On 11^th July 2025, Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow organized an online Faculty Development Program on Current Trends in Research. The guest speaker of the day was Dr. Weng Marc Lim (Dean & Distinguished Professor, Sunway Business School, Sunway University, Malaysia). This was jointly organized by the International Relations Committee and the Research Cell. It was well coordinated by Prof. Nishtha Malik (Co-Chair, International Relations Committee) under the guidance of Prof. Pallavi Srivastava (Dean, International Relations) and Prof. Anubhav Mishra (Dean Research). The event was graced by the presence of faculty and FPM Scholars of Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow and its sister campuses.

Prof. Nishtha Malik initiated the session by introducing the guest who was presented with a Green Certificate.

In his session, Prof. Lim outlined the key academic publishing expectations and business research trends. He introduced the ADHOGS framework—Automation, Digitalization, Hyper-connectivity, Obligations, Globalization, and Sustainability - as key forces shaping business. He emphasized the importance of publishing in Financial Times or Scopus Q1 journals and advised researchers to target journals in relevant subject categories and balance idealistic goals with academic realities.

Further, he discussed about optimizing journal submission strategies. Faster journals, while having higher acceptance rates, are more likely to get desk rejected. Slower journals often involve multiple review rounds, and patience is key as longer review processes can lead to better outcomes. Authors were encouraged to build a pipeline of multiple papers and focus on continuous submission and revision rather than rushing.

He stressed that rigorous research papers need a significant theoretical contribution that explains the implications of not addressing identified gaps. He emphasized using relevant and consistent samples and maintaining strict formatting to avoid rejection based on presentation flaws. Various research methodologies were discussed, including restructuring models for different stakeholders, using multiple studies for complex topics, and justifying qualitative research for global phenomena.

Moving Further, he emphasized the evolving standards in academic publishing, highlighting that while top scholars aid in research design, their involvement alone does not guarantee acceptance; true value lies in the research's theoretical depth, rigorous multi-study designs, and contextual relevance. Prof. Marc advised patience, persistence, and professionalism in navigating rejections to align submissions with journal expectations for higher acceptance rates.

The insightful session concluded with Q & A followed by a vote of thanks by Dr. Kajal (Chair, International Relations).

Writer: Ms. Monica Sharma

Photographer: Ms. Monica Sharma

Graphic Designer: Mr. Shubham Kumar Pandey