Nathan is a Lecturer of Accounting with CBE. He has recently completed a PhD in the Research School Accounting. Nathan’s doctoral research explores the effect of disclosure and financial market regulation on capital markets. In particular, it examines how disclosure and regulation impact cross-border equity financing and foreign direct investment.
31 MAY 2022
What is your PhD project and why did you choose to work on this?
My PhD thesis, at a broader level, aims to explore factors affecting the constraints of cross-border capital supply. I have always been interested in global capital market integration. In the process of reading relevant literature and government reports it strikes me that, even in today’s globalised world, we still see evidence that investors are reluctant to provide capital to firms outside of their domestic markets. This seems to go against what was predicted by most economic theories in terms of the benefits of international diversification. I believe that understanding factors that could ease the constraints of cross-border capital supply is a relevant and meaningful topic to pursue.
How did you celebrate the achievement of this important milestone?
To be honest, I didn’t really celebrate too much, as I like to focus on what is next. It is good enough for me to simply get a good meal and a good sleep. I was obviously happy, but my mindset immediately switched to focus on my next career goal.
What piece of advice would you give to current HDR students who are at the final stage of finishing their thesis?
I would suggest that PhD students who are at the final stage of their PhD journey start keeping an eye on the job market. Given the current circumstances, the job market is competitive like never before. For this reason, it’s important to keep yourself up to date with current industry trends. Subscribing to recruitment information providers, such as Akadeus, SSRN job postings and Seek, would be a helpful first step.
Also, if you are keen to stay in academia, I guess the single most important thing that will be considered by prospective employers is a good job market paper. I would encourage PhD students to present their papers at academic seminars/conferences, which may increase the likelihood of being published, or at least help you get a good chance of receiving a ‘revise and resubmit’ invitation. Presenting your work will not only improve your presentation skills but also help build up a strong professional and academic network, which may come in handy when the next opportunity presents itself.
What is your next adventure? If you have started a job, please tell us how you found the opportunity and what the recruitment process involved?
I was recently appointed as a lecturer of accounting at CBE’s Research School of Accounting. I was actively searching for academic jobs and found the job posting on Jobs-ANU. I reviewed the job description and believed that my qualifications fit with the role, and so applied for the position without any hesitation. I think the recruitment process was quite standard, and involved the initial application review, an online interview and background checks. The interview started with a 20-minute research presentation, followed by a formal interview with the selection committee. The interview questions were centred on research, teaching, supervision and service.