Edition 2021 - Namur

The University of Namur is hosting the 2021 edition of the Business & Society Research Seminar for PhD students and emerging scholars on 17 and 18th June 2021. For more information about this event, please visit its website.

Target audience

This seminar is open to PhD students and emerging scholars conducting research in the field of Business and Society, Sustainable Business, Corporate Social Responsibility, Sustainable Development Goals, Social Innovation & Entrepreneurship or a related topic. 

... Then we encourage you to submit your contribution : deadline 21th Febuary 2021!

Objectives of the seminar

The objective of this two-day seminar is to bring together doctoral students, emerging scholars, and more experienced academics to present and discuss their research projects and receive feedback in a stimulating, developmental and friendly atmosphere. We will explore commonalities as well as differences in each other’s research approaches and themes in an inspiring, sociable, and convivial academic setting. This seminar consists in a mix of plenary sessions, paper and poster presentation sessions as well as several workshops around career development and publications strategy. All sessions will involve fellow PhD students, emerging scholars, and more experienced researchers and journal editors.

“Business and Society in Times of Crises: (Re)searching for New Directions” as conference theme

Global societal and environmental problems like climate change, inequality, and mass-migration, as well as digitalization and dematerialization of human relationships, all call for attention. Given the increasing power of business in a globalized world and the resulting societal impacts - both positive social, environmental, and political engagement and negative externalities-, there is an urgent need to scrutinize the role of business in terms of contribution to the transition of society towards sustainability. To address these critical challenges, new ways of thinking and doing are required. Therefore, there is an urgent call for research to develop bold ideas and adopt less conventional methodologies involving social sciences, management and technology. This year’s seminar wants to explore novel approaches across the corporate social responsibility (CSR), sustainability, and social innovation agenda to understand how the aforementioned issues might redefine responsibilities, roles and opportunities of both business and society.

Keynote

Our first keynote speaker will be Prof. Jean-Pascal Gond (head of ETHOS at Cass Business School). Our second keynote address will be delivered by Dr. Thomas Roulet (University of Cambridge).