Universities highlight sustainability challenges

AL AIN: A group of experts, scientists, researchers and specialists in the field of business management, strategic management, research and education from different countries of the world gathered in Al Ain to discuss management challenges faced by businesses in South Asia and Middle East, social and environmental factors and corporate sustainability, during the 8th Asian Management Case and Research Conference, AMRC, 2019.

Organised by the United Arab Emirates University, UAEU, from 24th to 26th March, 2019, in collaboration with Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan, Wollongong University in Dubai, the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, University of Dhaka in Bangladesh, Graduate School of Education J Business Administration, the University Sains Malaysia, International and publisher of Global Research SAGE - India, the conference aims to review the results of scientific research in the field of administrative research and education.

Prof. Frank Bostyn, Dean of the College of Business and Economics, UAEU, said, “This conference is a joint effort of institutes operating in Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia and UAE. The management challenges faced by businesses in South Asia and Middle East are pretty similar because of the similarities in cultural and societal factors.

This conference provides a platform where management scholars can learn from each other and can come up with indigenous business models. The conference theme ‘Social Responsibility, Sustainability, and Management: Issues and Strategies in Asia’ is also aligned with Abu Dhabi Government vision 2030 of building a sustainable economy,” he explained.

Prof Abdulkarim Khan, College of Business and Economics and Conference Chair, said, “This year we received 210 submissions. After a rigorous review process, we accepted good-quality submissions. We will have 94 presentations, four keynote talks and two professional development workshops during three days conference.

In terms of international representation we have participants from 12 different countries who have travelled to the UAE University to participate in the conference.”

In his presentation, Dr. Yahya Al Marzouqi, Executive Director of Strategy, Tawazun Economic Council, stated, “

Artificial intelligence

The digital world that humanity has been living in since the last decade and the requirements of the Fourth Industrial Revolution requires a human leadership of a different kind, creative and innovative, to meet the challenges of the future.

Opportunities and risks include the increasing reliance on Artificial Intelligence in the business world and the economy, stressing the need to prepare workers capable of keeping pace with the changes and future developments expected by the Fourth Industrial Revolution, thereby enhancing the quality of business and creating new opportunities for achieving the fourth industrial revolution will bring major changes in the industrial and governmental sectors.’’

Professor Jonatan Pinkse, Professor of Strategy, Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Manchester Business School in the United Kingdom, denoted the concept of “corporate sustainability“ and its applications to the business environment of the Asian continent, a broad concept encompassing many key issues in many fields such as social, environmental and economic, where the application of this concept to most companies worldwide has become one of the most significant pillars of their strategic plans for long-term development and growth.

Professor Christopher Cowton, Financial Ethics of the Huddersfield Business School in the United Kingdom, presented a paper on “conducting research on business ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility: Challenges and opportunities”, while Prof.

Edwina Pio, Auckland University of New Zealand technology spoke about ‘’The Spiritual and Ecological aspect: learning across disciplines in institutions’’.

WAM