Price for Air Travel: Price-demand Elasticity and Optimal Price Ladder Perera, Suranga

Reviewer Of

Education And Training

  • Ph.D., Griffith University, Department of Accounting, Finance and Economics, Corporate governance and firm risk in Australia 2013 - 2017
  • M.S. in Finance, Iqra University, Co-movement between South Asian and Developed equity markets in the era of financial crunch 2009 - 2011
  • B.B.A. in Finance, University of Central Punjab 2004 - 2008

Keywords

  • Corporate Finance, Corporate Governance, Capital Markets

Mailing Address

  • School of Accounting, Economics & Finance (SAEF)

    University of Wollongong

    Northfields Ave, Wollongong

    Nsw

    2522

    Australia

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Research Areas

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