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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. The Spring session 2025 will consist of three masterclasses which will be taught in hybrid mode from 1-2 April and 7-11 April (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 and networking, 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.

Spring 2025 Masterclasses Application process

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, £180 for two modules, and £240 for three 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

An application is considered complete upon reception of the online form and supporting documents. Incomplete applications will not be processed, which may result in delays in communication of the decision.

The Spring 2025 Masterclasses application deadline is 20 January 2025.

Funding

Funding 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. Funding may contribute towards costs of travel and accommodation for the duration of the masterclasses (tuition costs will not be covered).

Funding recipients are selected through a formal process, with nominations provided by PhD supervisors or other academic referees. Applicants must indicate their intention to apply for funding in their application form. The academic reference letter should also nominate the applicant and support their funding application.

Supporting documents (CV and academic reference) should be sent to Jana Oslejova, by the deadline.

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

What is included?

For in-person participants, lunch and coffee breaks will be provided for the duration of the modules they wish to attend, as well as one gala dinner.

People

J. Eduardo Ibarra-Olivo, Masterclasses Coordinator

Jana Oslejova, Masterclasses Administrator

Davide Castellani, Head of International Business and Strategy Department

Rajneesh Narula, Director of the Dunning Centre for International Business

Spring Term Masterclass Modules Overview (Spring 2025):

This advanced PhD course examines key academic debates surrounding cross-national differences in human resource management (HRM) and the challenges of managing human resources in multinational enterprises (MNEs) operating across diverse national contexts. The course will address the following topics: 

• Intersection between IHRM and IB 

• Relevance of context in international IHRM 

• Evolution of IHRM research through time

• Management of internationally mobile workers 

• Process issues, field boundaries, and publication issues in IHRM 

Henley Lecturers:

Guest Speakers: 

SYLLABUS (Inc. reading list)

This course addresses the complex relations between innovation, IB and Economic Geography, by providing a state-of-the-art critical overview of conceptual and empirical research organised around the following topics: 

  1. Agglomeration, Connectivity and MNEs Location Strategy (D. Castellani)
  2. Replication Studies in International Business, Innovation and Geography (L. Piscitello)
  3. The Changing Nature of Innovation in Clusters and Global Value Chains (A. Van Assche)
  4. Mapping Innovation in Space and the Implications for International Business (C. Castaldi)

Henley Lecturers:

Guest Speakers:

SYLLABUS (Inc. reading list)

This module is intended to introduce the role multinational enterprises (MNEs) can play in development, and how governments are able to influence the positive and negative outcomes associated with this interaction. The module will focus on issues relating to the role of MNEs in the process of industrialization and economic development. It will review the theory and evidence relating to how foreign direct investment affects economic structure and industrial development in host countries, taking special interest in developing countries, but also drawing on the experience of the developed world. The focus will be potential policies that governments can and do apply to optimize the impact of MNEs at the national and international level. 

Henley Lecturers:

Guest Speakers:

MODULE OVERVIEW (COMING SOON)

READING LIST (COMING SOON)

*Offered again in Autumn 2025. Details will appear later in the year.

Strategy and International Business, by Alain Verbeke

Economics of International Business, by Mark Casson