With the goal of transforming the approach to marginalized and underserved communities in Latin America and beyond, InDeep Latam PhD Academy Camp proposes to immerse you in the research of marginalized contexts in Latin America with a renewed vision in search of new paradigms of impact and entrepreneurship.

This camp for graduate students, organized by VIVA Idea, supported by the VIVA Scholars network of researchers and powered by the VIVA Idea Schmidheiny Chairs at EGADE Business School of the Tecnológico de Monterrey and INCAE Business School, is an essential reference for those seeking to explore new methodological and theoretical frontiers in social research in the field of management, administration and organizational studies.

InDeep Latam PhD Academy Camp will be held from September 4-6, 2024 in Puerto Viejo, Limón, Costa Rica, and focuses on innovative qualitative methodologies to address empirical studies in areas often ignored by mainstream academic publications. This approach responds to a growing demand from high caliber international journals interested in diversifying their scientific contributions and expanding research perspectives.

The initiative is coordinated by Felipe Symmes, in charge of Research and Academic Extension at VIVA Idea, professor and researcher at EGADE Business School and PhD in organizational studies, and Urs Jäger, PhD in strategy, director of Research at VIVA Idea and professor at INCAE Business School.

In addition to Symmes and Jäger, the faculty includes a distinguished group of academics such as Pablo Fernández from IAE Business School and senior editor of the journal Organization Studies, Argentina; Wendelin Kuepers from Karlshochschule University, Germany; Rajiv Maher from EGADE Business School, Mexico; and Heiko Spitzeck from Fundação Dom Cabral, Brazil. This team provides a broad spectrum of expertise that enriches the camp, ensuring a rich and multifaceted dialogue on contemporary challenges in management and organizational research.

“At InDeep, we seek to delve into the complexity of field studies, challenging traditional methods and opening new avenues for academic research,” said Urs Jäger.

InDeep Latam PhD Academy Camp is a space where collaboration and debate is fostered between PhD students and renowned academics engaged in research in underrepresented contexts. Participation in this camp not only boosts the careers of young researchers through exposure to new ideas and methodologies, but also offers practical tools to face the challenges of publishing in high impact journals.

InDeep promotes innovative methodologies and provides a platform for PhD students to present their research, receive valuable feedback and collaborate in an interdisciplinary environment. Their focus is on challenging academic conventions and making meaningful contributions to both the scientific community and the societies in which they engage.

Felipe Symmes highlighted that InDeep offers “a unique environment that allows doctoral students not only to overcome academic challenges but also to make significant social and cultural contributions”.

InDeep Latam PhD Academy Camp not only addresses the need to include diverse voices in renowned publications such as the Journal of Management Studies and the Academy of Management Review, but also represents a proactive effort to reframe what academic research is all about. It is an open invitation to immerse oneself in in-depth studies that reflect a true understanding of and engagement with the communities studied.

InDeep Latam PhD Academy Camp establishes itself as an essential space for the exchange of ideas in the field of management and organization studies, especially in contexts such as Latin America and other regions outside the Anglo-American and European spheres.

The event facilitates in-depth discussions on academic topics, including emerging theories and innovative methodologies, crucial to addressing the complexities of marginalized communities. PhD students have the opportunity to present their research to a panel of experts, receiving specific feedback that helps them overcome methodological and theoretical challenges, optimizing their projects for high-impact publications.

Beyond learning, the camp provides practical tools and strengthens the intellectual identity of emerging researchers, preparing them to face the pressures of publication and impact.

In addition, it promotes networking among researchers, providing a space for professional development and career guidance specializing in underserved community studies, facilitating crucial connections and resources for future research and collaborations.

The chairs at INCAE Business School and EGADE Business School seek to develop advanced methodologies, collaborate on action research projects and create innovative technological tools.

The VIVA Idea Schmidheiny Chair in Sustainable Futures at EGADE Business School is a space for applied research at the service of community action in Latin America and in dialogue with the international scientific community.

The VIVA Idea Schmidheiny Chair in Impact Management at INCAE Business School works at the intersection of innovation and research to develop and test methodologies based on the most advanced knowledge. Our efforts are focused on strengthening the capabilities of impact managers through cutting-edge methods that improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their interventions.

VIVA Idea generated this PhD Academy initiative as a space for co-creation that will generate a Living Lab, with on-the-ground research, to show that contexts make research and impact as essential tools for change. In addition, “this camp is an opportunity for researchers to advance their projects with a vision that transcends conventional academic boundaries and contributes in a real way to global communities,” said José Pablo Valverde.

Living Labs have become essential and effective elements for research at a global level, attracting a variety of participants in an open, user-centered innovation environment that fosters collaboration in a real context and promotes co-creation. “In that sense, we are going to generate a workspace in the place itself, in the community that welcomes us, to put into practice the theoretical postulates that will be handled in the camp,” Valverde explained.

InDeep Latam PhD Academy Camp represents an exceptional opportunity for PhD students interested in deepening their knowledge and expanding their professional network. With the support of a world-class academic team, participants are ideally positioned to influence academia and society globally. This year marks the beginning of what is anticipated to be a series of annual training experiences, attracting top PhD faculty from business schools worldwide, dedicated to enriching and expanding the field of organizational and management studies from a deeply engaged and contextualized perspective.