Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government hosts Academy of International Business AIB-MENA 2022 Conference

• This 10th edition of the conference is themed ‘Diversity, Inclusion, and Stakeholder Involvement in International Business in the Middle East’.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government (MBRSG) has partnered with the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) chapter of the Academy of International Business (AIB) to host the 10th AIB-MENA 2022 Conference, which kicked off on 12th December and ran until 14 December 2022.

Titled ‘Diversity, Inclusion, and Stakeholder Involvement in International Business in the Middle East’, this edition builds on the 2021 conference theme – ‘Sustaining the Sustainable Agenda’ – which sought to explore critical, multi-layered, and sustainable international business practices in the MENA region. This year, the conference discusses the key areas of diversity, inclusion, and stakeholder involvement in a MENA context.

“We are honoured to be hosting the renowned experts attending the10th AIB-MENA Conference and we are confident they will bring vast insight and expertise to the discussions,” said Prof. Raed Awamleh, Dean of MBRSG. “As an entity entrusted by the UAE leadership to train the government leaders of tomorrow and empower them with knowledge and in-depth studies, the Mohammed Bin Rashid School of Government has partnered with the MENA chapter of the Academy of International Business to host the AIB-MENA Conference 2022 to offer a prominent platform to explore issues of diversity, inclusion, and stakeholder involvement in international business in our region.”

First item on the Conference’s agenda was a hybrid online panel discussion that highlights views on MENA studies from editors at the Journal of International Business Studies (JIBS). JIBS Editor-in-Chief, Rosalie L. Tung presented the session, Reviewing Editor Allan Bird, and Editor for Strategy and Policy in Emerging Economies (China/Asia) Xufei Ma.

The opening ceremony for the Conference began with a welcome note by Dr. Immanuel Azaad Moonesar, President of AIBMENA and Associate Professor at MBRSG, where he stressed that “the 10th AIB-MENA 2022 comes at a time when the world is undergoing rapid developments in the business sector that call for a new and innovative vision to address challenges. Diversity, and inclusion of all stakeholders is key for building a comprehensive economic ecosystem to bridge the gap across business communities, and rally efforts to build a more inclusive and dynamic economy. These are the key topics of discussion at the conference, and we hope the takeaways from the event serve as a starting point towards new solutions in the future.”

The welcome note was followed by the keynote address, delivered by Prof. Arup Varma, distinguished University Research Professor and the Frank W Considine Chair in Applied Ethics at the Quinlan School of Business, Loyola University - Chicago. The opening ceremony concluded with the AIBMENA Ghaf Tree Awards, given to institutions that have led the way in supporting the innovation environment, as well as the Windtower Awards 2021-22, given to influential leaders in the field of sustainability. The AIBMENA Ghaf Tree was presented to the MBR School of Government, while the Windtower Award was presented to HH Sheikha Shamma bint Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Executive Director of the UAE Independent Climate Change Accelerators (UICCA(.

Day one continued with two sets of parallel sessions, covering a wide range of topics, namely, Investment Decisions and Sustainability in International Business; SMEs and Internationalisation; Feminist Critiques of Organisations and International Business; Education, Development, and International Business; and finally, Sustainability and Institutions in International Business.

The agenda also included the hybrid online AIB Fellows Panel, which sought to discuss where the field of international business might be headed with world-renowned IB scholars as panellists Professor Peter J. Buckley, University of Leeds, UK, Professor Saul Estrin, London School of Economics, UK, Professor Maria Tereza Lemy Fleury, Fundação Getulio Vargas and the University of São Paulo, Brazil (the current AIB President), Professor Klaus Meyer, Western University, Canada and chaired by Professor Dana Minbaeva, Kings College London, UK. 

Following the panel was a fireside chat about Women in Academia, chaired by Dr. Racquel Warner, Associate Professor at MBRSG, that brought together a panel of female scholars, members of the Women in the Academy of International Business (WAIB), to talk about how they navigate career issues. The first day concluded with the AIB-MENA Gala Dinner.

Day two of the AIB-MENA Conference 2022 will continue with two additional sets of parallel sessions, with topics ranging from Internationalisation to SMEs, Human Resource Management, and Internationalisation; Sustainability in the MENA Region; Feminist Critiques of Organisations and International Business; Corporate Governance, Culture, and Consumers; and finally, Metaverse and Future Areas in International Business Research.

Next on the agenda is the AIB-MENA General Meeting and Closing Remarks, featuring, once more, Dr. Immanuel Azaad Moonesar and Dr. Racquel Warner, along with Dr. Yama Temouri, co-chair of programme, Associate Professor of International Business at Khalifa University; MBRSG Professor Melodena Stephens, AIB-MENA Founder, and Advisory Board Member; Vijay Pereira, Vice President of Academic programs and Programme co-Chair at AIB-MENA; and Sadaf Khurshid, Secretary and Membership Liaison at AIB-MENA.

The event draws to a close with the Best Paper Awards that recognise the Best Paper and two runner ups, as well as Best Impact in terms of Sustainability and Stakeholders.

The Academy of International Business’ MENA Chapter was founded in 2009 to provide a regional focus from trade, finance, investment, and tourism perspectives. AIBMENA focuses on the region's unique challenges, the efforts made to diversify oil-dependent economies, and investments in developing human capital. Sponsored by MBRSG, and the Dubai Tourism within the Department of Economy and Tourism, the Academy’s key objective is to help bridge the gap between practical application and knowledge development.