ICOBI 2019 was the 2nd International Conference on Business Innovation organized by NSBM Green University Town at its own green campus premises with the theme of “Reviving Talent and Green Living” a platform created to bring together like-minded people with the passion to build a discourse on how human capital can reshape the direction towards global green living.
One of the steer heads of Sri Lanka’s largest and most lucrative project, Mr. Simon Tham, graced the event as the keynote speaker. He is currently the Assistant General Manager at CHEC Port City Colombo who is an experienced real estate professional with an in-depth knowledge of Asia. He obtained his Master of Science (MSc), Real Estate from the National University of Singapore and an MCR, Master of Corporate Real Estate from CoreNet Global, US. He has held many managerial positions as Divisional Director, Company Director and was an adjunct lecturer at Heriot Watt University (UK), with over 20 years’ experience in real estate investment, developing and executing market strategies and asset management.
Prof. E A Weerasinghe, Vice-Chancellor of NSBM, Prof. Chaminda Rathnayake, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of NSBM, Academics of NSBM, Academics from other universities, Administrative staff of NSBM, undergraduate and postgraduate students also participated for the conference.
The conference provided a niche for yearning researchers to share and enhance their work as well as disseminate knowledge through associated publication outlets in the form of the NSBM Journal of Management and the ICOBI conference proceedings.
This year’s sessions took place under five inclusive disciplinary tracks with over 60 papers submitted in, Talent Management for Business Resurgence, Social science for Business Resurgence, Sustainable Practices for Business Resurgence, Innovation for Business Resurgence and ICT for Business Resurgence. The second consecutive ICOBI conference staged at NSBM Green University attracted academics and research students from across the globe and proved to be an invigorating space for intellectual discourse to continue for years.
In addition to the valuable discourse and research dissemination at such a conference, ICOBI was a great value addition to NSBM’s venture of gaining complete accreditation from the prestigious body, AACSB. A body that recognizes the world’s best business schools, and awards champions of global change. With NSBM’s many endeavors to ensure its students are provided university experiences unlike any other, along with the ever-evolving research landscape within the institute, this goal shall certainly come to pass.
The main steering entity responsible for ICOBI and the many ventures towards attaining AACSB is the Academic Development and Quality Assurance Unit. It is responsible for the implementation of academic strategy across the university. The ambition of the unit is to uplift the academic standards of the university to respond to a highly competitive and fast-changing environment and seeks to position the university on par with internationally recognized universities. In realizing this ambition, the AD&QA offers a wide range of strategic initiatives, such as the continuous publication of the NSBM Journal, the bi-annual magazine, Business Dialogue, annual student and staff research symposiums and conferences, ensuring that academic and industry knowledge and skills are equally developed.
