Our focus
The DIRC provides leadership across three pillars of excellence in integrated reporting:
- thought leadership and engagement
- education and training, and
- research.
The three pillars are closely interrelated, and each is valued equally.
We aim to provide a focus for Deakin-based and adjunct researchers to identify issues of interest to industry, conduct research, and disseminate knowledge about integrated reporting through publications, education and professional development courses.
The DIRC undertakes a range of research projects designed to enhance the understanding of better business reporting, e.g. the KPMG annual survey. The DIRC education initiatives promote the adoption of broader reporting, including Integrated Reporting, both within undergraduate and postgraduate courses, and through executive education. The DIRC also actively engage with regulatory initiatives to enhance better business reporting by providing regular submissions in response to invitations to comment.
In 2020, the centre assumed responsibility from KMPG to host the Business Reporting Leaders Forum, which involves the management of four to six seminars per year on better business reporting.
Learn more about DIRC's vision by downloading our strategic plan:
Download the Deakin Integrated Reporting Centre Strategic Plan (PDF, 1.3MB)
Our sponsors
The DIRC is jointly funded by the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), KPMG and the Deakin Business School.
Our work
Sustainability assurance research workshop
In October 2023, DIRC and the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) held the Deakin University (DIRC)-AUASB SUSTAINABILITY ASSURANCE RESEARCH WORKSHOP: Research informing the AUASB’s Sustainability Assurance Agenda, the proceedings of which were presented to the AUASB and which was published as the AUASB Research Report 10 in December 2023.
Sustainability reporting and assurance by ASX 300 companies
In December 2023, the Deakin Integrated Reporting Centre (DIRC) published a comprehensive analysis of sustainability reporting practices and associated external assurance, by the largest 300 companies listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX 300) in 2022.
Download Sustainability reporting and assurance by ASX 300 companies (PDF, 3.1MB)
Integrated thinking, integrated reporting, integrated corporate governance and strategic management – An approach to avoiding and where necessary managing crises
In this November 2023 paper, targeted to Directors and Executives of all organisations, John Stanhope AM and Michael Bray bring to life the meaning of integrated thinking in the context of integrated reporting.
In July 2023, the Deakin Integrated Reporting Centre (DIRC) made a submission to the ISSB’s agenda consultation for 2024 and 2025, recommending prioritisation of an Integration in Reporting project. Deliverables include an integrated reporting standard and conceptual framework for corporate reporting. Outcomes will include enhancements to the cohesiveness and connectivity of the corporate reporting ecosystem and improved consistency and comparability in integrated reports.
Download the International Sustainability Standards Board submission (PDF 1.3MB)
In June 2023, the DIRC published a comparative analysis of the first two years of Recommendation 4.3 adoption (2021 and 2022) by the ASX300 - an ASX CGC recommendation that requires disclosure of the process to verify the integrity of unaudited periodic corporate reports.
Download Mechanisms to enhance the integrity of corporate reporting (PDF, 9.4MB)
The DIRC made a submission on The Treasury’s consultation on climate-related financial disclosure on 17 February 2023.
The submission recommended an enhancement to ‘Potential Structure 2’ put forward by Treasury (establishing a separate sustainability reporting standards board) which focuses on a reform of the Financial Reporting Council rather than the creation of a new oversight body for the Australian corporate reporting system (Potential Structure Three).
The enhancement recommended by the DIRC focused on the Australian system being fully aligned with the international system, increasing the prospects of Australian representation on key global bodies such as the IFRS Foundation Trustees and International Sustainability Standards Board. The DIRC also recommended that the FRC be provided with a specific mandate to oversee integrated reporting and integrated reporting assurance in Australia (rather than the standard-setting boards), which has resourcing and funding implications for the FRC and would require the attention of Government.
Download the DIRC Treasury climate consultation submission (PDF, 1.4MB)
In 2022, the DIRC published a white paper in partnership with CA ANZ and ACCA, Supporting SMEs in Australia for Future Success: Exploring how to improve SMEs’ business performance utilising integrated thinking and integrated reporting concepts.
Download Supporting SMEs in Australia for Future Success (PDF, 912.1KB)
The centre has also published a white paper titled Review of ASX 300 Corporate Governance Recommendation 4.3 Disclosures: Effectiveness of communication and efficacy of integrity enhancement processes.
Download Review of ASX 300 Corporate Governance Recommendation 4.3 Disclosures (PDF, 8.5MB)
The DIRC continues to support KPMG in data collection and analysis for the annual KPMG ASX 200 Corporate Reporting Survey and the Value Reporting Foundation (soon to be the IFRS Foundation) for the annual ‘Integrated Reporting Critique Project’.
Following on from the Australian white paper, the DIRC published an international white paper in partnership with ACCA and CA ANZ, Supporting Global SMEs for Future Success: Exploring how to improve business performance utilising integrated thinking and reporting techniques. Deakin Integrated Reporting Centre, Deakin University.
Download Supporting Global SMEs for Future Success (PDF, 10.2MB)
We actively encourage interdisciplinary research through initiatives such as faculty-level symposiums, discussing opportunities for research collaborations on better business reporting.
The DIRC develops and delivers the MAA267 and MAA767 Enterprise Value Creation: Sustainability and Integrated Reporting unit to undergraduate and postgraduate students at Deakin University. We’ve also developed and delivered executive education materials on ‘Introduction to Integrated Reporting’ to workshop participants from CA ANZ, ACCA and the Australian Institute of Company Directors. In addition, the DIRC is collaborating with DeakinCo. in developing executive education programs and materials.
Our team
Management team
Executive Director
Professor Peter Carey
Director – Research
Professor Roger Simnett
Director – Thought Leadership and Industry Engagement
Michael Bray
(Professor of Practice in Integrated Reporting)
Director – Education and Training
Dr Peter Vuong
Advisory board
- John Stanhope – Advisory Board Chair; Chancellor, Deakin University; Co-Vice Chair of the IIRC, Value Reporting Foundation
- Professor Mervyn King – Judge Professor, Emeritus Chair, Value Reporting Foundation
- Mike Suffield – Director – Professional Insights, ACCA
- Sharath Martin – Senior Policy Consultant, ACCA Australia and New Zealand
- Simon Hann – Group Executive Education and Learning, CAANZ
- Karen McWilliams – Business Reform Leader, CAANZ
- Professor Sanjay Kallapur – Professor of Accounting, Indian School of Business
- Nick Ridehalgh – Adjunct Professor, UNSW / Director, Kiewa Consulting
- Liz Prescott – Technical Director of the IIRC, Value Reporting Foundation
- Anne Waters – Deputy Technical Director, Australian Auditing Standards Board
- Sara Daymond – Head of Retirement, Aware Super
- Pru Bennett – Partner, Brunswick Group
- Professor Yew Kee Ho – Associate Provost (SkillsFuture), Singapore Institute of Technology
- SiobhanHammond– Acting Principal, AASB Sustainability Reporting
- GlennAustin – Director, Audit Assurance and Risk Consulting KPMG
- Dr Julie Cowley – Commercial Finance Manager CA ANZ
Other members
- Professor Anne Wyatt
- Professor Colin Higgins
- Professor Jean Du Plessis
- Dr Ali Yaftian
- Dr Dale Fu
- Dr Sagarika Mishra
- Dr Simona Scarparo
- Dr Thusitha Dissanayake
- Dr Vincent Bicudo De Castro
- Dr Xikai Chen
- Dr Pei Jia Lum
- Dr Julie Cowley
- Dr Eka Tan
Member benefits and application
Members of DIRC are provided with various benefits, including:
- invitation to regular integrated reporting-related research roundtable
- regular updates on the development around IR and broader corporate reporting
- access to DIRC-related research funding
- access to proprietary database
- access to experts in the area of integrated reporting and broader corporate reporting.
If you are interested in becoming a member of DIRC, please fill out our becoming a member form.
Contact us
For more information about DIRC please contact:
Executive Director
Professor Peter Carey
Telephone: +61 (03) 9244 6267
Email: Professor Peter Carey