HSE GSB Researchers Contribute to the International Conference on Responsible Management Education RMERC 2026
Track on Arts-Based Pedagogies
A special highlight of the conference was the track “Educating amidst the Polycrisis: Arts-Based Pedagogies in Responsible Management Education,” co-chaired by Ekaterina Ivanova, Associate Professor of HSE GSB, and Divya Singhal, Professor of Goa Institute of Management. The track featured three paper presentations delivered by Prof. Charlie Yang (USA), Dr. Ekaterina Ivanova (Russia), and Dr. Sally Chan (UK) – as well as a poster presentation by PhD student Lea Jakob (Germany). Collectively, these contributions underscored the value of integrating arts-based approaches into responsible business education to foster creativity, empathy, self-awareness, and new ways of engaging with complexity.
The track also benefited from a keynote address at the plenary session of the conference by the distinguished Professor of Leuphana University Berta Martín-López, who discussed the relational turn in management education and highlighted the work of the PRME Working Group on Arts for Impact by citing the most recent book “The Power of Arts-Based Pedagogies: Transforming Mindsets to Shape Our Future”, co-edited by Ekaterina Ivanova, Isabel Rimanoczy and Divya Singhal.
HSE GSB Research Contributions
HSE GSB faculty presented research emerging from recent master’s theses supervised by Prof. Michael Akim and Dr. Ekaterina Ivanova at the GSB master’s program in international management. Ekaterina Ivanova presented findings from GSB’2026 alumna Uliana Kisataeva’s study on digitalization and sustainable mobility systems, as well as from GSB’2026 alumna Daria Kovaleva’s research on the regenerative art practices within museum ecosystems.
Michael Akim, unable to attend in person, delivered a presentation on circular biofuel supply chains. Another online presentation was made by GSB’2026 alumnus Promise Yeboah Owusu, who explored Ghana’s clean-cooking poverty trap. All papers received constructive feedback to support further development for future publications.
2027 RMERС Conference in Bangalore, India
The next RMERС 20207 сonference will take place in the second week on November of 2027 in Bangalore, India, where the track on arts-based pedagogies will continue its work, and we hope that HSE GSB faculty and alumni will continue the tradition of contributing to this annual PRME research conference.
Promise Yeboah Owusu
GSB HSE Master in International Management (alumnus, 2026)
"Presenting at RMERС 2026, my first international conference, was one of the proudest moments of my academic journey so far, and it has given me the momentum to keep pushing on sustainable development research. It reminded me that a documented failure can teach management students more than any success story, and my hope is that this case, built from Ghana's clean cooking programme, gives future managers a structured way to see why good intentions alone are not enough. If even one classroom uses it to rethink how it teaches poverty alleviation, the work will have done its job."
HSE GSB Associate Professor, Department of Strategic and International Management
“Participating in the prestigious international RMERС 2026 conference at Leuphana University of Lüneburg was a deeply meaningful experience for me. I had the privilege of presenting two papers based on research conducted by my master’s students at HSE GSB. I feel great pride in their achievements and in the opportunity to showcase our joint work on the international stage.
Leuphana’s campus provided a vivid example of how science, sustainability, and the arts can intersect in higher education: from live music and plant-based cuisine to thoughtfully designed spaces that encourage reflection and dialogue. This environment enriched our discussions on responsible management and underscored the potential of arts-based approaches to deepen engagement with complex sustainability challenges.
I also appreciate the continued support of my colleagues from the PRME Working Group on Arts for Impact in advancing our shared educational and research initiatives. This event not only broadened perspectives and demonstrated HSE GSB’s contribution to the global PRME community, but also laid the foundation for further collaboration and joint projects at the nexus of science, sustainability, and the arts in business education”.
HSE GSB Department of Operations Management and Logistics
"It is with immense pride that I share the success of research papers based on the MSc theses of my diploma students, Ekaterina Ivannikova and Promise Yeboah Owusu, at the 13th RMERС Conference 2026, held at Leuphana University, Lüneburg. Their work not only represented our programme with distinction but also made a significant impact on the academic community.
The research paper based on Ekaterina Ivannikova's MSc thesis, entitled "The Density-Distance Trap: Institutional Mediation in Circular Biofuel Supply Chains" (Track 8: Enabling Circular Economy across Regions), was exceptionally well received. The scientific community recognised it as an contribution to circular economy development — a testament to the depth and originality of her analysis.
What makes both Ekaterina's and Promise's work truly unique is the powerful combination of business, international management, and technology that underpins their research. Unlike the many casuistic studies commonly presented at such conferences, their work offers concrete practical application opportunities — bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world implementation".
