Business schools steer a difficult course in navigating the fog caused by a disrupted environment and an unprecedented demand to align values with societal demands and a new generation of students. In this time of change, it is helpful for industry professionals to join forces and navigate their way towards a future-proof transformation.
The EFMD Annual Conference gathers several hundred members of the management education community to tackle burning subjects such as the impact of globalisation, collaborative research, creative leadership and digital learning strategies. Over two days, professionals from different administrative and managerial positions from all over the world participate in a dynamic learning and networking event that helps them move towards impactful business education.
18:15
Bus from Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla to Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento Hotel
18:30 – 20:00
Registrations
19:00 – 21:00
Standing dinner at Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento Hotel
21:00
Bus from Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento to Hotel Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla
08:15
Bus from Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla to Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento Hotel
08:15
Registrations & welcome coffee
09:00 – 09:30
Welcome and introduction by the chair
09:30 – 11:00
What should management education stand for?
This session brings together corporate and academic perspectives on what management education should stand for today, and how its value proposition and ethical commitments should shape leaders, curricula, and institutions.
11:00 – 11:45
Coffee break
11:45 – 13:00
Breakout sessions 1
1A: Beyond AI competence: Cultivating what algorithms cannot provide
The latest research converges: AI is already becoming the enterprise operating system. Employers are asking graduates to orchestrate hybrid human-agent systems, govern autonomous workflows, and exercise good judgment. The scarce resource is not AI capability. It is the human capacity to question assumptions, imagine beyond optimization, and lead with practical wisdom.
1B: Internationalisation with purpose: Diverse contexts, shared ambitions
Amid geopolitical uncertainty and shifting expectations, business schools are rethinking internationalisation. With leaders from EQUIS-accredited schools across different regions, this session explores how institutions are interpreting the revised Internationalisation standard in ways that reflect their mission, context and strategic priorities. Speakers will discuss approaches shaped by different educational and regulatory environments, from intercultural learning to partnerships, and virtual collaboration.
Moderated by Susan Hart, Associate Director, EQUIS, EFMD Global
1C: The food business navigating uncertainty and volatility
This session will examine how food companies can respond to volatility and uncertainty by rethinking strategy, supply chains, innovation and value creation across the agri-food system.
Moderated by Rocío Reina, Director, Business Policy Area, San Telmo Business School, Spain San Telmo Business School, ES
1D: Business schools and the silver generation: From thought leadership to development opportunities
If you’re late in take-off, you’ll be late in arrival.
As longevity transforms societies and workforces, business schools have a unique opportunity to lead both the conversation and the transformation. This session explores how institutions can move from thought leadership on ageing and longevity to concrete development opportunities for learners, organisations, and communities. Panelists will discuss innovative approaches to lifelong learning, intergenerational leadership, and healthy longevity strategies that create social and economic value.
Moderated by Laurent Choain, Global Chief People & Culture Officer, Accor, FR & Director, Professional Development, EFMD Global
1E: Why is the world so angry?
Stress, mental health problems, burnout and loneliness are all on the rise around the globe. Growing polarisation creates tensions in the classroom. How can business schools teach resilience? How are we embedding wellbeing in the curriculum to foster human connections and create a sense of belonging?
Moderated by Raul V. Rodriguez, Vice President, Woxsen University, IN
13:00 – 14:30
Lunch
14:30 – 15:15
Artificial intelligence – Strategic tool or existential threat?
A dynamic exchange of two difference perspectives on the impact and role of AI on students, management education and business schools.
Moderated by Mark Smith, Dean of Programmes, emlyon business school, FR
15:15 – 16:00
Coffee break
16:00 – 16:45
2026 EFMD and EFMD Global Network Annual General Assemblies
16:45 – 17:15
Awards ceremony
Discover and celebrate the new members of the EQUIS, EFMD Accredited, EDAF, CLIP and BSIS family
17:30
Bus from Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento to Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla
19:00
Buses leaving from Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento & Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla to Hacienda San Miguel de Montelirio
19:30 – 22:45
Conference dinner at Hacienda San Miguel de Montelirio
22:45
Buses leaving from Hacienda San Miguel de Montelirio to Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento
08:15
Bus from Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla to Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento Hotel
08:30 – 09:00
Welcome coffee
09:00 – 09:45
Scholarship in the age of AI
This session will envision the impact of AI on faculty careers from 4 perspectives: research, education, engagement and academic NWOW. The aim is to activate strategic thinking on futureproofing faculty model logic for the next decade, smartly combining engagement and technology in the faculty career pathways.
Moderated by: Wilfred Mijnhardt, Policy Director General at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM), NL
09:45 – 10:30 Coffee break
10:30 – 11:45
Breakout sessions 2
2A: Decarbonisation of business schools
This session explores what defines a carbon-smart business school and how institutions can collectively navigate the strategic tensions involved in moving beyond measuring and reporting emissions.
2B: Industry collaborations & internationalisation: Challenges & opportunities
This is an interactive session focusing on business schools-industry engagement as strategic necessity rather than optional activity. It will make participants reflecting why industry engagement has become a strategic necessity rather than an optional activity; major challenges business schools face in developing meaningful partnerships; and leadership actions needed to embed industry collaboration into the DNA of a business school. The session will actively encourage participants to engage in discussion, reflect on their own institutional contexts, and share experiences, challenges, and consider innovative approaches to strengthening industry engagement in support of their schools’ strategic objectives.
2C: Graduate management education demand: What the data tells us — and what to do about it
GME is being reshaped by shifting candidate expectations, evolving employer needs and uneven competition for students. Drawing on GMAC’s research, this interactive session explores what the data tells us – and what it means for your programme portfolio, recruitment and positioning.
Through data, peer discussion and practical exercises, you’ll examine how candidate motivations, application patterns and employer expectations are changing, and how schools can respond. You’ll leave with practical frameworks, discussion prompts and actionable ideas to apply at your own institution.
2D: AI, judgment, and the evolving classroom: why the future of learning can’t be passive
As AI reshapes how we work and learn, higher education must evolve beyond passive knowledge transfer to deliver more engaging, human-centered learning experiences that develop critical thinking, judgment, and adaptability. Drawing on insights from an ongoing collaboration between IE University and Harvard Business Impact, this workshop explores why participant-centered learning and the case method are more relevant than ever in the AI era—and how these approaches are evolving through AI-enabled experimentation. Participants will engage in facilitated discussions exploring how faculty roles, learning design, and classroom experiences can evolve alongside AI while keeping the human core of education at the center.
2E: Empowering owners through executive learning
This session will explore how executive learning can empower business owners to lead with greater strategic clarity, long-term vision and resilience in increasingly complex environments.
Moderated by: Rob Healy, Managing Director, Crofton Training, IE
12:00 – 12:45
What should management education do next?
How can business schools address systemic challenges such as climate change and inequality?
12:45 – 13:15
Closing remarks and welcome to the 2027 Conference
13:15 – 14:45
Lunch
14:45
Bus from Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento to Hotel Eurostars Torre Sevilla
Please note that the Conference hotel, Barceló Sevilla Renacimiento, is now fully booked.
If you require accommodation, we have made a second room block here: Eurostars Torre Sevilla 5*.
Reservations can be made on the hotel’s website using the promotional code: EFMD. Bus transfers will be organised from this hotel to the Conference Hotel, Barceló Sevilla Renaciemiento as well as to the dinner venue on Monday evening.
Early bird fee until 5 May 2026 included:
Conference fee as of 6 May 20026 (payment by credit card ONLY)
* The third-party fee is aimed at EFMD non-members who are not representatives of universities, business schools or corporate universities.
Please note that a 25% discount applies for every third and subsequent participant from the same institution. If you are your institution’s third person to register, please contact annual@efmdglobal.org to receive your promotional code.
Cancellations must be confirmed in writing. If EFMD receives notice of your withdrawal before 05 May 2026, a cancellation administrative fee of (75€ + local VAT) will be charged. After this date, we regret that no refunds can be issued. However, substitutions are allowed at no additional cost, provided EFMD is informed of the substitute’s name, title, and address. Event fees are not transferable to other EFMD events.
Please note that if payment (or proof of payment) is not received by 25 May 2026, your name will not be included in the participants’ list.
Sponsoring the 2026 EFMD Annual Conference offers a unique opportunity to enhance brand recognition, engage with leading business schools and their key decision-makers, showcase innovative products and services, and cultivate meaningful connections within the global business school community. Our sponsoring opportunities foster visibility and thought leadership in a highly respected academic environment. If you are interested in sponsorship or have any questions, please contact Lenka Dvorackova.
Early bird exhibition package fee until 5 May 2026 (included): 3,500€
Exhibition package fee as of 6 May 2026: 4,000€
You can find the exhibitor registration link HERE.
We are launching a new registration system for exhibitors. Exhibitors can register for the conference, select preferred table, and pay directly on the platform – by credit card or bank transfer. If the order is not paid within 14 days (unless otherwise agreed), it will be cancelled. Those who will be exhibiting with us for the first time will need to get in touch and send their invoicing details if they decide to pay by bank transfer.
Cancellations must be confirmed in writing. If EFMD receives notice of your withdrawal before 05 May 2026, a cancellation administrative fee of (75€ + local VAT) will be charged. After this date, we regret that no refunds can be issued. However, substitutions are allowed at no additional cost, provided EFMD is informed of the substitute’s name, title, and address. Event fees are not transferable to other EFMD events.
