DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH
RESEARCH DEPARTMENT
Emilios GALARIOTIS
“Strengthening our positive impact on society”
“After a year marked by the launch of the ECOS 2025 strategic plan and implementation of changes in the organisation of academic departments, we are working to further strengthen the scientific but also the societal and environmental impact of research championed by Audencia and its research faculty.”
129
research studies published and 21 case studies produced in 2021
1/5
What is your assessment of 2021?
The year was chiefly marked by the culmination of our ECOS 2025 strategic plan and the implementation of the Research Department’s mandatory guidelines concerning all the aspects of our activities related to this plan.
This translated into better appreciation of the work of professors who invest in creating an impact on social and economic transition, the creation of our ethics committee to accompany the necessary steps in producing our research, the organisation of Gaia seminars and events – which were already planned in relation to social and environmental transition -, without forgetting major events that we supported such as the AFFI congress. At the same time, we worked very closely with other departments on themes linked to their activities, such as the overall evaluation of faculty or the reform of the departments. Consequently, we welcomed HCERES (the French high council for evaluation of research and higher education) for a smoothly run visit, in close collaboration with the Learning & Quality Development Department. In the end, the outcome for research in 2021 was very positive. The amount of research produced continued to increase, reaching 129 research studies published and 21 case studies produced. In 2021, the quality of papers published was even better than the previous year, proof that excellence remains the major guideline for the research direction. As a result, we have been able to record more work published in higher impact outlets, i.e. 4-star or FT-50 journals, whilst we had less 2-star and 1-star articles. In addition, research funding from public sources increased by 188%, from private sources by 33% and from the DBA by 43%. Finally, we have 33 PhD students enrolled in various fields of management.
2/5
What different approaches have you set up for maintaining Audencia excellence, despite the pandemic?
Firstly, given the context, we adapted our methods by switching seminars and events to digital versions.
The distinguishing feature of some of these seminars was that they were organised on a hybrid basis, by several establishments, making for even richer interactions. In tandem, we also maintained a number of remote meetings: visits to our partners, focus groups, the FIA (international affiliated faculty), etc., which is proof of our total adaptability. In parallel, the COVID situation has been a genuine subject of discussion but also research, to show our excellence and analytical capacity. To meet the many constraints, we have also had to adapt the evaluation period length for our professors, to give them the necessary time to publish their work, taking into account the longer lead-times for publishing by reviews. More generally, we have learned from the context and improved our digital communication, thanks to the support of the Digital Transformation and Information Systems Department but also the Communication Department, in order to better promote the work of our researchers internally and externally. To conclude, I would say that the COVID context (leaving aside the negative impact it has had on daily life) has especially demonstrated our capacity to adapt and to learn and work as a team, in a flexible manner!
3/5
What is your vision for 2022?
In 2022, we will be refocusing our work to ensure that there is a greater societal and environmental impact, in keeping with the guidelines set out in the ECOS2025 strategic plan.
To back up this development, we are going to reorganise our structure and our processes, particularly regarding our quest for funding in relation to public needs. 2022 will also be a year that witnesses the start of the implementation of three new areas of excellence, both in research and teaching. The aim of this new organisational structure is to support skills hybridisation, which is one of the vectors of our strategic plan. Once this has been implemented, a scientific committee will again be set up, with external professors specialised in themes linked to our strategy and with the capacity to support cross-disciplinary work within the scope of the school’s three areas of excellence, with the constant aim of increasing the impact of our research work. In spring 2022, we will also start to work on measuring the impact of research on society, via the definition of precise metrics. This work will bear fruit in the coming years to provide accurate feedback on the impact of works on society.
4/5
What are your objectives between now and 2025, within the framework of the ECOS 2025 plan?
Our prime objective is to increase the amount of research that we publish, through publications that will be more impactful but also hybrid, so as to be in keeping with the development of our school’s activities, as set out in the framework of our strategic plan.
In very concrete terms, our objective is to reach 560 PRJ publications by 2025. 40% of them must be aligned with our school’s strategy and 30% will be hybrid, with a mandatory direct impact on the economy or society. To contribute to strengthening the influence of Audencia, another of our department’s goals is to organise, by 2025, major events with hybrid themes connected with Gaia. Finally, our objective is also to reinforce our own research funding, by being even more in tune with the needs expressed by our stakeholders, both private and public.
5/5
What are your CSR commitments?
CSR has been part of the DNA of Audencia’s Research Direction for many years. Our initial objective is therefore to continue this development, precisely by constantly increasing the positive impact of research on society (see the concrete objectives set above).
This is one of the reasons why we have decided to reduce our carbon footprint. Secondly, we are committed to maintaining and continuing to strengthen diversity within the faculty, both in terms of the nationality of our professors, their gender, their sexual orientation, but also through the presence of people with disabilities. These choices should also have an impact on the research topics addressed or the support offered, as is the case with the #Negotraining scheme, for example. Finally, as I explained at the start of the Covid crises, COVID will start to have a visible impact on the production of research work from 2023, especially for more junior professors. The role of our department is to deal with this and to support our faculty in meeting their aspirations.
© AUDENCIA 2022