Prasetiya Mulya Business School co-hosted the Association of Asia-Pacific Business Schools (AAPBS) Academic Conference on 14 – 15th May 2015 at the Grand Nikko Hotel in Bali, Indonesia. The conference adopted the theme of “Re-discovering Inclusivity and Sustainability and their Mainstreaming into Corporate and Business School’s Agendas” in response to the region’s continued struggle with increased inequality and unsustainable development. During the event, 80 attendees from 14 different countries shared the primary goal of exploring solutions with the potential to reverse negative practices implemented in certain business models.
AAPBS President, Prof. George L. Benwell, and Dean of Prasetiya Mulya Business School, Prof. Djoko Wintoro, Ph.D officially opened the conference with remarks on the subject of merging key interests and promoting friendship amongst educational institutions and businesses as the core values with the potential to lead to long-term sustainability within the Asia Pacific. This was followed by a keynote speech from Indonesia’s former State Minister for National Development Planning, Prof. Dr. Armida Alisjahbana on the topic of Indonesia’s ongoing economic development and the necessary steps to encourage sustainable growth with equality. Guest speakers from an array of international universities including KAIST College of Business and SolBridge International School of Business along with leading companies such as Schlumberger Indonesia, Chevron Pacific Indonesia, and HillHouse Capital Group presented students with insights into strategies to invest in inclusivity thus garnering power to redefine modern-day corporate management.
Over the course of the two-day event, participants were provided with the opportunity to engage in active discourse during paper presentations on numerous topics such as research, best practices in business school education, and strategic alignment on running a sustainable business. Progress made through these discussions during the AAPBS Academic Conference are of great significance in providing long-term business solutions amidst the context of World Bank predictions indicating East Asia will reach economic growth of 6.7% this year. In this regard, the conference summarised that mutual collaboration amongst countries, cities, and companies is imperative in order to spearhead the advancement of national and global economic policies which recognise that healthy business development is measured not only by quantity but also by the quality of growth.
The Asia Pacific region is presently faced with a promising window of opportunity as it continues to enjoy a prolonged period of economic prosperity thrusting business schools into the spotlight. Serving as a platform to showcase the region’s commitment to knowledge-sharing and collaboration, the AAPBS Academic Conference 2015 first and foremost sought to showcase business strategies that uphold values of stronger inclusion and sustainability serving as catalysts for companies and management. The prestigious co-hosting privilege is demonstrative of Prasetiya Mulya Business School’s leading position in Indonesia’s higher education sector as well as its influential role in supporting institutional counterparts in Asia Pacific.