(ief) conference conference theme: sustainable ... · technological development, environmental...

Conference Theme:

Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Economic Development

International Entrepreneurship Forum (IEF) CONFERENCE16th

14-16 September, 2017 Kathmandu, Nepal

“Economic growth is bound to slow unlessthere is an adequate supply of entrepre-neurs looking for new ideas, and willingto take the risks of introducing them.”

-W. Arthur Lewis (1955, p. 85)

Sustainable human scale and meaningfuleconomic and social development is"focused and based on the satisfaction offundamental human needs, on the genera-tion of growing levels of self-reliance, andon the construction of organic articulationsof people with nature and technology, of glo-bal processes with local activity, of thepersonal with the social, of planning withautonomy, and of civil society with thestate.”

-Max-Neef, M., 1989. Human Scale Deve-lopment: conceptions, applications andfurther development. New York, The ApexPress.

BackgroundPromoting sustainable businesses andentrepreneurship can be an importantstrategy for addressing economic develop-ment and growth problems of a country.Rigorous research may help identify keymeasures (at policy, local and individuallevels) to address these problems. Thoughentrepreneurship is a highly researched andpublicized topic, the concept of sustainableentrepreneurship has not necessarily recei-ved the same attention of researchers,policy makers and practitioners. Definingsustainable entrepreneurship appears to betricky when sustainability could suggest thenecessary application of constraints to newforms of growth using finite resources, whileentrepreneurship may celebrate innovative,new solutions fostering economic growthdepleting environmental, human and otherresources. Inadequate clarification of therelationship between entrepreneurship andsustainability poses another problem. Be-

sides, there appears to be limited evidenceof how and what impact sustainable entre-preneurship and innovation could have oneconomic development. However, produc-tive entrepreneurship which allows for thesocial, economic and environmental trans-formation of people’s lives, offers oppor-tunities for future gain which can be cons-trued to be part of the sustainability agenda.

The aim of this conference is therefore tobridge the gaps in conceptualization, empi-rical analysis and reflective practice byinvestigating the key drivers of and barriersto sustainable entrepreneurship and its con-nection to economic development.

Our objectives are to question assumedagendas, and received wisdom on thesubject of entrepreneurship, sustainabilityand economic development. Another objec-tive is to stretch the discourse on and thepractice of sustainable entrepreneurship inthe context of the Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs) of the United Nations. Ourfinal objective is provide an informed globalplatform for academic researchers, policymakers and practitioners around the worldto debate, build on good practice and seeknovel solutions to critical and convergentproblems associated with human endeavor,technological development, environmentalchange, organizational flux, and institutionalsclerosis.

The growing interest in both entrepreneur-ship and sustainability requires a betterunderstanding of differentiated theoretical,methodological and empirical perspectives,and the development of necessary tools andinstruments for productive economic andsocial transformations as appropriate forspecific places and in different economicand social conditions. We hope to do thiswith all your involvement and support at our16th International Entrepreneurship Forum(IEF) Conference on the theme ‘SustainableEntrepreneurship and Economic Develop-ment’ on 14-16 September 2017 in thegloriously heightened environment of Kath-mandu, Nepal.

The Conference Curators, 16th IEF, 2017

Call for Papersand Invitation

www.essex.ac.uk/conferences/ief/16th/ www.iefconference.com

Conference Sub-themes

TargetParticipants

The sub-themes of the conference areidentified in such a way that will helpinvestigate and develop a critical under-standing of sustainable entrepreneurshipand economic development and the roleand function of entrepreneurs and enter-prises in a changing world. We welcomepapers that fall in, or are related to, thefollowing sub-themes:

§ Entrepreneurship vs. sustainable entrepreneurship

§ Values of sustainable entrepreneurship

§ Business start-up and sustainable entrepreneurship

§ Sustainable entrepreneurship and development and growth

§ Women in sustainable entrepreneurship

§ Rural urban linkages

§ Entrepreneurship and innovation and rural development

§ Financing/Resourcing sustainable entrepreneurship and innovation

§ Digital technology and sustainable entrepreneurial development

§ Technological, organization and social innovation

§ Economic, social and personal value creation

§ Network of ideas and resources

§ Rural innovation and local knowledge

Academicians including students, entrepre-neurs, experts, researchers and practitio-ners from corporate houses, multilateral andbilateral partners from all over the world canattend the conference on sustainable entre-preneurship. They can present papers,posters and/or showcase products andservices of their ventures. We also inviteother delegates interested in participating inthese deliberations without submitting apaper.

The above is not however an exhaustive list.Among others, the proposed conference willhelp in conceptualizing sustainable entre-preneurship and innovation and its connec-tion with economic development. Concep-tual as well as empirical papers within thetheme are welcome.

Conference Activities

The conference will include:

§ Plenary and and Panel sessions high-lighting the main conference theme andsub-themes;

§ Presentations and discussions of acade-mic research, policy driven and reflectivepractitioner-oriented papers;

§ Empathy and Networking interludes to prospect the future;

§ Social Interactions;

§ Awards for best papers in two categories: a) scholarship and research rigour; and b) creativity, insight and robust ideas generation (only papers submitted by the deadline will be considered for the awards).


SubmissionGuidelines

Publication Opportunities

ImportantDates

All submissions that follow the submission requirements should be made to: [email protected]

Acceptance/Rejection of submissions will becommunicated accordingly. By submittinga/an abstract/full paper, the author(s)make(s) a commitment that the work isoriginal and not published before in anymanner and that at least one of the authorswould register for the conference andpresent in the conference. Papers notpresented in the conference will not be con-sidered for any award.

The abstract should be in fully italicized text(12-point Times New Roman, 1.15 spacing,not exceeding 2000 words), explaining thebackground, the need, aims, methods andthe expected findings of the study. In addi-tion, it should contain the title (16-pointTimes New Roman), authors' names (12-point Times New Roman), designations,affiliations/addresses, telephone numbersand e-mail addresses (10-point Times NewRoman), followed by a list of keywords,subject to a maximum of five, which shouldbe arranged in alphabetical order, and beseparated by commas

All the papers presented in the confe-rence will be available in the Conferencewebsite with an ISSN number. More im-portantly, selected papers will be publishedin Journal of Entrepreneurship and Innova-tion in Emerging Economies (JEIEE) andother related journals. All the papers pre-sented in the conference will be sent totwo reviewers for peer review. The pa-pers which pass the peer review processwill be published in the journal uponapproval of the editor/s of the journal.

The Journal of Entrepreneurship andInnovation in Emerging Economies isowned by Sage and published in associa-tion with the International EntrepreneurshipForum. The Journal aims to provide aunique platform for the dissemination of arange of critical entrepreneurship, innova-tion, business and economic developmentissues pertaining to and of relevance toemerging economies.

For more information: www.sagepub.in/journals/Journal202283

Conference datesSubmission of Extended Abstract byNotification of Acceptance of Abstracts bySubmission of Full Papers byNotification of Acceptance of Full Paper for consideration of awards by Registration opens onRegistration closes on Payment of conference fees (details to follow) by

14-16 September 201730 May, 201715 June, 201731 August, 2017

10 September 20171 August, 201715-17 September 2017

15 August, 2017


Registration,Fees and Payment

All participants need to register for the conference by completing the Registration Formprovided separately along with the brochure and can also be obtained from the conferencewebsite. The registration fee structure for the conference is as follows:

Participation Category Registration Fees

1. Delegates from Nepal only UK £ 50

2. Delegates from all low income countries (see UN List of LICs) UK £ 100

3. Delegates from all other countries UK £ 200

4. Full time Students (subject to submission of proof of status) UK £ 40

The above fees cover cost of registration,2 conference lunches, refreshments duringthe conference, and conference materials.They exclude the costs of the conferencedinner, travel and accommodation. Allparticipants need to register for theconference by completing the RegistrationForm provided separately on the web site.

Location and AccommodationConference accommodation will be avail-able at Hotel Radisson, Lazimpat. Thereduced rates for all delegates range fromUSD 100 to USD 120. Cheaper hotels withUSD 30 to 50 per night can be availablewithin walking distance from the confe-rence hotel. We advise early booking ofthe rooms because of the popularity ofKathmandu as a major tourist destination.Participants need to arrange accommoda-tion themselves. However, in case of diffi-culty or need, they will be assisted to findsuitable accommodation.

Visa MattersVisitors holding non-Nepali Passports mayrequire a visa. For more information, pleasecheck with the Nepal Embassy in your res-pective countries. The Conference Secreta-riat will issue Letters of Invitation for theconference, which can be used for obtainingvisas. However, the Institute will not be ableto provide any further assistance with visas.

Methods of PaymentDetails to follow

Fee Waiver and AwardsLimited number of full time and non-workingdoctoral students and scholars from deve-loping countries who do not receive any kindof financial support may get fee waiver toattend the Conference. The waiver willcover registration fees only.


The Evolutionof the IEF Conferences

Naples, Italy, 2001 Entrepreneurship & Learning

Bangalore, India, 2003Entrepreneurial Innovation

Paris, France, 2004Entrepreneurship: Contexts, Locales and Values

Trento, Italy, 2005Entrepreneurship: The Role of Higher Education

Cape Town, South Africa, 2005Entrepreneurship and New Ventures Across Borders

Riga, Latvia, 2006Creativity and Entrepreneurship

Shanghai, China, 2007Asian Entrepreneurship

Beijing, China, 2002 Entrepreneurship & Regional Development’

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Ahmedabad, India, 2008Creativity and Entrepreneurship

Istanbul, Turkey, 2009Entrepreneurship andthe Creative Use of New Technologies

Bahrain, 2010/11Entrepreneurship and Society: Creating Social, Cultural, Economic & Personal Value

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 2012Entrepreneurship and Sustainability

Vilnius, Lithuania, 2013Social Sustainability and Economic Security: The Agenda for Entrepreneurship in the 21st Century

Bogota, Colombia, 2014Entrepreneurship and Development: The Idea of Inclusive Opportunity Creation

Cape Town, SA, 2015Entrepreneurial Institutions and the Entrepreneurial Society: Creating an Inclusive Agenda for Opportunity Creation

Venice, Italy, 2016 The Globalisation and Internationalisation of SMEs and New Ventures

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Profile of the Conference Organizers

King’s College is a highlyreputed business school in Nepal that offerscourses in undergraduate and graduatelevels. The college has always been guidedby the vision of making a world-classeducation available to Nepali youths athome and are the only college in Nepal thatoffers an exclusive MBA on Entrepreneur-ship. Based on King’s remarkable perfor-mance, the college was recognized as the2nd Best Graduate B-School and 3rd BestBusiness School in the Country last year bythe most prestigious business magazine ofNepal – New Business Age. Also, its Execu-tive Director was awarded the prestigiousManager of the Year Award by ManagementAssociation of Nepal in 2013.

The college, is an energetic and vibrantcollege committed to supremacy in teachingand in an ever-increasing manner, toresearch and development. The Collegeseeks to cultivate the growth of conscienceas well as intellect – the ability both to reachpersonal moral decisions by use of reasonand understanding, and the courage todefend these convictions. There is a genu-ine concern for the total development ofeach student and a continuing search forexcellence. At King’s College, not only areits distinguished faculty wholeheartedlyengaged to generate in the students, theessential core managerial efficiency, butalso concentrate in fostering differentiatingcompetencies in them, consequently trans-forming each into an outstanding profes-sional capable of facing impending globalchallenges. As per the vision and mission,the college organises dialogue, workshops/seminars and conferences regularly.

The International Networkfor Small and Medium Sized Enterprises(INSME) is a private non-for profitAssociation established in 2004, aiming atfostering transnational cooperation andpublic and private partnership amongeconomic players and intermediaries world-wide to help bridge the innovation andknowledge gap for small and medium sizedenterprises (SMEs). The INSME Associationcurrently includes 84 Members in 37 count-ries in 4 continents: 14 governmentalbodies, 18 International Organizations, 8International NGOs and 44 representativesof networks and intermediaries acting in thefield of innovation and technology transfer toSMEs. The Association was sponsored bythe Italian Government from 2004 to 2011and enjoys OECD’s moral sponsorship. ItsSecretariat is based in Rome.

Thanks to the variety of its members, theINSME network represents a think tank witha permanent forum to promote a multilateraldialogue among different stakeholders.

INSME acts as a multiplier and disseminatorof information and opportunities for crossborder collaboration to enhance SMEs’competitiveness and internationalizationpotential. INSME organizes its AnnualMeetings around the globe with the supportof its members and partners in selectedcountries. In 2015 the 11th INSME AnnualMeeting has taken place at Cape Town/South Africa with the topic “Technology andInnovation for Inclusive Growth”, while the2016 event took place from the 12th to the14th of April at Doha/Qatar with the topic“Enabling Smart SMEs as Key to Success”.


Tata Institute of Social Sciences(TISS) being the first social science deemeduniversity under the UGC Act, 1956 of theGovernment of India has more than 77years of experience in teaching, researchand outreach engagement in the areas ofrural and community development andsocial change through entrepreneurialactions.

Ranked highest among the Deemed Univer-sities in the country, TISS plays critical rolein policy design, advocacy and action invarious aspects of social welfare and ruraldevelopment. The Institute with campusesin Mumbai, Tuljapur, Guwahati and Hyder-abad works with governments, corporate,international agencies and universities, andNGOs to provide information on the poorand marginalised people and to facilitate indesigning sustainable plans and program-mes for them.

The Center for Social Entrepreneurship notonly offers the unique Masters Programmeon Social Entrepreneurship but also offersservices in social venture creation forbringing social change.

With a strong collaboration the Centerincubates 16 social ventures at variousparts of the country. The Center shares itsexperiences with UN agencies such asUNESCO and UNCTAD and the RussianGovernment so as to solve the critical socialproblems. The faculty team with hands-onexperience in rural and urban areas, deeperengagement in research and mentoringsocial entrepreneurs also advise companieson CSR and sustainable developmentstrategies. They carry out need assess-ment, social audit, and social impactmeasurement studies while guiding them onCSR and sustainability related plans andprogrammes.

Essex Business School (EBS) was createdfollowing the merger of the Schools ofEntrepreneurship and Business, and Ac-counting, Finance and Management in2008. The School's work on entre-preneurship, innovation and regional deve-lopment together with that of accounting,finance and management, has won world-wide acclaim. Its research, teaching andprofessional development profile covers keyand topical areas of new venture creationand business growth that address bothregional needs and the interest of inter-national markets, focusing particularly onentrepreneurship policy issues, innovationand economic development, marketing,international business, social entrepreneur-ship, organisational studies, human resour-ces, sustainability and institutional links withindustry.

EBS is now poised to move forward with arange of innovative initiatives including anenhancement of its research portfolio, conti-nuing professional development, and a newsuite of MBA and related programmesconcerned with innovation and entrepre-neurship and sustainable business strategy.


Entrepreneurship Research at Essex Business School

Entrepreneurship research and dissemina-tion, focuses on varied aspects of new ven-ture creation (in and for business, non-governmental organisations, large enter-prises and social enterprise), innovativegrowth, and the impact of entrepreneurshipon regional and local economic develop-ment.The School builds on the research portfolioof all academic staff, and supports the workof research students and a group ofExecutive Fellows. This supported by thework of E3N (the Executive Education andEngagement Network) at EBS, which hasalready established working links withsimilar centres in the UK and in India,China, USA, Poland, France, Italy, SouthAfrica and Colombia. It houses the well-established International EntrepreneurshipForum and has good working links with theOrganisation for Economic Co-operationand Development (OECD) and its LocalEmployment and Economic Development(LEED) Programme. It has supportedvarious conferences on entrepreneurship asa co-organiser in Germany, South Africaand India.The School has developed an impressivetrack record of empirical and action-research based projects, training andconsultancy programmes, and advisoryinitiatives for a range of public, private andnon-governmental organisations. It sup-ported the unique China Business ResearchGroup funded by the Shandong WeigaoGroup Company Ltd in China, and focusingon China European business connectionsand technology based entrepreneurshiprespectively.

The International Entrepreneurship Forum(IEF) network consists of academics, practi-tioners and policy makers. The IEF eventsare designed to encourage the meeting ofthese three groups based on the belief thatthere is as much value in academic explo-ration as in discovery through practice.Through this process of interaction, the IEFnetwork aims to obtain a better appreciationof the subject of entrepreneurship. Since itsinception, the IEF has held an annual eventeach year for the past 13 years on a specificand typical theme for deliberation, presenta-tions and discussion.

An impressive array of speakers and othercontributors have generated a wealth ofknowledge on the subject. Each event hasbeen marked by a rich variety of researchpapers, key contributions by practitionersand decision makers, and, significantly, byformal and informal hours of interactionbetween owner-managers, academics anddecision makers. Crucially, participantshave been able to use the highly interactiveformat of the events to develop new partner-ships and projects to pursue particularactivities. One of the most satisfying out-comes of all the events has been the iden-tification of new interest, scholarship andinsight into entrepreneurial activity, acrossdifferent countries, demonstrating the valueof learning in an international arena ofthought and practice. This outcome informsthe themes and topics chosen for eachconference.

The IEF continues to collaborate with theOECD, LEED Programme, and the Centrefor Entrepreneurship and various institutionsacross the world. of entrepreneurship onregional and local economic development.


Conference Contact Details

Conference Web Site:

www.essex.ac.uk/conferences/ief/16th/

www.iefconference.com

All submissions should be made to:

Email: [email protected]

Correspondence/queries regarding the conference should be addressed to:

Elena Koshcheeva,Research Assistant,International Entrepreneurship ForumEmail: [email protected]

Main contact in Nepal:

Dr. Bharat P. Bhatta,Conference Coordinator – Sustainable Entrepreneurship Conference 2017 Center for Research and Development, King’s College, Kathmandu, Nepal E-mail: [email protected]

You may also contact:

Professor Jay Mitra, Essex Business School, University of Essex, Wivenhoe Park, Colchester, Essex C04 3SQEmail: [email protected] or [email protected]

Please quote the main query in the subject line when emailing to ensure our speedy response


AboutKathmandu

Kathmandu, also known as KathmanduValley, comprises the three ancient cities ofKathmandu, Patan and Bhaktapur, whichwere once independent states ruled by theMalla kings from the 12th to the 18th centu-ries. The three cities house seven UNESCOWorld Heritage shrines which are togetherlisted as a UNESCO World Heritage Site(Culture). The valley is also home to hun-dreds of other exquisite monuments, sculp-tures, artistic temples and magnificent art –reminders of the golden era in Nepal’sarchitecture.

Legend has it that the valley was once aprimordial lake ringed by verdant mountains.In this pristine lake lived giant serpents untilone fine day, saint Manjushree, theBodhisatva, raised a mighty sword and inone fell swoop, cut open the side of amountain at a place now known as Chobar.

The voluminous waters of the lake gushedout, leaving behind a fertile valley capable ofsupporting large urban settlements over themillennia. The Gopala and Kirati dynastieswere the earliest rulers here followed by theLicchavi (300-879 A.D.), under whom flou-rished trade and crafts.

Kathmandu, the largest city of Nepal, is thepolitical as well as cultural capital of thecountry. Kathmandu is a city where ancienttraditions rub shoulders with the latesttechnological advances. However, it is thegrandeur of the past that enchants the visi-tor whose gaze may linger on an exquisitelycarved wooden window frame, an 18th cen-tury bronze sculpture or the spirituallyuplifting stupas. Like any big city, Kathman-du has seen rapid expansion in the lastdecade, but despite the hustle and bustle sotypical of metropolitan cities, its peopleremain as refreshingly friendly as ever.Retaining its ancient traditions, Kathmanduis blessed by a Living Goddess and isenriched by endless ceremonial processionsand events that take to the streets everynow and then with throngs of devoteesseeking blessings. These religious festivalsare steeped in legend and are quite aspectacle with chariot processions andmasked dancers often possessed by thespirits of deities.


(ief) conference conference theme: sustainable ... · technological development, environmental...

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