Learning something new in 7 minutes - Welcome to Research Ricochet
Exchanging new ideas and encouraging intellectual debate was front and centre on Friday 15 November, as over 100 postgraduate Oxford Brookes Business School students attended the annual Research Ricochet event.
The speed dating style event, organised by Dr Omar Abou Hamdan, Dr Patrick Chen, and Dr Hanlin Wang aimed to foster lively discussions across a wide array of topics, featuring 12 presenters to ensure stimulating and robust conversations. Each presenter shared a question stemming from their research and/or work. These questions were printed and displayed on poster boards with presenters positioned alongside their respective questions. Students rotated among these stations every 7 minutes, initiating conversations with the presenters using the printed questions as a conversation starter about the research area.
MSc Management student, Navin Raj Ramachandran Selvaraj said, “It was an incredible platform that provided deep insights and exposure to impactful research.
What made this event truly special was the opportunity to connect with some brilliant professionals from the Business School who showcased their research. Engaging in discussions and debates with them was enlightening—every conversation was a treasure trove of knowledge and inspiration. One of the topics that captured my interest was people analytics—understanding how data-driven insights can shape strategic decision-making. The rigour and effort that go into such research are nothing short of impressive! I’m grateful for such opportunities to learn, grow, and engage with innovative minds. Here’s to many more enlightening experiences at Oxford Brookes University”.
Fellow MSc Management student, Sejal Lad added, “It was an incredible experience connecting with so many experts and getting thoughtful answers to our questions.
I’ve always been passionate about coaching, especially with my background in Edutech. The discussion around AI—whether it's a fear or an opportunity—sparked my curiosity even more. I also got really interested in people analytics and how it supports evidence-based decision-making in strategic HR”.
MSc Management and Business Analytics student, Mohammed Elambilassery said, “The event offered an incredible opportunity to explore innovative research topics, engage with brilliant faculty members and research leaders, and interact with presenters while voting for the best topics. A huge thanks to all the faculty members for making this event so engaging and enriching. We, as students, are looking forward to more interactive sessions and exciting research projects in the future!”.
Professor Nick Wilton, Dean of Oxford Brookes Business School said, “The Research Ricochet is a great way of promoting the diverse and impactful research going on across the Business School, whilst engaging directly with students who are undertaking their own research projects. It opens students’ eyes not only to the different approaches that can be adopted in addressing complex research problems, but also the value of research in addressing contemporary issues affecting individuals, organisations and society”.
The topics presented and open for discussion were:
- How operating in a war zone impacts the resilience of SMEs? A case study of Ukraine. Dr Joanna Karmowska
- How do migrants create value through hospitality, tourism and events. Professor Peter Lugosi
- Are prestigious directors mere attractive ornaments on the corporate Christmas tree? Dr Harsh Khedar
- Why do professionals do pro bono work? Dr Judie Gannon
- Can Women's Sport learn any social media lessons from the Euro2020 online firestorm? Dr Nicole Ferdinand
- The role of digital tourism in community empowerment. Bernardo de La Vega Vinolo - Doctoral Researcher (PhD)
- AI - Fear or Opportunity? Dr Hannah Tornow
- Which linguistic characteristics make AI chatbots more persuasive? Dr Jano Jimenez-Barreto
- Preaching Water Drinking Wine. Dr Reginald Kadzutu
- Churn Analytics: The New Frontier. Dr Ahmad Abd Rabuh
- People Analytics: How do we promote more evidence-based decisions in strategic HR? Dr Francisco Trincado-Munoz
- Who benefits most from coaching: the client or the coach? Dr Sebastian Fox - Doctorate of Coaching and Mentoring
Congratulations to our winners for this Ricochet Run as voted by our students:
- Dr Ahmad Abd Rabuh: Most Innovative Topic
- Dr Francisco Trincado- Munoz: Most Persuasive Presenter
- Dr Hannah Tornow: Most Impactful Research