Balancing the Books – and the Planet: Meet Dr Samuel Buertey

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Balancing the Books – and the Planet: Meet Dr Samuel Buertey

What started as a high school struggle turned into a lifelong passion – and a career that’s taken Dr Samuel Buertey across borders, industries and a rapidly evolving business landscape. Now a lecturer at RMIT Vietnam, he’s helping students see accounting not just as a technical field, but as a powerful driver of responsible business and sustainable change.

A journey shaped by purpose

Dr Buertey’s relationship with accounting didn’t start with top grades or natural flair. In fact, he remembers it as the most difficult subject he took in high school. But where others might have given up, he leaned in. Week after week, he kept showing up for extra study, driven by a quiet determination to master it.

By the end of the year, accounting had gone from his greatest challenge to his greatest interest – and eventually, the foundation of a career that would span multiple countries and disciplines.

After gaining industry experience as an accounts officer, he realised that his true calling wasn’t just in applying knowledge – but in sharing it.

“It started back in high school, when I used to tutor my classmates before exams. I loved helping others understand things,” he says. “Eventually, I realised that teaching wasn’t just something I was good at – it was something I was meant to do.”

That calling led him to South Korea, where he completed both his master’s and PhD in accounting and took his first steps into academia. Today, at RMIT Vietnam, he teaches Accounting for Sustainable Management in the Master of International Business (MIB) program, bringing global experience and a student-centred mindset into every class.

Where accounting meets impact

Accounting is often viewed as a back-office function – technical, reliable and essential, but not exactly exciting. Dr Buertey is helping to rewrite that narrative.

“Accounting today is about more than just financial statements,” he explains. “It’s about how businesses measure what truly matters – how they impact people, communities, and the environment.”

That’s where his expertise in sustainability comes in. As a certified Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Sustainability Professional, Dr Buertey focuses on how businesses integrate environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors into their strategies and reporting frameworks. His research explores how corporate governance influences firm sustainability practices and disclosures, market perception, and long-term performance – and these insights directly inform his classroom approach.

But Dr Buertey also knows that for sustainability to stick, it needs to make business sense. “One of the most powerful outcomes of sustainability accounting is uncovering win-win scenarios – where doing the right thing also leads to smarter decisions, stronger resilience and better long-term value,” he says.

Through case studies and project work, students are encouraged to view sustainability not as a cost, but as an opportunity: a way to manage risk, unlock innovation, and align with the expectations of investors, regulators and communities alike.

Whether they’re evaluating climate risk disclosures or developing sustainability roadmaps for companies, they’re learning how to apply accounting as a tool for responsible leadership – and profitable strategy.

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Teaching with intention

For Dr Buertey, good teaching is about connection – between theory and practice, between student and teacher, and between business and the world it operates in.

His classroom is interactive, relevant and grounded in real-world issues. He often invites industry professionals to share insights on how sustainability is being implemented in different sectors. Students then build on these insights with hands-on projects that push them to propose sustainable strategies for businesses still finding their footing in the ESG space.

But beyond frameworks and metrics, what he really aims to teach is critical thinking and ethical clarity. “Numbers don’t exist in a vacuum,” he says. “Behind every data point is a decision, and behind every decision is a set of values.”

He also brings a nuanced perspective to the challenges facing students – particularly those balancing studies with demanding professional lives. “Most of my postgraduate students are working full-time. I know how stretched they are, so I design learning experiences that are practical, purposeful and worth their time.”

A global voice, with deep local appreciation

Having taught in both South Korea and Vietnam, Dr Buertey has come to appreciate the distinct strengths of each learning culture. At RMIT Vietnam, what stands out most is the spirit of collaboration and the drive to create real-world impact.

“Vietnamese students have a strong sense of community. They support each other, they work well in teams, and they’re open to new ideas,” he says. “Many of them already bring professional experience into the classroom, which makes our conversations more grounded and relevant.”

And while his own career has crossed continents, it’s the local energy and ambition of his students that keep him inspired. “There’s a real hunger here to not only succeed in business – but to do business better. That’s what makes teaching at RMIT so rewarding.”

As the world moves toward greater accountability, transparency and sustainability – Dr Buertey is equipping his students with more than technical know-how. He’s preparing them to lead with purpose, navigate complexity and use accounting as a force for good.

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