December 6, 2024. Shanghai - The 6th CEIBS Strategy and Entrepreneurship Annual Academic Symposium took place today at the CEIBS Shanghai campus, during which speakers gathered to discuss the most recent and advanced studies on business strategies and entrepreneurial practices. The event brought together numerous experts to explore topics such as ESG, AI, relational strategy, and more.

Opening of the symposium, both CEIBS Vice President and Dean Frank Bournois and Chair of the CEIBS Strategy & Entrepreneurship Department Professor Zhang Yu, delivered speeches. Both emphasised the significant contributions of departmental academic events in solidifying CEIBS' reputation as one of the most respected international business schools in the world, excelling in both research and teaching.

Professor William Wan from the Chinese University of Hong Kong then gave a keynote speech entitled “Context - Theoretical Contributions”. Prof. Wan focused on the oldest and most prestigious journal in his field, the Academy of Management Journal (AMJ), highlighting the mission and the workflow of the journal. Prof. Wan also defined theoretical contribution and how the AMJ aims to further improve in this regard.

“Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)” was the theme of the first session that followed. Professor Shuping Li of Hong Kong Polytechnic University presented the complexity of corporate social responsibility (CSR) contracting and firms’ competitive actions; Professor Shipeng Yan of the University of Hong Kong then discussed his insights into climate policy and green hiring strategy. The session’s final speaker, CEIBS Professor of Strategy Zhang Yu, gave a speech on the topic of “Digitalisation and Corporate Governance: The Role of Business Opaqueness and Complexity”.

In the second session of the day, which focused on “The Frontier of AI and Digitisation, and Implications for Strategy”, Professor Suting Hong of Shanghai Technology University shared research findings on the evolution of U.S. entrepreneurial and innovation ecosystems in artificial intelligence, and geographic “pull” factors. CEIBS Professor Ricky Tan then investigated physician adoption of AI assistants, before Professor Weiliang Zhang of the University of Science and Technology of China presented his findings on environmental uncertainty, strategic additions, and pivots.

After a lunch break, Professor Guoli Chen from INSEAD gave a keynote speech about strategic leadership focused on empirical strands since 1984, as well as the future. The theme of the third session was “Relational Strategy”, during which Professor Ziliang Deng from Peking University discussed his work on “Friendshoring in Global Value Chains: A Study of the Apple-Goertek Case”. Professor Abby Zhou of University of Nottingham Ningbo China then presented a study of post-springboard capability upgrading in emerging markets, before Professor Anoop Madhok of York University discussed the value co-creation in alliances and ecosystems

The theme of the fourth and final session was “From Emerging Phenomena to New Research Frontiers”. In her presentation, Professor Jie Gong from the University of Hong Kong discussed AI and the creative process, followed by CEIBS Professor Wei Guo, who presented her own research in a speech entitled “It Takes Two to Tango: Personal Chemistry Between Investors and Entrepreneurs on Social Media”. In the events closing remarks, Professor Fabrice Lumineau of the University of Hong Kong presented a roadmap for navigating phenomenon-based research in management.

Hundreds of academics, doctoral candidates, and corporate leaders from throughout China convened at the CEIBS Shanghai campus for the symposium, actively engaging in dynamic question-and-answer interactions with the speakers. The CEIBS Strategy & Entrepreneurship department extends its gratitude to all of the contributing speakers and appreciates the presence and involvement of the audience.