Henley Business School and EGADE launch the Dunning Latin America Centre

Henley Business School, University of Reading and EGADE Business School, Tecnológico de Monterrey, today announce the official launch of the Dunning Latin America Centre (DLAC), a strategic partnership to advance cutting-edge research and thought leadership on multinational enterprises, innovation, trade and investment, and economic development across the region.

The Centre will serve as a hub for academic excellence, industry collaboration, and policy influence that drives sustainable and inclusive growth in Latin America. It will convene academics, business leaders and policymakers to examine how foreign direct investment, global value chains, and international business strategies can strengthen competitiveness and support long-term development. DLAC will engage with academia, industry, and government to generate insights that inform strategy, policy, and practice.

Professor Rajneesh Narula, Director of the Dunning Centre for International Business and Professor of International Business Regulation at Henley Business School, said: “We are delighted to welcome EGADE as our partner in establishing DLAC. This new regional hub complements the Dunning Africa Centre, underlining the growing relevance of these two continents in the new global economic order. We want to be able to engage in cutting edge research in collaboration with policymakers, business leaders and academics across the region, and Mexico and EGADE are the ideal partners for this initiative.”

Horacio Arredondo, Dean of EGADE Business School, said: “At EGADE, our purpose is to rethink the future of business to impact the sustainable development of Latin America. Through the Dunning Latin America Centre, we advance this vision by generating research that explains the dynamics of international business and provides insights to guide the decisions shaping the region’s economic and social future. Partnering with Henley Business School allows us to broaden this effort with a global perspective and strengthen the relevance of our contributions to the region.”

Ricardo Buitrago, Director of Doctoral Programs at EGADE Business School, will serve as Director of the Dunning Latin America Centre, with Eduardo Ibarra-Olivo, Assistant Professor of International Business and Strategy at Henley Business School, as Assistant Director for Latin America at the Dunning Centre.

The DLAC will operate as the regional hub of the Dunning Centre for International Business at Henley Business School, which has been producing—for almost 60 years—leading policy-relevant research in International Business that promotes sustainable and equitable growth and reduces inequality. It is also home to the so-called “Reading School of International Business”.

The launch took place on September 24 at EGADE Business School’s Santa Fe site in Mexico City. The programme included a keynote address by Professor Rajneesh Narula titled “The Ongoing Global Realignment and its Implications for GVCs in Latin America.”

The event also featured a panel discussion with Narula; Maria Alejandra Gonzalez, Distinguished Professor of Corporate Sustainability and Head of the Masters in Sustainability at Universidad EAFIT; and Ajai Gaur, Professor at Rutgers Business School. The panel was moderated by Eduardo Ibarra-Olivo and Ricardo Buitrago. The panel examined how shifting trade patterns and geopolitical realignments are reshaping competitiveness and policy choices within global value chains.

The launch of the Dunning Latin America Centre marks the beginning of a strategic partnership between Henley Business School and EGADE Business School to strengthen international business research and contribute to the region’s economic development.