IEDC – Bled School of Management, Slovenia, February 2026

I recently had the pleasure of participating in the editorial workshop for the upcoming special issue “Leadership as Capital – Assessment, Application, and Enhancement”, to be published in Strategy and Leadership Journal (Emerald Publishing).

The workshop was hosted at the beautiful IEDC – Bled School of Management in Slovenia, providing an intellectually stimulating setting for in-depth discussions on the future of leadership research.

As one of the Guest Editors of this special issue, I had the opportunity to collaborate with an outstanding international editorial team:

• Arnold Walravens – IEDC – Bled School of Management, Slovenia

• Sladjana Cabrilo – I-Shou University, Taiwan

• Fu-Sheng Tsai – City University of Macau, China

A special acknowledgment goes to Albrecht Fritzsche for expertly facilitating the workshop and creating the conditions for a focused and productive exchange of ideas.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, February 2026

I was invited to contribute to the university’s flagship Employability Day, bringing together students, graduates, alumni, and industry professionals to explore career readiness and future opportunities.

During the program, I delivered two interactive workshops:

• Entrepreneurial Thinking in Practice: From Ideas to Action (Basic)

• Building and Launching a Start-Up: From Idea to Market (Advanced)

In these sessions, we worked on how ideas evolve into real initiatives, how opportunities are recognized, and what it takes to move from concept to execution in today’s environments. What stood out most was the level of engagement. Students were curious, analytical, and ready to challenge assumptions — strong signals for the future of innovation and leadership.

Kuwait, February 2026

I participated in the 4th AU COB Annual International Conference on Digital Transformation, Sustainability and AI: Human-Machine Collaboration for Sustainable Growth and Harnessing the Potential of AI (ICDSA 2026), held at the Australian University in Kuwait on February 4-5, 2026. The conference was organized by the Australian University’s College of Business in collaboration with INCIT, the Centre for Business Analytics in Practice, and sponsored by KFAS (Kuwait Foundation for the Advancement of Sciences).

As a member of the Scientific Committee, I contributed to the academic review process and helped shape the conference’s scholarly program. During the event, I presented the co-authored paper “Transformational Leadership and Knowledge Quality in Building Ambidextrous Organizations,” together with Oualid Abidi, Aleksandra Dzenopoljac, and Dina Youssef, as part of Session 1 - Leadership, Governance, and Strategic Intelligence in AI-Enabled Organizations.

The conference brought together leading researchers and practitioners to explore the intersection of artificial intelligence, sustainability, and digital transformation, providing a platform for meaningful dialogue on how organizations can leverage AI for sustainable growth while maintaining strategic alignment and knowledge quality in an era of rapid technological change.

Dubai, UAE, December 2025

I participated as a VIP guest at the Dubai Family Office Investment Summit – 5th Edition, hosted by Epicon Capital Club at Dubai Chambers. The invitation-only summit convened a select group of family offices, private investors, serial entrepreneurs, fund managers, and institutional stakeholders to engage in high-level dialogue on long-term value creation and the evolving role of private capital.

The programme combined keynote sessions, curated investment presentations, panel discussions, and closed-door roundtables, offering a structured environment for informed exchange and relationship-building. Key thematic areas included governance in family-owned enterprises, technology-enabled investment strategies, sustainability and impact investing, as well as the growing role of artificial intelligence across various sectors.

The summit reinforced Dubai’s position as a global hub for family wealth, strategic investment, and cross-border collaboration, while fostering meaningful connections among participants who are shaping the future of private capital in the region and beyond. 

Dubai, UAE, November 2025

Zayed University hosted the Journal of Accounting, Auditing and Finance (JAAF) Conference 2025 from November 9–12, 2025, marking the first-ever Middle East edition of this prestigious international event.

The conference brought together leading scholars, editors, and practitioners from around the world to discuss the evolving intersections of regulation, innovation, and research in accounting and finance. Opening remarks by Prof. Philip Hamill, President Prof. Kevin Hall, and Prof. Catherine Nickerson, Dean of the College of Business, highlighted Zayed University’s growing role in fostering global collaboration and advancing impactful research.

Under the leadership of Dr. Mariem Khalifa, Conference Chair, this landmark event reinforced the UAE’s position as a hub for academic excellence and knowledge exchange in the region.

Dubai, UAE, October 2025

I attended the 17th Conference on International Human Resource Management, hosted by the University of Dubai in collaboration with United Arab Emirates University and the American University of Dubai.

The conference, themed “Global Cities, the Future of Work, and the Evolving Landscape of International Human Resource Management,” explored how global cities such as Dubai shape human capital, talent mobility, and the future of international HR practices.

It was a pleasure to attend together with Aleksandra Dženopoljac, connect with Benjamin Stevenin and Mathias Falkenstein, and exchange ideas with Ihsan Zakri following his insightful presentation on student mobility. The panel discussion led by Washika Haak-Saheem and the networking dinner in Al Ain, held on Jabel Hafeet mountain, made the experience especially memorable.

At the Academy of Management (AOM) Annual Meeting 2025, held in Copenhagen, Denmark, I presented my research paper titled “Leadership, Trust, and Knowledge: Enhancing SME Performance in Transition Economies.” The study examines how leadership behaviors and trust-based relationships facilitate knowledge sharing and, in turn, strengthen innovation and performance among small and medium enterprises operating in emerging and transitional economies. 

Participation in AOM 2025 provided an opportunity to engage with global scholars and practitioners, exchange insights on knowledge-based leadership, and explore potential collaborations on comparative studies of SME transformation in the Middle East and Central and Eastern Europe.

I participated as a keynote speaker and paper presenter at the 8th International Scientific Conference on Contemporary Issues in Economics, Business and Management (EBM 2024), hosted by the Faculty of Economics, University of Kragujevac. 

As a keynote speaker, I delivered the talk “Active Learning and Generative AI in Higher Education: Balancing Innovation with Responsibility,” highlighting how generative AI can transform teaching and learning through active engagement, ethical integration, and responsible innovation

In addition, I presented the co-authored paper “Global Accreditation, Local Impact: Evaluating the Influence of International Business School Accreditation on Institutional Performance,” which examined the role of AACSB accreditation in improving research productivity, teaching quality, and global competitiveness of business schools across the MENA region.

This conference brought together academics and practitioners to discuss emerging challenges and innovations in business and management, providing a platform to exchange ideas on AI in education, institutional development, and strategic transformation in higher education.

I participated in the Employer Round Table during the National Careers Week at Dubai English Speaking Schools (DESS), engaging with students to discuss career development, leadership, and professional growth. The event received highly positive feedback from both students and organizers, highlighting the value of connecting learners with professionals from diverse industries to inspire informed and ambitious career choices.

Kuwait, March 2023

I attended the QS Higher Ed Summit: Middle East & Africa 2023, held in Kuwait and online from 12–14 March 2023. The event brought together higher education leaders from across the region to discuss the theme “Envisioning a Meaningful Future: Purpose-Driven Higher Education in the Middle East and Africa.” Discussions focused on building purpose-driven universities through sustainability, innovation, education reform, and enhanced employability—reinforcing the role of higher education in driving meaningful regional and global impact. 

On February 10, 2022, I took part in the CBE STEPS Forum organized by the College of Business and Economics (CBE), United Arab Emirates University, serving as the Q&A Moderator for the session titled “The Health Sector Going Digital: The Road Ahead.” The forum brought together experts and practitioners to discuss the profound impact of digital technologies on the healthcare sector. The distinguished speakers — Mr. Frederik Bisbjerg, Executive Director of Digitization at Daman, and Mr. Hein van Eck, Chief Strategy Officer at Mediclinic Middle East — shared their insights on how healthcare providers and insurers are responding to rapid digital transformation. 

In May 2019, I participated in an academic and professional visit to the Skolkovo Innovation Center in Moscow, Russia — one of the largest innovation hubs in Eastern Europe. The trip included attending the Startup Village 2019, an international event bringing together over 20,000 entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors from more than 80 countries.

During the visit, I engaged with key institutions such as the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology, Technopark Incubator, and Gubkin State University of Oil and Gas, exploring models of university–industry collaboration, innovation ecosystems, and startup acceleration.

The experience contributed to developing proposals for the AUM Business Consulting Center and Entrepreneurship Club, emphasizing how higher education can support entrepreneurship, innovation, and applied research through structured incubation and industry partnerships.

Boston, USA, August 2017

At the 23rd Americas Conference on Information Systems (AMCIS 2017) held in Boston, USA, I presented the paper “Assessing the Intellectual and Knowledge-Based Assets of Organizations: Case of Global Oil and Gas Operations Firms.”

The study examined how leading oil and gas companies leverage intellectual capital and knowledge-based resources to enhance competitiveness and financial performance, emphasizing the strategic role of information systems in managing intangible assets.