Leaders in business, policy & government, academia and civil society to gather in Fontainebleau to address global sustainability
INSEAD, the leading international business school, will host the 10th annual Academy of Business in Society (EABIS) Colloquium on its Europe campus in Fontainebleau, France on 26-28 October 2011. This year’s Colloquium takes as its central theme ‘A New Era of Development: The Changing Role and Responsibilities of Business in Developing Countries’.
The programme will address the new dynamics for business in regions such as Africa and Asia and how companies can define the pathways to a new era of societal and economic development. The three-day event will help attendees to navigate the challenges of business growth through new strategies and partnerships that enhance the stability and sustainability of business and market development. Panel and stand-alone sessions will also focus on how to deliver profitable products and services in these countries against a complex backdrop of national and regional differences.
‘We are delighted to host the 10th annual EABIS Colloquium on our Fontainebleau Campus,’ said Luk Van Wassenhove, Professor of Operations Management at INSEAD and Chair of the Colloquium. ‘As a founding member of EABIS, we had the distinct pleasure of hosting the first Colloquium and are honoured to be the site of this 10th anniversary event.’
Van Wassenhove continued: ‘Following last year’s Colloquium in St. Petersburg on the subject of Corporate Responsibility in Emerging Economies, it seemed logical to have a follow-up event on the role of business in development and in developing countries. Given INSEAD’s Social Innovation Centre’s work, we are well positioned to organise this year’s event.’
The three-day event will delve deeply into how companies can operate most effectively in developing countries. Colloquium speakers will discuss critical issues related to the business and economic environment in these regions and how organisations can create platforms for growth and value creation. Sessions will also address transparency, corruption and licensing, as well as the challenge of capacity-building in developing countries.
‘There is enormous opportunity for growth in developing countries but in order to create sustainable strategies, we must first define the parameters, objectives and responsibilities of business in these areas,’ said Gilbert Lenssen, President EABIS. ‘This year’s Colloquium will address these issues and set us on the right path towards establishing a new era of development that achieves sustainable and inclusive growth.’
Each year the EABIS Colloquium convenes over 300 senior figures from business, policy & government, academia and civil society to address a key dimension of the global sustainability debate. Speakers at this year’s event include Pierre Jacquet, Executive Director, Agence Française de Développement; Athalia Molokomme, Attorney General, Republic of Botswana; Nazeer Ladhani, Senior Advisor, Aga Khan Development Network; and Pierre Nanterme, Chief Executive, Accenture.
Simon Pickard, Executive Director, EABIS, said: ‘The 2011 Colloquium will bring together the top leaders in business, policy and academia to discuss today’s unique challenges to business in developing countries. As in years past, the event will be the ideal forum for knowledge exchange and agenda setting in business research and education.’
EABIS is the international reference point for companies and management institutions to collaborate on sustainability thought leadership, research and executive development. INSEAD co-founded The Academy in 2002 and remains one of its most active global partners.
For more information contact Mirte Gosker at [email protected].
