Conference highlight

Last week (4th June), colleagues from SIME joined educators from across the UK and beyond for the “BEST Connections: Building Community and Fostering Scholarship” conference, hosted at King’s Business School in London. Organised by the Business Education Scholarship and Teaching (BEST) network, the event brought together teaching-focused academics and professional staff to explore how we can keep business education meaningful, relevant, and grounded in evidence-informed practice.

Held at Bush House on the Strand campus, the event featured a vibrant mix of reflections, parallel sessions, and interactive discussions. At the heart of it were questions that cut to the core of our work as educators: How do we bring business education back to life? What helps students learn, and what gets in the way? And perhaps most importantly, without SoTL, what kind of future are we building for our students?

The day opened with a panel discussion from members of the BEST Steering Group. Participants were encouraged to reflect on the kinds of support SoTL receives, the ways its value is recognised, and the need for institutions to move beyond narrow definitions of impact and SoTL itself. The discussion highlighted the tension between visibility and recognition, as well as the risk of becoming what was referred to as a “Zombie Business School”, one that operates efficiently but lacks reflection, curiosity or a sense of purpose. There was also a strong call to broaden our understanding of what counts as evidence of SoTL’s impact. Rather than relying solely on publications or grades, participants highlighted the value of improved student experience, collaboration with practitioners, and reflective inquiry as meaningful forms of evidence that demonstrate the contribution of teaching-focused scholarship.

Throughout the day, sessions explored inclusive and student-led pedagogy and emphasised the importance of connecting curriculum to place and community. A particularly thought-provoking session, delivered by Rachel Dickinson (Warwick Business School), explored theatre-inspired, embodied approaches in the classroom. She encouraged us to see the learning space as a rehearsal room where power can be shared, risks taken, and new perspectives explored. Also, some contributors urged us to stop viewing teaching and scholarship as separate, and instead to recognise that we are constantly researching into our practice as part of our growth as educators.

SIME was also represented in the programme, with our own Radka Newton leading a session on regenerative curriculum. Her talk examined how student engagement can be reimagined through place, practice and purpose, encouraging us to view students not only as learners within a university, but as contributors to the broader communities they are part of. This interactive session offered valuable insights into how local context can be used intentionally to shape and strengthen the learning experience.

Finally, the conference highlighted the importance of keeping our teaching grounded, reflective and responsive. It was a valuable reminder that SoTL is not just about doing things differently, but about thinking differently too, and creating space for curiosity, collaboration and change in how we teach and learn.