The University of the District of Columbia will welcome international business scholars, industry leaders and doctoral students from across the United States and abroad Nov. 5-7 as its School of Business and Public Administration hosts the 50th anniversary conference of the Academy of International Business U.S. Southeast Chapter (AIB-SE).
The conference, themed “Borders, Battles, and Business: Competitive Advantage in a Turbulent Global Environment,” comes as businesses face growing geopolitical tensions, rapid technological change and uncertainty in global markets. Over three days, participants will examine these challenges, share research and discuss how businesses can respond to an increasingly unpredictable international environment.
The gathering marks 50 years of scholarly exchange and collaboration within AIB-SE, which brings together researchers and practitioners working in international business.
“We’re proud to host this 50th anniversary conference at UDC,” said Mohamad Sepehri, dean of UDC’s School of Business and Public Administration. “International business is changing rapidly, and the issues being discussed here have real implications for how companies operate and how we prepare our students. Bringing this group of scholars and industry leaders to our campus gives our faculty and students an opportunity to be part of those discussions.”
Among the featured speakers is Pierre-Antoine Senes, airline marketing director at Airbus Americas Inc., who will deliver the industry keynote during the opening reception Thursday, Nov. 5, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Stewart R. Miller, a professor of international management at Durham University, Academy of International Business fellow and co-editor of the Global Strategy Journal, will deliver the academic keynote.
A Nov. 7 workshop on artificial intelligence and robotics will examine how emerging technologies are changing business operations, education and international governance.
Organized by UDC faculty members Anshu Arora and Amit Arora, along with K. Sivakumar of Lehigh University and Monica Adya, dean of the Rutgers School of Business-Camden, the workshop will cover agentic AI, social robotics, AI in education and AI-assisted software development, sometimes called “vibe coding.”
Participants will also examine how the United States, European Union and China are approaching AI governance and what those differences could mean for businesses operating internationally.
UDC’s National Science Foundation-funded social humanoid robots will be on hand during the workshop, giving attendees an opportunity to see technology connected to the university’s research firsthand.
The conference will also offer several opportunities for doctoral students and early-career researchers to develop their work and receive feedback from established scholars.
The program includes paper development workshops associated with the Global Strategy Journal and AIB Insights, research methods sessions and X-Culture faculty certification. An expanded doctoral consortium will provide additional opportunities for mentorship, while emerging scholar stipends and a junior scholar “Shark Tank” will support researchers developing new ideas.
For UDC, hosting the conference brings an international network of scholars and business professionals to campus while creating opportunities for faculty and students to connect with researchers working on issues affecting businesses worldwide.
The event also gives the university an opportunity to share its research and develop academic partnerships that could lead to future collaboration.
For more information, including the conference program and registration details, visit us-se.aib.world.