Kotler (2009) states that the most difficult challenges for leaders are turbulent environment and standing changes. Together with turbulence and change is closely connected with innovation and flexibility. And Hamel (2008) states that the changes in management style are not as quick as the changes in the environment. Given the turbulence of the contemporary environment, it is necessary to adopt more flexible approaches to business leadership in circumstances of uncertainty than has traditionally been the case and involving new ways of learning and behaviors.

We are now living in a world facing unprecedented challenges, including polarization and separatism, climate change, and disruptive technologies. What are the qualities that our future business leaders must have? And what roles should business schools play in shaping such leaders for the turbulent world?

Antai College of Economics and Management, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, invites business school deans and colleagues from around the world to come to Shanghai for the 8th International Business School Shanghai Conference (IBSSC 2020) to contemplate these important questions and formulate winning strategies for the future.

Since its inauguration in 2006, the IBSSC has become the largest dean-level conference for business schools in the Asia-Pacific region, in terms of both number of participants and high profile of speakers. The IBSSC is also recognized worldwide as one of the most influential and international business school conferences globally.

At each conference, the IBSSC has invited more than 40 Deans as speakers from top business schools in different parts of the world, and in overall, the about 200 dean-level participants will represent 160 business schools, from more than 40 countries and regions. 60% participants are from overseas while the rest of them are from local Chinese schools.

Due to its well-focused themes and the scale of global participants, the IBSSC is creating a steadily greater impact on the business education community of the world.