News Story

Strengthening Interdisciplinary Research: Reflections from the Chartered Association of Business Schools Annual Conference 2025

Monday 17 Nov 2025

KMi was proud to see Prof John Domingue an invited panelist at the Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) Annual Conference 2025, held at County Hall, London on 10–11 November. The conference focused on “Strategic Issues Shaping the Future of Business and Management Education”, and the panel explored the theme: “Developing Interdisciplinary Research Collaborations.”

The panel featured:

Alexandra Amey, Strategic Lead for UKRI Interdisciplinary Research
Jennifer Johns, Director of Research, University of Bristol Business School
David Ellis, Professor of Behavioural Science, University of Bath
John Domingue, Professor of Computer Science, KMi, Open University, and was
Chaired by Professor Nuran Acur, Director of Research, University of Glasgow Adam Smith Business School

The discussion highlighted the critical role of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex societal challenges. Drawing on his 30 years at KMi, including seven as Director, Prof Domingue emphasised that successful interdisciplinary research requires:

Independent funding to enable agility, adaptability and responsiveness
A culture of openness, where all members are receptive to new frameworks and languages
A flat organisational structure, with equal respect for all contributions — whether from academics, developers, or administrative staff
Shared vision and trust, built over time with institutional support

These insights echo themes from Prof Domingue’s recent article in Times Higher Education, where he advocates for a bottom-up, egalitarian, mission-driven approach to team formation and leadership.

This event reaffirmed the importance of interdisciplinary thinking in shaping the future of research and KMi’s ongoing commitment to fostering open, inclusive, and egalitarian, and impactful research environments.