Date: Sunday, June 22
Time: 11.00am – 12.30pm
Language: English
Location: School of Economics and Management, University of Florence, via delle pandette 9
Transforming Education & Research with Immersive VR and AI-Driven Experiences
Throughout history, technology and science have been deeply intertwined. Scientific discoveries have driven technological advancements, which in turn have become crucial tools for further scientific exploration. For instance, the invention of the telescope revolutionized our understanding of the universe, advancing the field of astronomy. Similarly, the microscope unveiled the building blocks of life, leading to major breakthroughs in biology and medicine.
In much the same way, virtual reality (VR) technology is opening new frontiers for social scientists, enabling them to explore aspects of human behavior that were previously inaccessible. VR allows researchers to conduct studies with unprecedented control, ecological validity, and the potential for groundbreaking insights into human cognition and interaction in a global context.
For the past century, business education has predominantly relied on the written case study method. This approach immerses learners in real-world scenarios through detailed case studies involving protagonists facing complex challenges. Classroom discussions then expose students to various models and analytical tools to address these issues. Recently, INSEAD has transformed this traditional method by integrating virtual reality (VR) technologies into its teaching approach. VR case studies offer a truly immersive experience, allowing students to engage in simulated environments and solve managerial dilemmas as if they were in real life.
In this session, INSEAD Professor of Strategy Ithai Stern, who has developed and taught several VR cases and simulations, together with Daniel Landau, Co-Founder and CEO of AVRIS Technology, an organization dedicated to advancing pedagogical innovation through the integration of Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Prof. Sabina Nielsen, Copenhagen Business School and University of Sydney, will demonstrate and discuss these groundbreaking advancements.
No prior experience with virtual reality is needed, welcome to all.
Speakers: Ithai Stern (INSEAD) and Sabina Nielsen (CBS)
Ithai Stern is a Professor of Strategy at INSEAD. His research career is devoted to advancing the field of behavioral strategy by studying the social and psychological processes underlying executive behaviors, firm-level decisions, and organizational performance. His work has been published in leading management journals including the Administrative Science Quarterly, Academy of Management Journal, and Strategic Management Journal, and been featured in numerous print, radio, and television outlets including BusinessWeek, The Wall Street Journal, National Public Radio, US News and World Report, CNN, CNBC, and Fast Company. Before joining INSEAD, Professor Stern was a standing faculty member at Kellogg School of Management at the Northwestern University. He has cofounded and chaired several international conferences and is the academic director of the INSEAD Immersive Learning Initiative that he created in 2018 (https://xr.insead.edu/). Professor Stern has taught MBA, EMBA and executive education courses in many countries around the world for which he received numerous teaching awards.
Sabina Tasheva Nielsen is a Professor of International Business at Copenhagen Business School, Denmark and a Professor of International Management at the University of Sydney, Australia. She was a Scancor visiting scholar at Harvard University’s Weatherhead Center for International Affairs in 2023. Sabina’s work in the area of diversity has been widely recognised, having won many prestigious national and international research prizes such as Tietgen, Jorck Fonds Pris and Nykredit Talent Research Prize and multiple best paper and best journal article awards. Her research applies a multi-disciplinary, multi-level and multi-dimensional approach to diversity and its impact on decision-making in top management teams and boards of directors in different national contexts. She has studied, among others, the impact of executive national diversity on firm strategy and performance and the effects of women leaders on their teams and organisations. Her research has been published in The Academy of Management Review, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of International Business Studies, among others. Sabina has attracted significant research funding from the Danish Research Council, various Danish foundations and the European Union, and has led a number of large research projects. She is passionate about issues related to diversity and creating difference in the life of people.
Daniel Landau is a Behavioral Scientist, Entrepreneur, and Media Artist whose work explores the intersection of technology, human behavior, and education. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of AVRIS Technology, an organization dedicated to advancing pedagogical innovation through the integration of Extended Reality (XR) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). In partnership with INSEAD, AVRIS has developed a globally distributed XR platform recognized for its contribution to immersive learning and executive education.
Landau’s research and creative practice have been presented at leading academic conferences, published in peer-reviewed journals, and exhibited in prominent international museums and institutions. His interdisciplinary approach – merging scientific inquiry, artistic exploration, and entrepreneurial execution – positions him at the forefront of efforts to reimagine the future of learning in a technologically mediated world.