Faculty & Research
Faculty & Research
Faculty Profiles
Prashantham, Shameen
Professor of International Business and Strategy,
Associate Dean (Africa) , CEIBS
Dr. Shameen Prashantham is a Professor of International Business and Strategy and Associate Dean (Africa) at CEIBS. He served as Associate Dean and MBA Director from October 2020 to September 2024. Prior to joining CEIBS, he taught at Nottingham University Business School (NUBS) China and the University of Glasgow. He pursued doctoral and post-doctoral research at Strathclyde University in Glasgow, Scotland. He served as Associate Dean and MBA Director from 2020 to 2024.
Prof. Prashantham is best known for his work on partnering between large corporations and startups – which he refers to as “dancing with gorillas.” This focus evolved from his extensive research on new venture internationalization. He is also interested in strategy-as-practice and is currently focused on partnerships that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
His latest book, Gorillas Can Dance: Lessons from Microsoft and Other Corporations on Partnering with Startups, offers managers in large corporations a proven guide to partnering and collaborating with startups to improve innovation by delivering the “where,” “why,” and “how” of corporation-startup partnerships. His academic research has also been published in journals such as Entrepreneurship Theory & Practice, Journal of Business Venturing, Journal of International Business Studies, Journal of Management Studies and Organization Studies.
- 2005, Ph.D, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
- 2000, MSc, University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, UK
- 1995, BA, Loyola College, University of Madras, India
- Network relationships between entrepreneurial ventures and large multinationals
- Social capital and the internationalization of small and new firms
- Episodic strategy-making
- International Entrepreneurship
- International Strategic Management
- Strategic Entrepreneurship
2025-09-24 An Entrepreneurship Journey: CEIBS Alumna Naa Adjetey on Travel, Africa-China Business & Mentorship
2025-09-04 How Global Businesses Can Partner with China on Climate Change | CEIBS From Research to Impact
2025-02-27 Sustainability through Business Partnerships with Covestro’s Roy Cheung
2024-09-29 Professor of International Business and Strategy Shameen Prashantham | CEIBS Faculty Introductions
2024-09-03 MBA Alum Alvina Li on her CEIBS Journey and Tips for Today’s Business School Students
2024-07-03 Succeeding as an International Entrepreneur in China
2024-06-24 CEIBS WELA Alibaba Programme
2024-06-03 From MBA student to Global Product Manager: an Interview with CEIBS MBA alum Alvina Li
2024-05-27 Going Global with Green Energy: An Interview with Social Entrepreneur Susan Li
2024-05-15 Business as a Force for Good: Glimpses from Shanghai
2024-04-15 Three Tips for Future Business Leaders from Social Entrepreneur Susan Li
2024-03-18 Social Entrepreneur Susan Li on Providing Affordable Green Energy
2024-03-07 Allbirds: A global brand enters China with sustainability at its core
2024-02-26 Allbirds China Managing Director Brandy Yu on Startups & Localisation | From Classroom to Boardroom
2023-09-05 Four MBA Directors Talk About Progressive Changes and the Continued Relevance of a CEIBS MBA Degree
2025-05-14 Shenzhen Power Solution: Serving Off-Grid Africa with Affordable Green Solutions
2025-04-05 BBC World Service discusses China’s reaction to Trump’s tariffs with Professor Shameen Prashantham
2025-01-22 Effective partnering is vital for business to be a force for good, in China and around the world
2023-06-17 Professor Shameen Prashantham quoted in Le Monde on the breakup of Alibaba
2023-05-23 Shenzhen: Fostering entrepreneurial, collaborative and global innovation
2022-05-10 Shameen Prashantham discusses Elon Musk and Telsa's strategy in China with Spain's ABC. [In Spanish]
2022-04-07 Prof Shameen Prashantham discusses Byte Dance's overseas strategy with Le Monde
2021-12-01 CEIBS MBA’s focus on China won’t change, says programme director Professor Shameen Prashantham
2021-11-24 Prof Shameen Prashantham details how corporates can partner with startups for SDGs
2021-10-08 Corporation-start-up partnerships offer fertile ground for SDG action
2021-09-28 New book delivers roadmap for corporate-startup partnership success
2021-06-21 Is now a good time to be an entrepreneur?
2021-05-04 Best of MBA can only be experienced in-person, says CEIBS MBA director
2021-03-17 School's international student ratio remains healthy, says CEIBS MBA Director
2021-03-11 Competition tougher for MBA places in 2021 due to high number of 2020 deferrals
2020-04-17 Dancing with Gorillas in Turbulent Times
2020-04-03 What anthropology teaches us about coping with transitions
2020-03-18 Social capital is critical to tackling COVID-19
2019-10-25 Partner With Entrepreneurs Inside and Out
2019-06-04 Leveraging China for Global Innovation
2019-04-25 Winning Over Internal Stakeholders To Make External Startup Engagement Work
2019-03-13 How Capillary Won Over the China Market
2019-02-13 How Entrepreneurs and Managers Can Find Common Ground in Big Data
2019-02-12 The Two Ways for Startups and Corporations to Partner
2018-10-18 Lessons from West Africa: PARTNERING OUTSIDE THE BOX
2018-01-10 Three Unique Ways Israeli Start-Ups Dance with Gorillas
2017-08-10 Being Entrepreneurial Isn’t Just For Startups
2017-08-07 Dancing with Gorillas in the Land of the Dragon
2017-07-06 Start-ups Get the Hang of Opportunities in China
2017-05-11 Lessons from Bayer & BMW on Partnering with Startups
2017-01-18 3 Tips for Foreign Tech Firms to Win in China’s Internet Market
2016-09-18 When Globalisation Meets Entrepreneurship It Can Be a Force for Good
2016-06-02 Winning Internationally without Deep Pockets
2016-04-19 DANCING WITH GORILLAS
2016-03-25 Dancing With Gorillas
2016-02-02 How Start-ups from Emerging Economies make Inroads Abroad
