Keynote Presentations – KM Triversary Forum
See also Special Series: Bridging the research-practice gap in knowledge management (KM).
Professor Eric Tsui
The KM Practice Paradox: Insights from Two Decades of Implementing KM
Abstract: Over the past four decades, knowledge management (KM) has evolved as both an academic discipline and a practical imperative. Despite extensive research and theoretical advancements, significant gaps still persist between KM theories and their applications in organisational settings. Drawing on insights from nearly 200 KM projects in Hong Kong and southern China, this talk explores the disconnect from organisational, cultural, and human perspectives. It also examines the root causes of these gaps—including, among others, misaligned expectations, organisational constraints, cultural resistance, and limited contextualisation—and proposes actionable strategies for academics and industrialists to bridge them.
Biography: Eric Tsui is former Associate Director of the Behaviour and Knowledge Engineering (BAKE) Research Centre and currently a Senior Project Fellow at the Educational Research Centre at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He is the coordinator of the Hong Kong MIKE award and a Vice President of the Hong Kong Knowledge Management Society. A recipient of many Knowledge Management and E-Learning international awards including the Knowledge Management Award for Excellence in 2021 and the QS Wharton Reimagine Education Gold Award (Asia) in 2015, Professor Tsui was twice listed as an exemplary/outstanding academic in PolyU Annual Reports in the last 8 years.
Dr Sayan Dey
Researching Practice and Practicing Research: Story-ing as a way of bridging research-practice gaps within classrooms and beyond
Summary: Story-ing is not just about structural reflections of specific narratives, themes, plots, characters, geographies, and emotions, but also about the different sociocultural, emotional, psychological, and political factors that have provoked an individual to choose specific stories for sharing. The same tale narrated by other persons will never have the same experiential outcome because, apart from the diverse technicalities of expressions, the story gets narrated and interpreted through the diverse positionalities of the narrators. The methods of research through practice and practice through research are quite similar to story-ing, especially in terms of their rootedness in diverse socio-political positionalities of the researchers and their subjects. However, in many hierarchical and elitist knowledge-making spaces, to gate-keep their exclusionary agendas of knowledge management, research is not considered an essential part of practice, eventually leading to the production of stereotypes and fabricated information. In such circumstances, story-ing can potentially serve as a method not only to address this gap but also to push research beyond the fortified institutional structures into the horizontal community spaces. The method of story-ing will be illustrated with various audiovisual research that I have conducted in connection with the musical and culinary cultures of different communities in India and South Africa.
Biography: Sayan Dey works as an Assistant Professor and Department Chair (English Studies) at Bayan College (affiliated with Purdue University Northwest), Oman. His latest monographs are Performing Memories and Weaving Archives: Creolized Cultures across the Indian Ocean (Anthem Press, 2023), and Garbocracy: Towards a Great Human Collapse (Peter Lang, 2025). He was awarded the Nicolas Cristobal Guillen Batista Outstanding Book Award for Performing Memories and Weaving Archives in 2025 by the Caribbean Philosophical Association. His research interests are posthumanism, decolonial studies, environmental studies, critical race studies, culinary epistemologies, and critical diversity literacy. He can be reached at www.sayandey.com.
Professor Gabriele Bammer
In bridging the research-practice gap on complex problems, what can knowledge management, transdisciplinarity, systems thinking, and integration and implementation sciences learn from each other?
Summary: In research there are multiple approaches to tackling complex societal and environmental problems, such as transdisciplinarity, systems thinking, action research, post-normal science and more. Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) builds on the commonalities among these approaches, so that they recognise each other’s strengths and move away from operating in isolation. In all cases, a key aspect of these approaches is bridging the research-practice gap, both involving practitioners in the research and ensuring that the research is useful and useable in supporting practice change. How are these approaches relevant to knowledge management and how is knowledge management relevant to these approaches?
Biography: Gabriele Bammer is Professor of Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) at The Australian National University (ANU) in Canberra She is developing the new discipline of Integration and Implementation Sciences (i2S) to improve research strengths for tackling complex societal and environmental problems (see https://i2insights.org/i2s/) and she curates the popular Integration and Implementation Insights toolkit and blog (http://i2Insights.org). She is also the inaugural President of the Global Alliance for Inter- and Transdisciplinarity. In December 2024 she received the ANU’s most prestigious accolade, the Peter Baume Award, which “recognises eminent achievement and merit of the highest order.”
Professor Susanne Durst
Bridging the Research-Practice Gap: The Role of Risk-Based, Responsible and Inclusive Knowledge Management
Summary: In a time characterized not only by increasing polarization but also by the rapid generation and dissemination of information, the need for alternative ways of thinking seems more urgent than ever. This keynote aims to present a knowledge management approach that is built on inclusiveness, respect, and constructive dialogue, and that practices risk management. Ideas will be presented to illustrate the potential contribution of responsible knowledge management.
Biography: Dr. Susanne Durst is a Full Professor of Management at the Department of Business and Economics of Reykjavík University (Iceland) and an Adjunct Professor at Tallinn University of Technology (Estonia). Her research interests include responsible knowledge (risk) management, responsible digital transformation, and sustainable business development in the context of small entrepreneurial organizations. Her work has been published widely in international peer-reviewed journals and recognised through various awards. She is the Editor-in-Chief of The Bottom Line and an Editor of Knowledge Management Research and Practice.
Ginetta Gueli and Professor Luna Leoni
Beyond Theory: Embedding Practice into KM Research, How a Unique Professor–Practitioner Alliance Led to a Breakthrough Publication
Summary: This keynote will explore a unique case study of university–practitioner collaboration in the field of knowledge management (KM). In particular, the presentation will reflect on how this collaboration was initiated and sustained, highlighting how practice-based insight enriched academic research and the key outcomes achieved. Lastly, the session will also reflect on lessons learned, methodological challenges, and how this model of collaboration can inform future research agendas in KM.
Biography, Professor Luna Leoni: Luna Leoni is an Associate Professor in Management at the Tor Vergata University of Rome (Italy). At the same university, she is a Professor of “Management of Creative Firms” and “Knowledge Management Foundations” as well as Vice Coordinator of the “Master in Economics and Management of Cultural and Tourist Activities”. Her main research interests are creativity, knowledge management, servitization, and tourism. Moreover, she is a Council Member of the European Association for Research on Services (RESER) and Editor in Chief of the International Journal of Information and Operations Management Education (IJIOME). Luna’s research findings have appeared in top-tier business, management, and tourism journals..
Biography, Ginetta Gueli: Ginetta Gueli is a seasoned knowledge manager and project manager specializing in digital transformation, education, and knowledge management, with extensive experience in both national and international organizations such as Boston Consulting Group (BCG), IOM | United Nations, Valore D – Diversity & Inclusion, Chetcuti Cauchi Law Firm, and Hudson Holding/Nike, among others. Ginetta is a member of the KM4Dev Core Group, and part of the SIKM Leaders and SIKM Leaders Boston communities. She also served as Executive Producer and speaker for KMLobby at Pioneer Knowledge Services, a platform focused on producing knowledge management talk shows and podcasts. She has collaborated with the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the University of Brescia on research exploring the relationship between Knowledge Management and Artificial Intelligence. She has also designed and delivered KM master classes for both university students and professional learners.
Benjamin Abugri
The KM4AgD Journey: “Knowledgizing” and Bridging Research and Practice in African Agricultural Development
Summary: In this keynote, I will reflect on my decade of experience with the Knowledge Management for Agricultural Development (KM4AgD) in Africa, an initiative that has evolved into a vibrant Community of Practice across Africa. I will share how KM4AgD has strategically bridged the research-practice gap by institutionalizing knowledge management in agricultural research organizations and countries, co-creating digital knowledge platforms like the observatory for Africa Agriculture Knowledge Hub dubbed FARADataInformS and the FARA Africa Community, and fostering multi-stakeholder partnerships. The presentation will highlight key lessons from facilitating knowledge co-creation, community-led learning, and policy engagement across the African continent. I will also share insights from related initiatives that contribute to a decolonial and systems-based approach to knowledge management in development.
Biography: Benjamin Abugri is a Knowledge Management, Digitalization, and Learning Lead Specialist at the Forum for Agricultural Research in Africa (FARA), an apex continental organization of the African Union Commission, coordinating and advocating for Agricultural Research for Development. With over a decade of experience in knowledge systems strengthening, Benjamin has led the development and institutionalization of key KM initiatives, including the KM4AgD agenda, a continental initiative that builds capacities, fosters digital transformation, and nurtures communities of practice for agricultural research and development across Africa. He is also a passionate advocate for decolonial knowledge partnerships and indigenous knowledge integration. In recognition of his outstanding contributions to the field, Benjamin received the 2024 International Knowledge Management Award (Individual Category), celebrating his innovation, impact, and commitment to advancing knowledge ecosystems in Africa. His educational background includes Business, Strategic and Project Management, Public Administration and Policy Management, International Relations and Diplomacy, and Knowledge Management, bringing a dynamic lens to his work in knowledge ecosystems.
Dr Arthur Shelley
Research-informed practice and practice-informed research
Summary: So why don’t academics and practitioners effectively interact to generate mutual value? The opportunities for synergies are vast, yet they are not often realised. We will explore some of the barriers to this complex challenge and discuss some actions to address these. Two key foundational challenges are weak connections between theorists and practitioners, and an understanding of why these links are important to the wider knowledge profession. Primary causes of these disconnects are that academics don’t read practitioner literature, practitioners don’t read academic literature, and there are limited relationships between these groups. Each “side” does not see the potential synergies as lost opportunities. This is amplified by them talking “different languages”, valuing different outcomes and valuing different approaches. Parties on each side of the Academic-Practitioner gap may believe this is being unfairly critical. This discussion will highlight opportunities to reverse these issues and generate interactions and meaningful dialogue, rather than attribute blame. There are significant opportunities to bring these parties together to stimulate ideas, drive innovations, and generate collaborative growth once they start to see and value each other’s perspectives. Connections can be made from practitioners’ observations through experiences to test or extend theoretical models. Equally, theories and models can be used by practitioners to develop ideas and influence design. We make better progress when diverse parties simplify language to align conversations and optimise collaboration. We then constructively engage in critical argument to leverage differences and spark innovation.
Biography: Dr Shelley commenced his scientific career as an industry practitioner interested in research to understand how and why things work better. Early in his career, he did a Master of Science (by research) in parallel with working on research projects in the food industry. His interests in continuous improvement led to knowledge management in the mid-1990s, and ultimately to his role as the Global Knowledge Director for an international company. In 2007, he re-entered an academic career in parallel with his own strategic knowledge consulting business. He received an Australian Office of Learning and Teaching Award in 2014 for his project-based knowledge management course in the executive MBA at RMIT University, Melbourne. His 40 years of experience cover international corporate, government, and tertiary education sectors across 12 contries. He has been an active contributor to RealKM Magazine, AusKM, SIKM Leaders, KMGN, KM4Dev and led the Melbourne KM Leadership Forum for over a decade. Arthur is internationally recognised as a knowledge thought leader, in lists compiled by SIKM Leaders and GO-TKM. He is the sole author of four books (and coauthor/contributor to many more), author of many peer-reviewed research articles, a small business founder, a regular international conference speaker, a Non-Executive Board director, and PhD Supervisor for candidates in three countries.
Professor John S. Edwards
Bridging the gap between research and practice: what should you be doing about it?
Abstract: This presentation focuses on two elements: people and actions. It is informed by 30 years of the presenter’s involvement in both the research and practice of knowledge management. A brief summary of how the gap came to be the way it currently is leads into an examination of what sort of people need to be involved in closing it (not as simple as the two labels “academic” and “practitioner”), and what actions those people need to take. In the short term, the gap needs to be bridged, but ideally in the longer term it needs to be closed, so that research and practice are not seen as separate.
Biography: John S. Edwards is Professor of Knowledge Management at Aston University, Birmingham, UK. His research interests have always centred on how and why people use – or don’t use – models and systems to help them do stuff. Most recently he has concentrated on knowledge management and related topics such as risk management and analytics. He was the founding editor of the journal Knowledge Management Research & Practice, and has written many publications on knowledge management, including – as co-author – “The Knowledge of Communities” (Emerald, forthcoming).
Denise Senmartin
How to bridge the gap? Lessons on embedding/converging research and practice from the KM4Dev community
Summary: The Knowledge Management for Development (KM4Dev) global community of practice is celebrating 25 years. For most of its life, although not fully explicitly, it has been bridging the research-practice gap in knowledge management (KM). In this keynote, I will uncover the main lessons learned from this journey. Through concrete experiences of research and practice collaboration, such as the Agenda Knowledge for Development and Knowledge Management for Development Journal, I expect to offer a glimpse into new horizons for the next 25 years of bridging this long-standing gap in KM.
Biography: Denise Senmartin is an Assistant Professor of Internationalization and Open Knowledge at the National University of Córdoba, Argentina. She is a Senior Editor of the journal Knowledge Management for Development and a member of the core group of the community of practice. She has worked in knowledge management for multilateral, national, and local organizations in the Americas, West Africa, and Southeast Asia. She received the Argentine Social Ambassador Award as part of a team and has led volunteer projects with migrant associations in the United States and Europe. Her current research addresses digital and networked transnational participation from a decolonial perspective.
Gladys Kemboi
Kip-Agenge: Bridging the Research–Practice in Governing Indigenous Knowledge System
Summary: Kip-Agenge knowledge reimagines how Indigenous Knowledge Systems are governed, preserved, and sustained in societies still shaped by biocolonial legal frameworks, the enclosure of knowledge, and the accelerating impacts of climate change. It begins from the understanding that Indigenous knowledge is a living practice, embedded in our daily lives, our lived experiences, community relations, and ecological stewardship. This practice-based research directly challenges dominant Western research systems. Indigenous knowledge refuses the separation of knower and knowledge and insists on context, community, and reciprocity. By contrast, Western research has long privileged research methods that extract, exclude and erase knowledge from its place and people in order to claim authority. This tension exposes how deeply research remains embedded in colonial legacies and why partnering with Indigenous knowledge holders demands a decolonial re-evaluation of research itself. Kip-Agenge knowledge bridges research and practice centered on documenting and preserving Indigenous knowledge without erasing differences. Digital preservation makes Indigenous knowledge newly accessible for research and global learning, but this accessibility must never become appropriation. Reciprocal research with Elders, Indigenous knowledge holders, scholars and communities place authority where it belongs within Indigenous knowledge governance while opening space for ethical and critical conversations with scholars and institutions. By centering Indigenous knowledge as practice, Kip-Agenge Knowledge, it unsettles inherited hierarchies and stereotypes of knowledge and epistemic injustices and insists on research shaped by epistemic justice, reciprocity, and community-led governance.
Biography: Gladys Kemboi is a PhD student in Information Science at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Kemboi is a Maggie Weaver LLEAD Fellow in Canada, 2024 Digital Preservation Coalition (DPC) Fellowship Award winner in the UK for her significant contributions to preserving digital legacies that promote local and Indigenous knowledge in development. Kemboi leads Knowledge Management for Development (KM4Dev) knowledge cafés. Previously, Kemboi worked as the Global Learning and Knowledge Manager at Jhpiego, where she developed knowledge management strategies and a Community of Practice for various countries. Her professional contributions include implementing the Global Coalition Knowledge Management Strategy on Youth, Peace and Security with the United Nations Development Programme, and working with the Visions of Hope for Africa charity in developing the knowledge management strategy on resource mobilization and sustainable partnership in the U.S. and Africa.
