Migration in a Fragmenting World Order: Can We Talk Policy Without International Business?

The image shows a young, blonde, white woman walking through an urban metropolis with people of different ages, races and nationalities.

Date: Tuesday 30 June 2026, 14:45 – 17:15
Location: Manchester Metropolitan University Business School, Lyceum Pl, Manchester M15 6BY
Type: Ideas in Practice, Seminars and lectures, Alumni, UK fairs and exhibitions
Cost: FREE
Download: Outlook, iCal

Join us at the Annual International Business Conference to hear our expert panellists discuss the intersection of migration policy and international business.

Register your place on Eventbrite

As geopolitical tensions reshape global landscapes and human mobility continues to dominate headlines, migration has emerged as a critical concern for international business (IB) and policy discourse. From controversial deportation policies and immigration raids across different countries to ongoing trade conflicts and supply chain realignments between major economic powers, the implications of migration extend far beyond national borders—deep into the heart of global economic systems.

This panel will ask: Can we talk migration policy without international business? And if not, how should the private sector, particularly multinational enterprises, be engaged—accountably, ethically and constructively? Most importantly, in the context of this conference, what role should IB scholarship assume in responding to the urgency of these questions? Drawing from the perspectives of business leaders, policy expert and IB scholars, we will propose a way forward.

The event aims to:

Interrogate the inseparability of migration policy and international business
Explore how migration dynamics operate at multiple levels—from geopolitics and global value chains to national policies and local labor markets
Assess the responsibilities and limits of multinational enterprises in shaping migration outcomes
Clarify the role of IB scholars in a politically charged and urgent policy domain and propose a forward-looking research and engagement agenda
Promote collaboration between business leaders, policy experts and academic researchers

This event is aimed at scholars, policymakers and practitioners interested in the intersections of migration, geopolitics and global business.

Event Programme:

14:45	Arrival and refreshments
15:15	Welcome and introductions Aida Hajro, Professor of International Business at Leeds University Business School
15:25	Panel discussion: Can we talk policy without international business? Moderators: Aida Hajro, Professor of International Business at Leeds University Business School, and Milda Zilinskaite, Senior Scientist and Director of the Competence Center for Sustainability Transformation and Responsibility (STaR) at Vienna University of Economics and Business Rachel Cowburn-Walden, Strategic Business and Human Rights Consultant Philip McCann, Chair of Urban and Regional Economics, Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester Auret van Heerden, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Equiception Business and Human Rights Jason Gagnon, Senior Development Economist and International Policy Advisor
16:10	Audience question-and-answer session
16:30	Refreshments and networking
17:15	Event close

If you have any questions about this event, please contact Grace Carter at Leeds University Business School.