On Friday 12 June 2026, doctoral students from the College of Business and Law at UWE Bristol and the Faculty of Business and Law at Taylor’s University came together for the annual CBL-UWE & FBL-Taylor’s University Doctoral Conference. Held across Bristol and Subang Jaya, with participants joining both in person and online, the conference provided a platform for students to share their research, exchange ideas and celebrate the strength of the doctoral community.
The conference showcased the breadth and diversity of research being undertaken across business, management, law, finance, economics and related disciplines. Throughout the day, presenters explored topics ranging from artificial intelligence and entrepreneurship to sustainability, workplace inclusion, healthcare innovation and marketing.
Highlights from the conference
The conference opened with welcome remarks from Professor Wendy Phillips, Dean for Research and Knowledge Exchange at CBL-UWE Bristol, and Professor Poon Wai Ching, Head of Doctoral Programmes in the Faculty of Business and Law at Taylor’s University.
Delegates were then joined by keynote speaker Professor Darren Reynolds, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange at UWE Bristol. Drawing on more than three decades of experience, his keynote address, Life Beyond the Borders: 35 Years of Interdisciplinary Working – A Personal Perspective, reflected on the value of collaboration across disciplines and the role of research in creating meaningful change.
Ahead of the conference, doctoral students from both Universities also had the opportunity to participate in on-campus and online pre-conference workshops. Led by Steve Creffield of EvolveIntegral Ltd, “Seeing what you see: A workshop on bringing your research to life for a room/screen of your peers” helped participants develop their communication and presentation skills, providing valuable preparation for sharing their research with conference delegates.
Conference sessions explored a wide range of contemporary challenges and opportunities, including:
- The growing influence of artificial intelligence on organisations, entrepreneurship and decision-making.
- Emerging global trends in supply chains, real estate investment, manufacturing and infrastructure.
- Sustainability, ESG and climate-related challenges in business and law.
- Entrepreneurship in complex and rapidly changing environments.
- Innovation and adoption in healthcare and public services.
- Inclusion, identity and workforce change in contemporary workplaces.
- Consumer behaviour, social marketing and the evolving customer journey.
Conference programme highlighted the international nature of the doctoral community, bringing together PhD and DBA researchers from across the UK and around the world to share perspectives, experiences and emerging findings.
Celebrating research excellence
A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the annual awards, recognising outstanding contributions from doctoral researchers.
Huge congratulations to this year’s award winners:
- Best Paper Award – Thilaka Hewage Asanka Chamara for “Beyond the Veil: The Intersection of Ethnicity and Sexual Orientation in the Concealment of Gay and Bisexual Male Identities in the Workplace: A Cross-Cultural Comparative Study of Sri Lanka and the UK.”
- Delegates’ Choice Award – Bilal Abu Jafar for “Exporting Under Volatility: How Palestinian SMEs Respond to Export Barriers in a Conflict-Affected Economy.”
The conference once again demonstrated the quality, creativity and impact of doctoral research across both institutions. Beyond the presentations themselves, the event provided valuable opportunities for networking, feedback and collaboration, helping doctoral students build confidence, develop new connections and refine their ideas.
“Whether you joined us on-line or on campus, I hope you enjoyed the Conference and found it interesting and useful.
It was a day of celebration of research – the day for our doctoral students, by our doctoral students and about our doctoral students. I hope they will use it as a springboard to yet greater things in the near future.” Dr Pawel Capik
We look forward to seeing how the ideas presented at this year’s conference continue to develop and to welcoming the next iteration of papers at the Doctoral Conference next year.