The 10th International Business School Shanghai Conference was held at Antai College of Economics and Management (ACEM), Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), on October 23-25, 2024. Under the theme “Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Business,” the conference brought together over 200 business school deans, renowned scholars, and entrepreneurs from more than 30 countries and regions. 

The conference focused on how AI is reshaping global business education and addressed opportunities and challenges in the AI era, including ethical considerations, moral implications, and sustainable development. Through the plenary session, parallel sessions, round-table discussions, and entrepreneurial dialogues, participants engaged in profound discussions on various topics including AI-driven educational innovation, business school development in a globalized context, and sustainability and social responsibility.

IIn his opening remarks, LIU Weidong, Vice President of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and SJTU Standing Committee member highlighted how AI is driving industrial transformation and profoundly impacting higher education. He emphasized that the conference’s theme responds to contemporary technological changes, aiming to foster global collaboration in nurturing innovative talent with international perspectives.

CHEN Fangruo, Dean of ACEM, highlighted the global trend in AI development and its global impact on business development. He emphasized ACEM’s commitment to its “Cross-disciplinary Integration and Knowledge in Action” strategy, promoting deep integration of industry, academia, and research while exploring AI-enabled innovation in business education.

Keynote Speeches: Global Perspectives

The plenary session featured distinguished speakers including Dr. Erika H. James and Dr. Eric Bradlow from the Wharton School, Dr. Andrea Sironi from Bocconi University, Dr. Jikyeong Kang from Asian Institute of Management (AIM), Dr. Madhav V. Rajan from Chicago Booth, and Academician Dr. E Weinan from Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In their dialogue, Wharton’s deans emphasized the school’s 144-year tradition of innovation leadership. They stressed that AI is not merely a technology but a transformative force in business education. Bocconi’s Sironi highlighted AI’s fundamental impact on business and education, sharing insights on AI talent cultivation and cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Andrea Sironi, President of Bocconi University, emphasized that AI is fundamentally changing the nature of business and education. He shared Bocconi University’s innovative practices in AI talent development and cross-disciplinary collaboration, while calling for business schools to prioritize AI ethics and responsible innovation.

Dr. Jikyeong Kang, President of the Asian Institute of Management (AIM), emphasized that universities and business schools need to develop new solutions addressing AI’s disruption of business operations, employment, talent requirements, and ethical considerations.

Dr. Madhav V. Rajan, Dean of Booth School of Business at the University of Chicago, shared insights on educators’ implementation of AI. He emphasized that business schools must prepare for an uncertain future by considering expectations, risk management, cost considerations, practical applications, and curriculum innovation.

Academician E Weinan from the Chinese Academy of Sciences highlighted AI’s disruption of traditional decision-making models. He emphasized that original innovation, business context, and business education background would become increasingly important in the AI era, suggesting that business school education should become an essential component of university general education.

During the Q&A session, keynote speakers engaged in deep interactive discussions with attending delegates. There was a consensus that AI technology would fundamentally restructure the content and approaches of business education. The participants agreed that global business schools should proactively embrace this transformation, driving innovation in curriculum design, teaching methodologies, and research directions to collectively nurture future talents capable of leading business transformation in the AI era.

Parallel Sessions

The conference featured three parallel sessions focusing on different aspects of AI’s impact on business education.

Session A (Parallel)

“Al Transforming Business Education”

Dr. Kalok Chan, Dean of the College of Business, City University of Hong Kong, detailed their AI education innovations. Dr. Leon Laulusa, Executive President and Dean of ESCP Business School, shared experiences from their strategic partnership with OpenAI. Dr. Kenneth McPhail, Dean of the Alliance Manchester Business School, discussed their AI-based learning ecosystem. At the same time, Dr. Joan Rodon Modol, Dean of Esade Business School, analyzed how generative AI is transforming educators’ roles.

Session B (Parallel)

“Al and Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability - Best Practices from Business Schools”

Dr. Timothy Clark, Provost of Singapore Management University, presented Singapore’s “Smart Nation 2.0” initiative. Dr. Jon Garibaldi, Provost of the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, discussed AI sustainability from a technical perspective. Dr. HE Yuan from KoGuan School of Law at Shanghai Jiao Tong University analyzed global AI governance models, while Dr. Pinnaree Tea-maker, an AI Strategist at Sasin School of Management, Chulalongkorn University, explored AI ethics.

Session C (Parallel)

“Al and Future Business Operations - How to Prepare Future Business Leaders”

Dr. Frank Bournois, Vice President and Dean of CEIBS, shared their AI education innovations. Dr. Atanas Georgiev, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Sofia University, presented their “Business and Financial AI” master’s program. Dr. Grzegorz Mazurek, Rector of Kozminski University, advocated for academia’s shift from a “cathedral” to “marketplace” model. Dr. Jörg Rocholl, President of ESMT Berlin, analyzed AI’s impact on business models, while Dr. Anna Thomasson, Dean of Copenhagen Business School, shared experiences in combining AI with business transformation.

Entrepreneurs’ Dialogue: Local Roots, Global Reach

The Entrepreneurs’ Dialogue was presented by William Li, Founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of NIO, as the distinguished guest speaker. LI shared the original vision behind founding NIO and its innovative practices in the smart electric vehicle sector. He explained that starting over a decade ago, based on deep insights into how intelligence and electrification would revolutionize the automotive industry, NIO has consistently invested in technology development, user community building, and establishing global R&D centers, creating an NIO story that combines lofty ambitions with practical groundwork. He emphasized that AI is a field that all industries, including education, must embrace, adapt to, and ultimately lead.

LI’s inspiring presentation provided the international business education and academic communities with a valuable Chinese enterprise development case study. It showcased Chinese entrepreneurs’ visionary thinking and innovative spirit.

The entrepreneurs’ session helped bring Chinese business practices to a global business school exchange platform, highlighting the increasing international relevance of Chinese business development.

Roundtable Discussion: Global Dialogue

Under the moderation of Dr. Dan LeClair, CEO of Global Business School Network (GBSN), deans from various regions discussed “International Cooperation Challenges for Business Schools.”

Dr. DU Huibin, Dean of the College of Management and Economics at Tianjin University, and Dr FENG Gengzhong, Dean of the School of Management at Xi’an Jiaotong University, shared their institutions’ international cooperation practices. Dr. Du highlighted Tianjin University’s advantages in promoting interdisciplinary international cooperation and Dr. Feng introduced Xi’an Jiaotong University’s development of the “New Silk Road University Alliance.”

Dr. Sergey Myasoedov, Vice-rector of RANEPA University and Dean of IBS Moscow of RANEPA shared innovative approaches to advancing educational cooperation under current international circumstances, including developing new accreditation systems and deepening regional partnerships.

Dr. YANG Jun, Dean of Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, shared Singapore’s unique advantages as a regional education hub. She emphasized NTU’s active promotion of sustainable development education through new programs and research centers.

Dr. YU Jun, Dean of the Faculty of Business Administration at the University of Macau, highlighted Macau’s efforts toward economic diversification and emphasized the importance of cross-disciplinary collaboration. He noted that geopolitical challenges should be addressed by strengthening institutional capabilities to advance international cooperation.

Enterprise Visit and Cultural Experience

Participating deans visited Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. to strengthen academia-industry collaboration, gaining new perspectives for curriculum design and talent development.

The conference incorporated Chinese characteristics and Shanghai culture, with Lian Culture as the exclusive cultural partner. International guests experienced Shanghai’s unique charm through various cultural activities, including a stage play, “Papa’s Time Machine,” on Hengshan Road and an immersive cultural feast at the Grand Halls on the North Bund, featuring traditional Chinese music and magnificent night views of the Bund and Lujiazui skyline.

Closing Remarks

In his closing speech, CHEN Fangruo summarized the conference’s achievements and expressed gratitude to the participants. He emphasized that over its 18-year history, the International Business School Shanghai Conference has consistently addressed global changes and major issues in partnership with international collaborators to advance socio-economic progress.

The conference has become the largest and most influential dean-level business school conference in the Asia-Pacific region. It has consistently attracted over 2,000 business school deans and featured speeches from more than 300 deans of world-class business schools. The conference serves as a crucial platform for advancing global business education and strengthening Chinese business schools’ international engagement.

The conference strengthened interactions with international accreditation bodies, including AACSB, EFMD, and AMBA, demonstrating its commitment to promoting joint governance in business education and contributing to the development of business education in the Belt and Road Initiative countries.

This tenth edition further advanced global business education development and contributed global wisdom to addressing how business schools can actively transform in the AI era.

Source: International Office at Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University