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International Business Masterclasses

We provide these intensive courses on current debates and conceptual issues in International Business to give broader learning opportunities to PhD students and post-doctoral researchers. Each masterclass offers the opportunity to engage in key International Business topics taught by notable intellectual figures in the field.

Henley workshop 1

The Henley International Business Masterclasses are an initiative developed in the International Business and Strategy unit at Henley Business School. The masterclasses are delivered in two sets each academic year, in the Autumn and Spring session. The Autumn session 2024/2025 will consist of three masterclasses which will be taught in hybrid mode from 4 November to 8 November 2024 (see details below). The courses have been designed for face-to-face delivery, and participants are encouraged to attend in-person to benefit from face-to-face interactions, but those who are unable to travel to Reading will be able to attend the live sessions online via MS Teams. The masterclasses are offered to PhD students and post-doctoral researchers.

Participants can either attend as formally enrolled students or as non-enrolled attendees.

  • Formally enrolled students will get formal recognition in the form of credits. Participants will be awarded 10 credits per module, an equivalent of 5 ECTS credits, upon the positive evaluation of coursework and payment of a tuition fee (£230 for Home and £460 for International students per module).
  • Non-enrolled attendance will be non-credit bearing (participants will only receive a certificate of attendance) and subject to a registration fee of £100 for one module, and £180 for two modules
To apply for the masterclasses, please complete an online application form, and email the following supporting documents to Jana Oslejova:
  • a CV
  • an academic reference supporting the application

The Autumn session 2024 – 2025 Masterclasses application deadline is 1st October, 2024.

Funding

Funding contributing towards costs of travel and accommodation for the duration of the masterclasses is available for a limited number of participants thanks to the support of the Society for the Advancement of Management Studies (SAMS) and the Alan Rugman Memorial Fund.

The recipients of the funding are selected via a formal process with nominations coming from PhD supervisors or other academic referees. Each applicant for the funding needs to complete an application form, and email the following supporting documents to Jana Oslejova:

  • a CV
  • an academic letter of reference

This funding is limited and we strongly encourage everyone to seek their own financial support from their institution or government.

Autumn Term Masterclass Modules Overview (Autumn 2024):

The course will be taught in hybrid mode from 4 - 6 November 2024. Participants are encouraged to attend in person to benefit from face-to-face interactions, but in case this was not possible, these sessions can be attended remotely.

Applicants are kindly asked to indicate their preferred mode of attendance during the application process. See the syllabus for more details.

The main text for these masterclasses will be:
Verbeke and I.H. Ian Lee (2021) Syllabus, Cambridge University Press.

Syllabus (download here)

This course provides a state-of-the-art account of how economic principles are used to gain insight into international business issues.

  • It examines the trade-offs that underlie key strategic decisions such as foreign market entry, outsourcing, offshoring, location of headquarters, and investment in R&D. It links firm-level analysis to industry-level analysis.
  • It shows how changes in strategy are driven by changes in the global business environment caused by globalization, privatization and market regulation
  • It explains what is involved in ‘thinking like an economist’, and shows how to ‘decode’ technical literature that would otherwise be hard to understand.
  • It demonstrates the advantages of taking a long-term global perspective on international business, based on a thorough appreciation of historical evolution, geographical context, and the impact of social and political processes.

This course is intended for doctoral and post-doctoral researchers who have open minds and intellectual curiosity; no prior knowledge of economic theory is assumed. The course will help researchers to make full use of economic concepts in planning and executing their research projects.

The course will be taught both online and face-to-face. For all participants, there will be eight pre-recorded 50-minute lectures.

While the core syllabus is fixed, there is scope for incorporating additional material on special topics at the request of individual participants. These requests can be made either before or during the course. Course participants are encouraged to participate in discussions, but they will not be required to make formal presentations.

For those attending in person, there will be eight face-to-face lectures and two face-to-face open discussion sessions. See the syllabus for more details.

Applicants are kindly asked to indicate their preferred mode of attendance during the application process.

Syllabus (download here)