Theme
Bridges across Borders:
Collaborative Strategies for
Academic & Professional Success
Bridges across Borders:
Collaborative Strategies for
Academic & Professional Success
Established in 1977, WeSchool works under the aegis of S.P. Mandali Trust, one of the oldest trusts in the space of education country. WeSchool ranks among the premier Business Schools nationally and has campuses in Mumbai and Bengaluru. We strongly believe in combining the ideology of 'leadership' and fostering sustainability to shape a brighter future. We have introduced several pioneering management programs in business design & innovation, e-business, retail, rural, healthcare, media & entertainment, research & business analytics. We work closely with organizations across different business domains and verticals on live projects, consulting, and training assignments, with application-based research as an integral part of the education ecosystem.
The Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP) is an extensive global network comprising 11 geographical regions spanning the world. Encompassing more than 1,200 member campuses and over 13,000 individual members from 60 countries, ACBSP plays a crucial role in advancing business education and fostering academic excellence.
Region 10 of ACBSP, representing South Asia, is responsible for overseeing 16 countries and 56 member campuses within its jurisdiction (For more information about the South Asia Council of ACBSP, please visit https://acbsp.org/group/region%2010). As part of its commitment to promoting research, and innovative business ideas for entrepreneurial concepts in the field of business education, ACBSP Region 10 is issuing a call for scholarly contributions in the form of research papers (including the Best of Region competition), Student Showcase, and the School of Thought competition.
These contributions will be presented at the prestigious ACBSP Region 10 Annual Conference 2025, scheduled to take place from 26th February to 2nd March 2025. The event will be organized by S. P. Mandali's Prin. L. N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research, Mumbai and Bengaluru (India) campus jointly and will receive essential technical and financial support from ACBSP Home Office, USA.
CamEd Business School
Cambodia
S.P. Mandali's Prin. L.N. Welingkar Institute of Management Development and Research (WeSchool)
India
FPT University
Vietnam
SCMS Cochin School of Business
India
East West University
Bangladesh
The theme for the ACBSP Region 10 Annual Conference 2025 is:
"BRIDGES ACROSS BORDERS: COLLABORATIVE STRATEGIES FOR ACADEMIC AND PROFESSIONAL SUCCESS"
With the increasing globalization of the workplace, ensuring students are prepared for this world is more imperative than ever. Bridging borders that are international in focus can help students' success by building their cultural intelligence through conversations and experiences. Bridging borders that are domestic in focus could involve different types of institutions or different geographic regions. The 2025 ACBSP Region 10 conference will explore what collaborations can be made across our membership, across our international borders, or other less defined borders to promote student success and also to enhance teaching effectiveness.
In today's interconnected world, the challenges and opportunities we face are increasingly global in nature. Academic institutions and professional organizations are no longer confined by geographic boundaries. Instead, they are part of a vast, dynamic network that thrives on the exchange of ideas, knowledge, and resources. Our ability to collaborate across borders is not just advantageous-it is essential for driving innovation, addressing global challenges, and achieving excellence.
The ACBSP Region 10 Annual Conference 2025 will feature plenary sessions with renowned experts, panel discussions with academicians and practitioners, and dedicated tracks for student paper presentations. We invite original research papers for presentation from industry practitioners, doctoral scholars, academicians, and students on the theme of the conference. Together, we endeavor to shape the future of business education and ensure its relevance in an ever-changing global landscape.
This conference is open to all, including the attendees from the
following categories:
This conference aims to explore innovative strategies, research findings, and practical approaches that foster academic excellence and career readiness among students at all educational levels.
This conference will be a platform for academicians, research scholars, and industry practitioners to come together, to learn, share, and discuss with thought leaders, education experts, and learning experts. This would be a great knowledge-sharing event for a diverse audience embracing international and national speakers and participants. The conference will feature keynote presentations from distinguished experts in the field of business education and successful industry leaders who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to fostering partnerships for student success. The conference highlights include plenary sessions on technology, leadership, and sustainability with renowned experts, panel discussions with academicians and practitioners, and dedicated tracks for student paper presentations.
For Foreign Participants:
| Activity | Deadline | ACBSP Member | Non-ACBSP Member | Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluators Training Fees (Only for ACBSP Members) | January 31, 2025 | USD 100 | - | - |
| Early Bird Registration | December 15, 2024 | USD 50 | USD 75 | Free |
| Regular Registration | January 31, 2025 | USD 75 | USD 100 | Free |
| Mumbai Day Excursions (Optional) | January 31, 2025 | USD 180 | USD 180 | USD 180 |
**Registration fee includes conference registration kit, meals for the two days (breakfast, lunch, and light refreshments), cultural evening dinner, publication opportunities, and networking opportunities.
For Indian Participants:
| Activity | Deadline | ACBSP Member | Non-ACBSP Member | Student |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Evaluators Training Fees (Only for ACBSP Members) | January 31, 2025 | Rs. 8,390 | - | - |
| Early Bird Registration | December 15, 2024 | Rs. 4,195 | Rs. 6,290 | Free |
| Regular Registration | January 31, 2025 | Rs. 6,290 | Rs. 8,390 | Free |
| Mumbai Day Excursions (Optional) | January 31, 2025 | Rs. 15,100 | Rs. 15,100 | Rs. 15,100 |
**Registration fee includes conference registration kit, meals for the two days (breakfast, lunch, and light refreshments), cultural evening dinner, publication opportunities, and networking opportunities.
A detailed exploration of Mumbai’s transformation from the ancient Koli fishing villages to a key colonial port under Portuguese and British rule. Discuss the merging of the seven islands, the construction of the Fort area, and the development of infrastructure like the Victoria Terminus and the iconic Gateway of India.
The Pre-Colonial Legacy: Mumbai's pre-colonial period began as a group of seven sparsely populated islands, inhabited primarily by the Koli fishing community and the Agri people. These islands were part of various ancient Indian kingdoms, including the Maurya Empire and later the Silhara dynasty, which governed the region from their capital at Thane. The islands were dotted with small fishing villages, Hindu temples, and Buddhist relics, reflecting a blend of religious and cultural influences. Over time, the islands came under the rule of the Gujarat Sultanate, which fortified the area and established a rudimentary administrative structure. In 1534, the Sultanate ceded the islands to the Portuguese, who introduced Christianity, built churches, and began developing the area with European architectural styles. Post-Independence Growth: Analysis of Mumbai’s rapid urbanization post-1947, its rise as the financial capital of India, and the challenges of urban migration, leading to the city’s unique mix of the rich and poor.
A look at the different zones within Mumbai—South Mumbai’s historical and commercial hub, the Western and Eastern suburbs, and the planned satellite city of Navi Mumbai. Emphasize key landmarks, the layout of arterial roads, and connectivity between these zones. Population Dynamics: An in-depth study of Mumbai’s demographic composition, focusing on ethnic communities (Marathis, Gujaratis, Parsis, Muslims), migrant populations, and the influence of globalization on the city’s social fabric.
Understanding Mumbai’s role in global finance, including the presence of the Bombay Stock Exchange, Reserve Bank of India, and major corporate headquarters. Discuss how this shapes the city’s daily life and attracts business travellers.
Bollywood and Media Industry: An extensive look at Bollywood’s influence on global culture, the rise of media conglomerates, and how this industry shapes Mumbai’s identity and tourism.
The International Best of Regions Excellence Award is awarded to honor exceptional research presentations given by ACBSP members with the ACBSP Annual Conference theme. The competition starts at the regional level, where the research presentations will be evaluated by a panel of judges. The presentation with the highest score will be named the “Best of Region” at the ACBSP Region 10 Conference in Mumbai and will proceed to the next stage of the competition. After further evaluations by the ACBSP regional officers, selected papers will be eligible for the Best of Regions Award (International) at the ACBSP Annual Conference 2025, to be held on June 18 – 22, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Eligibility criteria:
This is an excellent professional development opportunity for students at all levels of higher business education to showcase their research presentations. The ACBSP Student Showcase Award begins at the regional level where student presentations are evaluated by a panel of judges who will select one student/team to represent their region. The selected students then move on to the International Stage of the competition. At the international selection stage, the ACBSP Conference Planning Committee will evaluate the best student presentation from each region and select only one to be featured at the ACBSP Student Showcase during ACBSP Conference 2025, to be held on June 18 - 22, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Eligibility criteria:
The Student School of Thought recognizes the most innovative and impactful business pitches from students. At the regional level, student teams will present their business pitches which will be evaluated by a panel of judges during the Region 10 ACBSP to be held in Mumbai in February 2025. The top team will then be identified and announced. After the conference, the Council of Regional Chairs will evaluate the top teams from all the other regions to select finalist teams to be featured during the ACBSP Conference 2025, to be held on June 18 – 22, 2025, in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Eligibility criteria:
In addition to the announced three award categories, WeSchool will be presenting prizes for winners in each of these categories.
We invite the submission of high-quality scholarly papers linked to the conference theme in the suggested themes below. The authors are welcome to choose alternate topics related to the theme of the conference. We welcome papers from various disciplines and methodological perspectives to promote interdisciplinary collaboration and knowledge exchange. When selecting papers, the Conference Committee will prioritize quality over quantity, ensuring that all conference participants have an informative experience. Topics of submission include, but are not limited to, the following:
1. Fostering collaboration
2. Industry-academia connect for academic excellence
3. Leadership - Leading the change & innovation
4. Sustainability & inclusive growth for a brighter tomorrow
5. Architecting digital ecosystems - For a borderless world
6. Institute-Faculty-Student-focused innovative initiatives
7. Domain-specific areas such as Marketing, Human Resources, Finance, Operations, & Cross-Specialization areas.
We invite original contributions on the above-mentioned themes. Authors are requested to first submit an extended abstract of the paper. Paper submissions that have an academician as the lead author will be considered in the academician track. Similarly, paper submissions that have a student as the lead author will be considered in the Student Showcase track. Upon review of the extended abstracts, authors will be invited to submit full papers and subsequently present their papers at the conference. The guidelines for the submission process are given below:
Extended abstracts - academicians and students
Full papers for academicians
Full papers for students (For consideration for the Student Showcase award)
School of Thought submissions
A key highlight of this Conference includes several publication opportunities such as:
Note: The review, processing, and publication of the shortlisted full papers will adhere to the norms of the respective publication outlets.
For Extended Abstracts and Full Papers
| Submission of Extended Abstracts | Open |
| Early-bird registration begins | October 25, 2024 |
| Early-bird registration ends | December 15, 2024 |
| Regular registration for the conference begins | December 16, 2024 |
| Last date for regular registration for the conference | January 31, 2025 |
For School of Thought
| Submission deadline of Video and slide deck – last date | November 30, 2024 |
| Announcement of selected shortlist | December 12, 2024 |
| Boot camp period (only for shortlisted teams) | December 20, 2024 to February 15, 2025 |
| Final Presentations during the conference in Mumbai | February 27, 2025 |
