Biography
Google ScholarDr. Khakan Najaf serves as an Associate Professor of Accounting at Canadian University Dubai. He earned his PhD in Accounting & Finance from Taylor’s University, Malaysia, and brings over 16 years of academic experience to his role. He is a dedicated educator and researcher with notable work in sustainability accounting, corporate governance, FinTech, and integrated reporting.
Academic & Professional Background
- PhD in Accounting & Finance, Taylor’s University, Malaysia
- Associate Certified Public Accountant (ACPA), MICPA (Malaysia)
- Chartered Accountant (Intermediate), ICAP (Pakistan)
- Bloomberg-certified in Portfolio Management, Market Concepts, and Terminal Use
Research Interests
Sustainability and ESG reporting
Corporate governance and board diversity
FinTech and digital finance innovations
Risk management and firm performance
Academic Publications
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Najaf, R., Najaf, K., Wahba, K., & Khlie, K. (2025). How female director attributes drive governance and firm performance through critical mass theory. Business Strategy and Development, 8(4), e70248. https://doi.org/10.1002/bsd2.70248
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Khlie, K., Najaf, K., M., A., & Benmamoun, Z. (2025). Pathways to sustainable campus operations: Success factors for higher education institutions in the United Arab Emirates. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJSHE-07-2025-0688
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Najaf, K., & Seera, M. (2025). Digital innovations for transforming corporate risk behaviours and carbon emissions in FinTech services. Journal of Sustainable Finance and Accounting, 8, Article 100023. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.josfa.2025.100023
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Sinnadurai, P., Najaf, K., & Birt, J. (2026). It’s within the family — Executive remuneration policies of Nanyang companies in Malaysia. Review of Pacific Basin Financial Markets and Policies. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1142/S0219091526500050
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Asiaei, K., Barani, O., Rezaee, Z., Bontis, N., & Najaf, K. (2026). Leveraging environmental management accounting and green ambidexterity for competitive advantage: a natural resource orchestration view. Accounting Forum. https://doi.org/10.1080/01559982.2025.2604169
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Ho, W. K., Gultom, N. D., Gul, F. A. K., Suppiah, S. D. K., Najaf, K., Kok, E., & Phuah, E. S. (2026). Integrated reporting disclosure scoring dataset for Malaysian Shariah-compliant public listed companies (2020–2023). Data in Brief, 66, Article 112815. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2026.112815
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Najaf, R., Najaf, K., & Anwar, S. (2026). Neurodiversity as a driver of business success: Evidence from 51 countries based on pecking order and behavioral finance theories. Journal of Organizational Effectiveness, 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOEPP-09-2025-0856
Academic Contributions
Selected Achievements
- Over 30 publications in Scopus Q1/Q2 journals (2022–2025)
- Winner of Emerald’s “Most Provocative Research” Award (2023)
- Principal Investigator on multiple funded projects in ESG, sustainability, and integrated reporting
- Awarded the Fundamental Research Grant Scheme (FRGS) by the Malaysian Ministry of Education (2022), for research on integrated reporting in Shariah-compliant firms
- Recently recognized for work on CSR2025 initiative at Liwa University under the SERD program
Selected Publications
Sustainability and ESG Reporting
- Najaf, K., Kee, H. W., Singh, J., Gultom, N. D., & Chin, A. (2024). Board characteristics and ESG performance: Evidence from Malaysia. Journal of Sustainable Finance & Investment, 14(3), 291–310. https://doi.org/10.1080/20430795.2024.2401360
Corporate Governance and Board Diversity
- Najaf, R., Chin, A., Chin, A., & Najaf, K. (2024). Women on board and business performance. Foresight, 26(4), 543–560. https://doi.org/10.1108/FS-10-2023-0217
FinTech and Digital Finance Innovations
- Najaf, K., Ali, M., Asiaei, K., & Dhiaf, M. (2024). The impact of carbon emissions on market performance: FinTech versus non-FinTech. Electronic Commerce Research, 24(2), 401–425. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-024-09866-x
- Najaf, K., Chin, A., Fook, A. L. W., Dhiaf, M., & Asiaei, K. (2024). FinTech and corporate governance at times of financial crisis. Electronic Commerce Research, 23(6), 1221–1240. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10660-023-09733-1
Risk Management and Firm Performance
- Yiwei, W., Najaf, K., Guilherme, F., & Ataya, O. (2023). Influence of COVID-19 pandemic on tourism sector: Evidence from China and United States stocks. Current Issues in Tourism, 26(14), 2351–2367. https://doi.org/10.1080/13683500.2021.1972944
- Najaf, K., Schinckus, C., & Liew, C. Y. (2021). Value at risk and market value of FinTech companies: Global evidence. Managerial Finance, 47(7), 915–936. https://doi.org/10.1108/MF-04-2020-0169