CLARS-Warwick Research Workshop in KL Focused on Corporate Governance and the Sustainability Imperative

L-R: Professor Andrew Johnston, David Gindis, Adjunct Associate Professor Tim Bowley, Professor Jennifer Hill and Associate Professor Steve Kourabas.

Following the recent 2026 Asian Corporate Law Forum (ACLF) Conference in Malaysia, CLARS colleagues remained in Kuala Lumpur to advance a new collaborative research initiative between Monash University and the University of Warwick.

Associate Professor Steve Kourabas and CLARS Director Professor Jennifer Hill participated in a research planning workshop held as part of a successful Monash–Warwick Alliance grant supporting a project titled 'Divergence in Anglo‑Australian Corporate Governance and the Sustainability Imperative'. The workshop provided an important opportunity to shape the direction of the project and strengthen cross‑institutional collaboration.

The research team brings together scholars from Monash Law and Warwick Law, including Adjunct Associate Professor Tim Bowley (CLARS and Monash Law), Associate Professor David Gindis (Warwick Law) and Andrew Johnston (Warwick Law). The project examines how regulators in the United Kingdom and Australia are responding, often unevenly, to the challenge of balancing traditional corporate governance priorities such as accountability, transparency and shareholder protection with emerging sustainability and climate‑related imperatives.

Discussions during the workshop highlighted the contested nature of recent regulatory developments in both jurisdictions, including the difficulties faced by reform initiatives and the implications of regulatory divergence. The team also explored broader opportunities for strengthening research collaboration between corporate law scholars at Monash University and the University of Warwick.

The workshop was hosted at Monash University Malaysia, where Monash Law’s Centre for Commercial Law and Regulatory Studies (CLARS) now has a CLARS Malaysia Hub within the School of Business. The Malaysia campus proved an ideal meeting point for participants travelling from the United Kingdom and Australia.

For many members of the research team, this was the first opportunity to meet in person. Alongside productive and engaged discussions, the workshop fostered a strong sense of collegiality, setting a positive foundation for the collaborative work ahead.