‘Accounting for Democracy’ in coping with the challenges of the Russo-Ukrainian wartime

28 August 2023 at 14:00 – 15:30 (Norwegian time) at OsloMet Pilestredet 46, room PA113 and Zoom: https://oslomet.zoom.us/j/62018368619 MEETING ID 620 1836 8619 PASSWORD 246908

Seminar with

Veronika Vakulenko, Nord University (Norway)

Giuseppe Grossi, Kristianstad University (Sweden) and Nord University (Norway)

Hans-Jürgen Bruns, Leibniz University Hannover (Germany)

Moderated by Marthe Handå Myhre NIBR, OsloMet (Norway)

In this seminar, we explore the role and meaning of accounting for democracy during the Russo-Ukrainian wartime. ‘Accounting for democracy’ is a complex and, at the same time, controversial phenomenon when studied in the context of war. The term relates to military, humanitarian and other forms of aid that are being constantly counted, reported and evaluated. Even though aiming to ensure the ‘fight for peace’, the accounts for such aid are contradictory in their nature, since warfare needs to be both advocated and refused by democratic societies by virtue of their principles of human living. We study how accounting is challenged by referring to the virtues of democracy in accountable global governance in a wartime. The paper presented is a historical case study that includes a structured comparison of two democratic countries supporting Ukraine, Norway and Italy, in the period February – May, 2022.The paper studies the relation between key events of the war and political strategies when it comes to providing military and humanitarian aid to Ukraine and analyses the changing political discourses in Norway and Italy over the selected period.

Dr. Veronika Vakulenko (Ph.D) is Associate Professor at Nord University Business School. Her research directions cover but are not limited to public sector management, in particular public accounting, budgeting, finance, and auditing; performance management and measurement; reforms and organizational changes. In her research, Veronika applies behavioral and institutional theoretical approaches, and conducts interdisciplinary studies. Veronika’s preferred research contexts are developing countries, emerging economies, or those in transition, and specifically – Ukraine.

Dr. Giuseppe Grossi (Ph.D) is Research Professor in Accounting at Nord University (Norway), Kristianstad University (Sweden) and Kozminski University (Poland). His research focuses on governmental accounting and auditing, hybrid organisations, and smart cities. He is member of the editorial board and guest editor in several public management and accounting journals (as Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, Accounting Forum, British Accounting Review, Critical Perspectives on Accounting, and Public Management Review), editor in chief of the Journal of Public Budgeting, Accounting and Financial Management, and associate editor of Qualitative Research in Accounting & Management. He is also vice-Chair of the CIGAR Network. He collaborated as advisor with national and local governments, Supreme Audit Institutions, the European Court of Auditors, International Public Sector Accounting Standard Board (IPSASB) of IFAC.

Dr. Hans-Jürgen Bruns (Ph.D) is a researcher at the Institute for Human Resource Management and Organisational Behavior at Leibniz Universität Hannover (Germany). He is particularly interested in interdisciplinary perspectives and research on accounting and accountability in the public sector, thereby focusing on the prospects and application of qualitative research methods.

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