Dr Ratna Paudyal
PhD Sunshine Coast, MBus TU, MAcc WSU, GCRschSt WSU, BBus TUSenior Lecturer, Accounting
Employability and Assurance of Learning Lead
School of Business and Creative Industries
Email: rpaudyal@usc.edu.au
Telephone: +61 7 5456 5627
Location: Sunshine Coast, SD-K-2-2.15A
Dr Ratna Paudyal is an award-winning accounting educator, educational leader and Senior Lecturer in Accounting at the University of the Sunshine Coast, with more than 25 years of tertiary teaching experience across Australia and internationally. He is recognised for his contribution to student learning, curriculum innovation, industry engagement and academic leadership in accounting and business education.
Ratna’s teaching is grounded in inclusive, authentic and career-focused learning that supports student engagement, confidence and success. His excellence has been recognised through an Australian Award for University Teaching Citation, Senior Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy, the UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President’s Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching, and other teaching and leadership awards.
At UniSC, Ratna contributes to undergraduate and postgraduate accounting education through course coordination, curriculum development, assessment innovation, assurance of learning and program leadership. He embeds contemporary issues such as sustainability, governance, ethics, artificial intelligence and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals into teaching practice.
Ratna has supported academics, HDR candidates and sessional staff through mentoring, teaching development and research guidance. He has also strengthened student employability through industry partnerships, career programs, professional networking and community engagement initiatives.
His interdisciplinary research spans accounting education, sustainability, audit quality, corporate governance, integrated reporting, employability and higher education innovation. Beyond the university, Ratna has contributed to international education and community development initiatives across Nepal, Timor-Leste, China and Papua New Guinea. His profile reflects a strong commitment to teaching excellence, applied research, inclusive education, industry relevance and positive community impact.
Research
Publications
Teaching and supervision
Teaching
- Accounting and Finance
Professional
Awards and memberships
Professional Awards
- 2025: 2025 Vice-Chancellor and President’s Award for Excellence in Learning and Teaching: Student Opportunity and Employability.
- 2023: Regional Universities Network Learning and Teaching Awards finalist, titled “Empowering Regional Accounting Students: A Multifaceted Approach to Learning and Teaching Innovation”.
- 2021: University of the Sunshine Coast School of Business and Creative Industries Learning and Teaching Award – Platinum, in recognition of outstanding contribution to excellence in teaching and learning (AUD 6,500).
- 2020: Higher Education Academy (UK), Senior Fellow, in recognition of attainment against the UK Professional Standards Framework for teaching and learning support in higher education.
- 2019: University of the Sunshine Coast School of Business Engagement Award, in recognition of creating productive partnerships between students and the Fraser Coast business community.
- 2019: Paul Harris Fellowship Award – Rotary International’s prestigious recognition for humanitarian champions and educational innovators making a lasting difference in the world.
- 2016: Australian Awards for University Teaching: Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, for collaborative, student-centred, dialogic teaching and pastoral care that develop self-efficacy and social capital in business students, particularly underrepresented students, facilitating their transition to employment (AUD 10,000).
- 2015: USQ Citation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning, awarded by the Vice-Chancellor for the sustained development and implementation of highly effective teaching and learning strategies that develop business students’ self-efficacy and facilitate transition to the workforce (AUD 2,000).
- 2015: Australian Council for Educational Leaders Tertiary Teacher of the Year Award for Outstanding Educational Leadership, awarded by Fraser Coast Education Alliance Inc.
- 2015: Recognition from the Executive Dean, Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts. Course FIN1101(Introduction to Corporate Finance) ranked among the best USQ courses in 2015 based on student feedback and other data.
- 2012: Lecturer of the Year Award, ranked first at the University of Southern Queensland and 40th across all Australian universities; awarded by Unijobs.com.au.
- 2011: Teacher of the Year (Runner-up), Faculty of Business and Law, awarded by the University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Business and Law.
- 2010: Ranked first for the highest GPA among 2011 graduates in the Master of Accounting and Master of Professional Accounting at the University of Western Sydney.
- 2010: Dean’s Merit List Award, awarded by the University of Western Sydney.
Professional Memberships
- Member of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand (CA ANZ)
Professional Social Media
Funds, Grants and Philanthropic Contributions
- 2020: University of the Sunshine Coast Cross-disciplinary Waste Management New Colombo Plan Mobility grant awarded: $90,000
- 2018: Rotary Club of Hervey Bay City funding for Nepal Women Entrepreneurship Project: $6,000
- 2018: Rotary Australia Worldwide Community Service and University of the Sunshine Coast Nepal Project; self-funded by 14 volunteers, with cash and in- kind service valued at approximately $300,000
- 2016–ongoing: Annual allocation of approximately $18,000–$25,000 through Rotary Australia Worldwide Community Service
- 2015: Nepal Earthquake Appeal funds raised: $13,596
- 2015: Rotary Australia Worldwide Community Service and University of Southern Queensland Nepal Project; self-funded by 14 volunteers, with cash and in-kind service valued at approximately $400,000
- 2014: Funding to International Nepal Fellowship Australia: $10,000
- 2013–2014: Rotary health and education project in Nepal funds raised: $16,000
- 2013: Generator funding for rural community hospital in Rasuwa, Nepal: $8,000
Media
Ratna Paudyal's specialist areas of expertise include accounting education, accounting principles, financial accounting, management accounting, company accounting, auditing and assurance, contemporary account issues, corporate financial management, microfinance, integrated approach in microfinance, social capital, social development, socioeconomic sustainability, poverty, and poverty alleviation program