Event Details

Lancaster University Management School is excited to invite you to our Inaugural Lecture Series, a special set of public lectures that celebrates the careers of our newest Professors. Each lecture will feature a brief presentation by one of our Professors, offering an overview of their research and a glimpse into their personal academic journey.

About this lecture

Contracting for the common good: Towards technology-enabled, resilient and sustainable supply chains to tackle grand societal challenges

Kostas Selviaridis talks about how he became Professor of Operations and Supply Chain Management at Lancaster University. Kostas has had a long-standing interest in contracts and the process of contracting, and how they help shape and manage inter-organisational relationships in the supply chain. He has progressively shifted his focus to public sector contracting and its role in fostering technological innovation, resilience, and sustainability in supply chains. Professor Selviaridis has conducted extensive empirical research on how innovation-oriented procurement policies and practices stimulate supplier innovation to address societal challenges such as accessible and affordable healthcare. He has also investigated, among other topics, how public tendering and contracting can help build resilient pharmaceutical supply chains to curb shortages of medicines; and how public procurement is used strategically to create social value and promote environmental sustainability. Through such work, Kostas has cultivated a broader interest in the interplay between supply chain management and public policy, including the use of supply chain research and best practice to inform government policy design, implementation, and evaluation. His research is directly relevant for multiple UN Sustainability Development Goals, notably No. 3 (access to medicines and quality healthcare), No. 9 (technological innovation and SMEs integration into value chains), and No. 12 (sustainable public procurement).

About this event

The lectures will be held online throughout the academic year, allowing us to make them accessible to a broad audience, including staff, students, and the wider public. Each session will last approximately 60 minutes, including time for both the presentation and a Q&A session.

An inaugural lecture is a distinguished academic event, marking the promotion of a colleague to professorship—a significant milestone in their career. These events provide a unique opportunity for our newly appointed Professors to share their pioneering research, highlight their achievements in research, innovation, engagement, and teaching, and showcase the societal impact of their work.

The series is free of charge and open to everyone. Whether you are an expert in the field or simply curious, we warmly welcome all staff, students, their guests, and members of the local community to join us in celebrating these academic milestones.

Please note you will be sent a TEAMS link to join the lecture following registration.