The PRME Regional Chapter Brazil, UNDP Office Brazil, in collaboration with PRME Secretariat, PRME Chapter DACH, and PRME Working Groups, and with the support of UN Global Compact Brazilian Committee, are pleased to announce the 4th Responsible Management Education Research Conference. Hosted by the Federation of Industries of the State of Paraná (FIEP), the conference will be held on 13-14 September in Curitiba, Brazil with the general theme:
“New Research Questions for Advancing the Implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals”
After the adoption of the SDGs in September 2015 by the United Nations, including through a high level of involvement and contribution from UN Global Compact and PRME, a favourable climate has been created for concerted action aimed at materializing the sustainable development agenda and process. In this respect, the SDGs already act as the flagship issue for both PRME and the UN Global Compact. PRME has already started integrating the SDGs into its workstreams and lacing an even higher emphasis on this integration, including through promoting a higher role and contribution of research.
The new research questions (both theoretical and applied) to be discussed in the conference should have the potential to contribute to the following:
- Achieving a better understanding of the complexity, interconnectedness and multidimensional nature of the SDGs and the respective 169 targets, with a general aim of moving the traditional research focus from the manifestation aspect towards the main causes of the SDG related issues
- Creating practical (business, management education content and methodology, policy making, school strategies, government administration and other) solutions that could be applied locally, nationally and globally
- Establishing common ground for businesses, management education (researchers, professors and school managers), policy makers, government, NGOs, youth, media, publishers, international organizations, associations and networks, and other stakeholders to create new and/or extend their already existing partnerships and dialogue through a better informed communication and collaboration.
Building on the three previous Responsible Management Education Research (RMER) Conferences held in Chur (2014), Cairo (2015), and Krems (2016), the aim of the 4th RMER Conference is to foster knowledge exchange and networking opportunities by connecting a wide array of hitherto rather loosely coupled communities. While not being exhaustive, these will encompass emerging as well as established PRME chapters, working groups, and other entities in the PRME community (both signatories and non-signatories), UNDP and UN Global Compact with key regional stakeholders, and the wider audience of educators and representatives of universities, students, business, government, media, and civil society organizations eager to advance their knowledge and skills integrating responsible management and sustainable development into their professional efforts.
The conference invites contributions to research sessions, interactive panel and roundtable discussions as well as poster sessions and demonstrations on various aspects related to the advancement of the SDGs and the respective roles that the key stakeholders could and should play in making research relevant and impactful on business practice, management education, and the economic and social transformation and change at large.
While providing a forum for a truly global discussion, the conference will also be an opportunity to join the ongoing global celebration of PRME’s 10th anniversary, and to acknowledge and reflect upon the results achieved, as well as to share views and ideas on the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Conference Topics
Suggested topics under the overarching conference general theme include, but are not limited to:
- SDGs as a driver for innovation and sustainable solutions
- Key research questions on the implementation of the SDGs and the related challenges and opportunities
- Applied research aimed at creating solutions and direct impact
- Specific SDGs related research questions, challenges, solutions and opportunities in emerging markets
- SDGs related research as an opportunity to engage students
- SDGs and responsible management education through the eyes, needs and expectations of the current generation of business school students and youth
- Aligning curricula and research to create impact on the advancement of the SDGs
- Innovative teaching/learning approaches and methods for bringing SDGs inside and outside the classroom
- Executive education and the advancement of the SDGs
- Entrepreneurship, social entrepreneurship and the advancement of SDGs
- Management education to support public institutions and administration in advancing SDGs
- Business school administration and institutional development to support the integration of the SDGs into management education
- Faculty development issues, challenges and opportunities
- Public policies for advancing the integration of the SDGs into the educational sector and management education cross-cutting SDGs: Implications for management research and education
- Monitoring the advancement of SDGs
- Knowledge sharing and publishing
Ways to Contribute
There are two ways to contribute to the design and content of the conference:
(i) To propose, promote and co-organize conference tracks and sessions around the topics of special interest. The deadline for sending proposals is 7th March 2017.
(ii) To submit direct contributions (papers, extended abstracts, work in progress, research proposals, etc.) to specific conference tracks/sessions and/or related to the conference general theme. The deadline for sending research inputs is 15th May 2017.
The respective review processes, as described below, will be accorded with the overall Conference Concept and Format.
Conference Concept and Format
The conference will be a 2-day event with a well-balanced combination of plenary sessions, interactive panel and roundtable discussions, posters and parallel sessions. Parallel sessions will be held in four 90 min blocks (each day two), while the conference program should accommodate minimum 4-6 conference tracks that will use the parallel sessions for their work.
The general frame and concept of the conference will therefore include:
- Plenary sessions to address the key issues related to the role of management research in the promotion and implementation of responsible management education and the advancement of Sustainable Development Goals
- Panels and/or roundtable discussions with invited speakers on behalf of major stakeholders (proposed by the organizers and/or selected through the proposal submission and approval process)
- A poster session to accommodate an active participation of students and youth
- Parallel sessions/conference tracks proposed by different stakeholders, as described below, will be based on the research contributions submitted and approved through the Call for Contributions and the respective review process.
The conference tracks/parallel sessions, as well as interactive panel and roundtable discussions, will be based on (a) proposals received by PRME Working Groups entities and streams, (b) proposals received by other conference co-organizers, and (c) research community in general, which all will be approved by the Conference Program Committee. The conference program design will ensure overall coherence as well as openness to innovative proposals, including the main conference topics, by warmly welcoming an active participation and innovative proposals from PRME community, research community in general, and other stakeholders from different parts of the world.
Submission Guidelines
Conference track, panel and session proposals: To be considered for review the submission should include a one page summary of the following:
- A clear title related to the conference general theme and its topics as outlined in this Call for Contributions
- A background summary of the issue and the related challenges and/or opportunities
- Name, affiliation, bio and email address of the track/panel/session proponent(s)
- Target groups that are interested in the subject and will be invited/mobilized to contribute
The review process will be run by the Conference Program Committee, who will also suggest the respective format and schedule for the accepted tracks/session.
Theoretical and applied research papers: abstracts, extended abstracts, working papers and/or work in progress in English. To be considered for review the submissions must include:
- A clear title related to the conference general theme and its topics as outlined in this Call for Contributions
- A clear statement of the background and research objective/s
- A short account of the contribution to the field, research design, preliminary conclusions.
- Three to five keywords
The review process will be run by the conference track/session proponents and chairs, who will also suggest the respective presentation format for the accepted contributions.
Submission Deadlines
- 7th March 2017 for submitting conference tracks, session and panel proposals
- 8th April 2017 notification of PRME group organized conference session and panel acceptance
- 15th May 2017 for submitting research inputs (abstracts, working papers, project proposals, work in progress)
- 31st May 2017 notification of acceptance of research inputs
- 15th August 2017 for submitting final inputs (papers, presentations and videos)
Conference Program Committee
- Flávio Hourneaux Junior and Adriana Caldana, PRME Brazil, Chairs of the Organizing Committee
- Gustavo Loiola, PRME chapter Brazil
- Luciana Aguiar, UNDP Brazil
- UN GC Brazil representative
- Nikolay Ivanov, PRME Secretariat
- Lutz E. Schlange, Speaker, PRME chapter DACH
- Milenko Gudić, Co-chair, PRME Anti-poverty WG
- Cláudio Boechat, PRME Anti-poverty WG
Venue
FIEP – Federação das Indústrias do Estado do Paraná
Address: Centro de Eventos - Av. Com. Franco, 1341 - Jardim Botânico
Curitiba, Brazil
Registration
The conference is open to the public, but space is limited and registration is required. Further information on the registration will be published online shortly. For more information, please contact the Organizing Committee Chairs: Flavio Hourneaux Junior, flaviohjr@uol.com.br and Adriana Caldana, adrianacaldana@gmail.com