Course detail

Welcome to International Business and Business Model Innovation

Aim:

This is a 5 ECTS, inter-disciplinary, inter-technology PhD course in 'International Business - Business Model Innovation'. It aims to acquaint Doctoral Candidates (DCs), across various disciplines, departments and faculties, with opportunities and challenges firms – small or large, new or established, low- or high-tech – may encounter while innovating their internationalization, de-internationalization, and re-internationalization business models and strategies.

Why:

The course targets DCs across diverse spectrum of disciplines who, based on own research, aspirations and motivations, and/or as part of research or applied project teams, already pursue or would like to pursue entrepreneurial, intrapreneurial, commercialization or other type of knowledge transfer activities internationally and who would like to deepen their knowledge and skills on how practical and conceptual understanding of the IB and BMI intersection can help DCs with their research as well as ambitions to successfully launch and/or grow their new ventures internationally. 

Who:

DCs, from diverse disciplines, who research the IB-BMI intersection; are interested in researching the IB-BMI intersection; plan to start own new international ventures; have their entrepreneurial international ventures.

Learning objectives:

By the end of the course DCs will have acquired skills and knowledge in (a) understanding firms' (small or large, new or established, low- or high-tech) opportunities and challenges at these three intersections: internationalization-BMI, de-internationalization-BMI, and re-internationalization-BMI and (b) applying these intersections to own research projects, international business ventures or ideas, and other real-life cases.

Teaching methods:

This is an interactive course. DCs are expected to attend all sessions and be prepared for every session. Session preparation includes for example reading all assigned material for a session, writing and submitting written material as applied, and working in groups to prepare for next sessions and/or group assignments. Lectures, workshops, group presentations and discussions, faculty and peer review and feedback are examples of activities during the sessions. Half a day of the course will be open to ‘public’ and will feature for example public debates, Q & A panels, or guest lectures. DCs will have the opportunity to present and receive feedback on their research projects.

Organizers:

Jesper Sort, Accounting Research Group, AAUBS and Jonas S. Eduardsen, International Business Research Group, AAUBS

Lecturers: 

• Petri Ahokangas, Professor, Oulu University, Finland
• Jonas S. Eduardsen 
• Nikolai Kazantev, Research Associate, the Institute for Manufacturing, University of Cambridge
• Jesper C. Sort
• Romeo V. Turcan, TBRP, AAUBS

Assessment:

Each DC will submit a pre-course application essay. During the course, the participants will work on 2 assignments in groups, present them and receive feedback. Assignment 1: Advising the management of an international firm on a course of action based on an IB-BMI intersection. Assignemnt 2: IB-BMI and Future Technologies: Future-Oriented Mini-scenarios. Detail guidelines and the assignment material are available on the course Intranet

Dates: March 23-27, 2026

Place: Aalborg University Business School 

City: Aalborg

Number of seats: 20

Deadlines:

• DL1: Feb 23, 2026 - Application Essay submission
• DL2: Feb 27, 2026 - Notification of acceptance
• DL3: Mar 9, 2026 - Registration and payment of the course fee. Early registration is strongly encouraged

Price:

Participation fee is 150 EUR (the fee applies to ALL applicants). The fee will cover costs related to coffee breaks and two dinners during the week of the course. Lunches are covered by the AAU PhD school. Each participant is responsible for his/her own travel and accommodation.

Payment Information:

Payments can be made online via credit card. The payment link https://www.events.aau.dk/event/phd-course will be active close to the registration deadline, and payment must be completed 1 week before course start. 

Important information concerning PhD courses:

There is a no-show fee of DKK 3,000 for each course where the student does not show up. Cancellations are accepted no later than 2 weeks before the start of the course. Registered illness is of course an acceptable reason for not showing up on those days. Furthermore, all courses open for registration approximately four months before start of the course. We cannot ensure any seats before the deadline for enrollment, all participants will be informed after the deadline, approximately 3 weeks before the start of the course. For inquiries regarding registration, cancellation or waiting list, please contact the PhD administration at phdcourses@adm.aau.dk. When contacting us please state the course title and course period. Thank you.