From 10-11 June, the 2023 Academy of International Business (AIB) Special Theme Conference was successfully held at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). The theme of this conference was "Sustainable Development and International Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises in the Post-COVID-19 Era", which is jointly organised by the AIB Asia Pacific Chapter, UNNC, East China University of Science and Technology and the University of San Francisco. The event was also supported by Xinjiang University of Finance and Economics. The conference brought together nearly a hundred scholars and industry experts in the field of international business from a number of countries such as China, the United States, and the United Kingdom, including five AIB fellows.

The conference was presided over by Dr Lei Li, AIB Asia Pacific Chapter-Country Director for China (Mainland) and Associate Professor in International Business and Strategy at Nottingham University Business School China (NUBS China). At the beginning of the conference, Professor Patrick Y.K. Chau, Vice Provost for Research and Knowledge Exchange, and Professor Kok Wei Khong, Dean of NUBS China, warmly welcomed the attendees.

Professor Chau stated that the theme of the conference was highly relevant in today's global environment, and to the city of Ningbo in particular. As a port city with many internationally oriented small and medium-sized enterprises, Ningbo has cultivated 676 national-level niche leaders or hidden champions, which are highly competitive both domestically and internationally.

Later, Professor Khong emphasised that the conference provided a platform for scholars to exchange and share thoughts and perspectives, and the cutting-edge achievements discussed at the conference will help small and medium-sized enterprises improve their international competitiveness and achieve sustainable development.

The conference lasted for two whole days. In the AIB Fellows Panel Session, Professor Gary Knight, the Helen Jackson Chair and Professor of Global Management at Willamette University in Salem and Portland, and Professor Jiatao Li, Chair Professor of Management and Lee Quo Wei Professor of Business, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology shared cutting-edge research and thinking on "Sustainability, Technology and International Entrepreneurship in the SME" and “Managing Disruptions in International Business: Effectuation, Business Model Innovation, and Channel Resilience”. It was worth noting that the two scholars were optimistic about the further development of international business when referring to the current complex and volatile global environment.

In the subsequent plenary and concurrent sessions, scholars and industry experts showcased innovative and rich academic research and brilliant ideas, demonstrating an open and stimulating scholarly atmosphere. The discussions covered the growth opportunities of SMEs in the global market, the implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative in western China and Central Asia, international entrepreneurship, green innovation, digital technology empowerment, the training and demand of international talents, the sustainable development of international business and the characteristics of internationalisation of enterprises in emerging economies.

The successful 2023 AIB Special Theme Conference not only enhanced interactions between UNNC and other research institutions from home and abroad, and increased the visibility and academic influence of the university in the field of international business, but also played a positive role in promoting the formulation and implementation of the dual circulation strategy of SMEs in Ningbo and the Yangtze River Delta in the future.