The Research Cluster of Excellence in Business Education Research (RCE-BER) is an interdisciplinary platform that connects researchers and educators across IBSS and the wider XJTLU community to advance research and innovation in business education.
RCE-BER takes teaching and educational practice as an important starting point for research. Innovations in curriculum design, assessment, student engagement, educational technology and teaching practice can generate research questions, collaborative projects and scholarly outputs relevant to both academic and professional communities
The RCE aims to bring together expertise across disciplines, departments and schools to develop research that improves our understanding of how business education is designed, delivered and experienced. Particular attention is given to emerging developments such as Education + AI, which are creating new opportunities and challenges for teaching, learning and assessment.
Research areas and priorities
Research priorities
RCE-BER supports interdisciplinary research in areas including:
Teaching innovation and pedagogical research: Research that examines innovative teaching practices and develops evidence on their effectiveness, scalability and implications for business education.
Education + AI and digital learning: Research into generative AI, digital learning environments, AI-supported assessment and feedback, learning analytics, and the changing roles of educators and students in technology-enabled education.
Curriculum, assessment and student learning: Research addressing curriculum design, assessment and feedback, student engagement, collaborative learning, transferable skills, inclusion and learning outcomes in business education.
Teaching cases and practice-based educational resources: Development and evaluation of teaching cases, pedagogical resources and practice-based approaches that connect business education with contemporary organisational and societal challenges.
How We Work
RCE-BER provides a platform through which colleagues with shared interests can develop ideas into interdisciplinary projects and visible outputs.
The RCE facilitates collaboration across IBSS departments and with other schools, academies and units across XJTLU. Potential areas of collaboration include educational technology, artificial intelligence, educational development, sustainability, and other areas relevant to the future of business education.
The RCE also supports the development of education-related projects through research and practice-sharing activities, project-development discussions, internal peer feedback, matching potential collaborators matching and the identification of appropriate internal and external funding opportunities.
Participation is project- and activity-based, allowing colleagues from different disciplines and career tracks to contribute according to their expertise and interests.
Research activities and opportunities
RCE-BER organises and supports activities that connect educational practice, research and dissemination. These may include:
interdisciplinary seminars and research conversations;
sharing and development of innovative teaching practices;
workshops on pedagogical research and publication;
education project and funding development sessions;
teaching case and pedagogical resource development;
collaborative initiatives with other XJTLU schools and academies; and
external engagement and dissemination of innovation in business education.
*Current and forthcoming activities will be updated regularly on this page.
Historical Events
Cluster Talks / Seminar Series
Cross-Border Investments in Private Firms: The Benefits of Comparability for Foreign Investors
Speaker: Professor Kris Allee, Professor, University of Arkansas
Date: 8 November, 2024
WorkReady Finance: Using Gamification and AI-Enhanced Learning to Create Real-World Impact in Finance Education
Speaker: Dr Helen (Ning) Zhang, Senior Lecturer, University of the West of England
Date: 7 August, 2026
Workshops:
Business Case Development Workshop Date: 20 December, 2024
Talk the Walk: Case Development Experience Sharing Date: 11 April, 2025
Practice of Case Development —From Writing Strategies to Teaching Design Date: 5 June, 2025
Illustrative and Experiential Cases: Exploring Different Case Forms Date: 22 October, 2025
Case Writing and Publishing Date: 5 November, 2025
Research Partners and Collaborations
Collaborate with us
RCE-BER welcomes colleagues from IBSS and across XJTLU who are interested in developing interdisciplinary research and projects related to business education.
Researchers and educators are encouraged to approach the RCE with emerging research ideas, teaching innovations that may have research potential, opportunities for collaborative funding applications, proposals for seminars or workshops, or potential cross-school collaborations.
Researchers within and beyond XJTLU who are interested in collaborating with RCE-BER are also welcome to contact us.
About
The Research Cluster of Excellence in Business Education Research (RCE-BER) is an interdisciplinary platform that connects researchers and educators across IBSS and the wider XJTLU community to advance research and innovation in business education.
RCE-BER takes teaching and educational practice as an important starting point for research. Innovations in curriculum design, assessment, student engagement, educational technology and teaching practice can generate research questions, collaborative projects and scholarly outputs relevant to both academic and professional communities
The RCE aims to bring together expertise across disciplines, departments and schools to develop research that improves our understanding of how business education is designed, delivered and experienced. Particular attention is given to emerging developments such as Education + AI, which are creating new opportunities and challenges for teaching, learning and assessment.
Research areas and priorities
Research priorities
RCE-BER supports interdisciplinary research in areas including:
How We Work
RCE-BER provides a platform through which colleagues with shared interests can develop ideas into interdisciplinary projects and visible outputs.
The RCE facilitates collaboration across IBSS departments and with other schools, academies and units across XJTLU. Potential areas of collaboration include educational technology, artificial intelligence, educational development, sustainability, and other areas relevant to the future of business education.
The RCE also supports the development of education-related projects through research and practice-sharing activities, project-development discussions, internal peer feedback, matching potential collaborators matching and the identification of appropriate internal and external funding opportunities.
Participation is project- and activity-based, allowing colleagues from different disciplines and career tracks to contribute according to their expertise and interests.
Research activities and opportunities
RCE-BER organises and supports activities that connect educational practice, research and dissemination. These may include:
*Current and forthcoming activities will be updated regularly on this page.
Historical Events
Cluster Talks / Seminar Series
Workshops:
Research Partners and Collaborations
Collaborate with us
RCE-BER welcomes colleagues from IBSS and across XJTLU who are interested in developing interdisciplinary research and projects related to business education.
Researchers and educators are encouraged to approach the RCE with emerging research ideas, teaching innovations that may have research potential, opportunities for collaborative funding applications, proposals for seminars or workshops, or potential cross-school collaborations.
Researchers within and beyond XJTLU who are interested in collaborating with RCE-BER are also welcome to contact us.