The Concept of the Faculty Development Series (FDS) is to hold Lecture Series to enlighten the BSBI and Associated Academic Faculties on different aspects relating to academia and self development.
The BSBI Faculty Development Series (FDS) is a structured programme of lectures, discussions and knowledge exchange, built to keep academic faculty close to the latest developments across business, research and teaching.
Faculty from across BSBI’s European campuses take part in expert-led conversations across academia and industry. The aim is simple: sharpen faculty thinking, then carry that straight into the classroom.
The BSBI Faculty Development Series (FDS) is a cross-campus programme connecting academic knowledge, industry practice and the classroom across BSBI Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, Paris and Hamburg. With more than 80% of BSBI faculty holding a PhD and many being senior active professionals, the series builds on the strength of a faculty already deeply connected to research and industry. Hosted by Dr Gemma Vallet, BSBI Vice Dean, each conversation brings together a BSBI lecturer or professor and an industry perspective, with one purpose: to bring current professional knowledge to faculty and, through them, to students in the classroom.
“FDS connects academic thinking with what is actually happening in industry—and our students feel the difference. It keeps our faculty curious, critical and ahead, turning that energy into better teaching“
— Dr Gemma Vallet, BSBI Vice Dean
BSBI’s FDS is built for anyone teaching, researching or shaping how BSBI delivers education. Whether faculty are deep in research, new to the lecture theatre or splitting their time between academia and an industry role, each session meets them at that point and moves them forward. It’s a series for people who see teaching as something that keeps developing, term after term.
Lecturers and professors across BSBI’s European campus network (Berlin, Barcelona, Madrid, and Hamburg) who want to stay in touch with the latest developments in the field.
Staff who shape curriculums, assessments or academic strategies, looking for a wider view of industry practice.
Faculty who build and publish research, testing their thinking against real-world business challenges.
Practitioners teaching alongside their professional work, keeping academic and industry conversations going.
BSBI’s FDS runs on the conversations and developments happening across business and education, day by day. Recent sessions have explored artificial intelligence’s impact across entrepreneurship, marketing and communications, and the shifting shape of business models.
Each topic earns its place because faculty are already fielding questions on it, from students or from industry. Recent topics include:
Each FDS session follows the same principle:
Hosted by Dr Gemma Vallet, BSBI Vice Dean, and structured like a live business case, events challenge faculty to question, debate and push back in the same way that BSBI runs its classrooms.
Here’s how a session comes together:
A live issue is identified, often drawn from industry experiences, faculty research or Harvard Business Impact case material.
A BSBI lecturer is paired with an industry practitioner working on that same issue.
The conversation is hosted by Dr Gemma Vallet, who draws out and understands both sides and perspectives.
Faculty engage directly, questioning, debating, connecting it to their own subject.
The knowledge gained from the session feeds directly into how our faculty teach across the BSBI campuses, building towards an interconnected, international community.
FDS mirrors BSBI’s highly interactive, case-based teaching approach, encouraging faculty to question, debate and connect theory with real business challenges. With faculty access to Harvard Business Impact and its business cases, each FDS conversation works almost like a “quick case” for faculty: a focused discussion around a live issue that can travel from industry, to faculty, to classroom.
Speaker: Mrs Carolina Olaya
Speaker: Mr Sergio Reyes, an entrepreneur advisor in Silicon Valley who also teaches at IE (Instituto de Empresa) and BSBI Barcelona and Madrid.
In 2026, conversations include “AI and New Career Paths in the Marketing and Communications Arena,” with Mrs. Carolina Olaya, and “AI-First Business Models for Future Entrepreneurs,” with Mr. Sergio Reyes, an entrepreneur advisor in Silicon Valley who also teaches at IE (Instituto de Empresa) and BSBI Barcelona and Madrid.
Each FDS session creates a space for critical discussion, which faculty can test in their own teaching. And over a term, that builds up: sharper thinking, industry engagement, and classroom content that matches today’s workplace.
Through the Faculty Development Series, faculty get the chance to:
The purpose of FDS is simple: uplift faculty, raise critical thinking and drive excellence into the classroom.