Research Forum 2021

The annual Research Forum is the flagship research-outreach event of EU Business School. Held annually in Geneva in the month of October, the Research Forum seeks to establish EU Business School as a platform for high level discussions and agenda-setting with a diverse range of actors from academia, business and industry, international and governmental organizations, NGOs, and States. The foci of the Forum are to discuss global issues, generate new ideas, and explore the potential for holistic solutions by connecting different players. The Forum helps us to discover new directions for research and collaboration and showcase our existing commitments and progress. The theme for the Forum is renewed every year which allows us to stay dynamic and cutting-edge.

UNLOCKING TRANSFORMATIONAL VALUE:

the Triple Bottom Line

Wednesday, October 20th, 2021

11:00 – 16:30 CET

online

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Human interaction may have been permanently altered by the COVID-19 pandemic, forcing changes in the ways that companies interact with their consumers and the environment. In the past 20 months, the world has seen more disruptions to industry than in the previous 5 years combined. At the same time, human capacity has enhanced significantly thanks to technology. The new operating landscape created by these phenomena presents both an opportunity and a challenge. However, the difference between challenge and opportunity is in the actions that Leaders must already be taking today.

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AGENDA

^{11:00 – 11:02}

Opening

Luc Craen, Managing Director & Vice-President, EU Business School

^{11:02 – 11:05}

Welcome Address

Suddha Chakravartti, Head of Research, EU Business School

^{11:05 – 11:30}

Keynote Address: Role of Bio-innovation and Biodiversity in Africa

H.E. Ameenah Gurib-Fakim, Former President of Mauritius

^{11:30 – 12:00}

Discussion: Digital Innovation: Identifying, Integrating and Scaling

Apart from being the buzz word of the current decade, understanding innovation is a critical element of business survival. We discuss good practices on identifying, investing in, and integrating innovations. We also discuss how the range of stakeholders can contribute to scaling innovative solutions while also having positive impact on society.

Speakers:

H.E. AmeenahGurib-Fakim, Former Presidentof Mauritius
Ugo Ikpeazu, Lecturer at EU Business School/ONResearch, Social Development Consultant
Sindhuri Ponnapureddy, Lecturer, EU Business School

^{12:00 – 13:00}

Panel 1: ESG Frameworks for Transformation

A discussion on how leading private sector are integrating ESG frameworks into innovative business models, as well as how these leaders are positioning their businesses to create value in an uncertain future.

Moderator: Chris McHugh, Senior Adviser, International Association of Credit Portfolio Managers/ Researcher, University of Southampton Business School

Panelists:

Thomas Hohne-Sparboth, Head of Sustainability Research, Lombard Odier Asset Management
Anastasia Naranova-Nassauer, Research Coordinator, EU Business School
David Lais, CPO, Ecolytiq, Climate Activist & Social Entrepreneur
Bathsheba Asati, Head of Strategic Initiatives at Amahoro Coalition, Associate at Botho Emerging Markets Group

^{13:00 – 14:00}

Panel 2: Enabling Grassroots Ecosystems to Unlock New Markets

SMEs, start-ups, innovators, and the informal economy all have one thing in common, in most parts of the world, they form the category of society where the larger percentage of populations are engaged. These ecosystems represent opportunities for growth that both the public and private sectors must learn to cater to and collaborate with.

Moderator: Raymond Gilpin, Chief Economist, UNDP Africa

Panelists:

Raghunath Mandava, Former CEO, Airtel Africa
Marie-Chantal Kaninda, Executive Director, World Diamond Council
Zeynu Ummer, Chief Technical Advisor, UNDP Africa Borderlands Center
Sarata Conateh, Acting Chief Executive Officer, GCCI
Jesper Hörnberg, Co-Founder, GIVEWATTS/ Lead of Innovation & Scaling and the GRP Incubator, Global Resilience Partnership

^{14:00 – 15:00}

Panel 3: The Realities and Opportunities of Free Trade

The global trade landscape has seen some of its more significant shocks in the past 5 years. With trade blocs opening up, and others shrinking, we discuss the dynamic landscape of opportunities for businesses to plug into.

Moderator: Suddha Chakravartti, Head of Research, EU Business School

Panelists:

Antonina Joy Kategekwa, Strategic Advisor on Trade, UNDP
Floriana Borino, Trade Analyst, International Trade Centre
Ugo Ikpeazu, Lecturer at EU Business School/ONResearch, Social Development Consultant

^{15:00 – 16:00}

Break

^{16:00 – 16:30}

Fireside Chat: Value Creation: the Geneva Case

A one-on-one discussion looks at the Geneva case to understand how one of the world’s most international cities continues to reinvent its business environment for value creation.

Vincent Subilia, Director General Geneva Chamber of Commerce, Indistry and Services (CCIG)
Suddha Chakravartti, Head of Research, EU Business School

^{16:30 – 16:35}

Closing Notes

Stef de Jong, Academic Dean, EU Business School Geneva