Coaching at the "Let's Talk About Service" Conference in Namur, Belgium

Wafa Hammedi invited me to be a part of the "Lets Talk About Service" conference hosted by the University of Namur in Belgium.  (Click here for the conference website.)  This was the 10th year of this event; I also participated during my previous sabbatical (in 2015).  The event focuses on bringing Ph.D. candidates and assistant professors together to discuss service research issues.

The 2023 LTAS Participants (almost 100 in total)

My role at the conference was to serve as a "coach" for a group of seven young scholars for the LTAS "Collaborative Workshop."  They were given the task to develop ideas for a project that could lead to publication in a leading journal.  My team (Team DigiTAS) worked together in designing a study that could be targeted to the Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science.

(Clockwise from upper left) Victor, Andreea, Samer, Lukas, Janice, Lisa, Dwayne, and Claire

Seven more "senior" scholars served as coaches for the various teams.  Wafa Hammedi (far left in photo below) and Linda Alkire (far right) were the LTAS organizers; Rebekah Russell-Bennett organized the "Collaborative Workshop." 

Wafa H., Jonas H., Anu H. , Jens H., Rebekah R-B, Matthew A., Andrew G., Dwayne, and Linda A.  

Battling the Snow in Brussels, Belgium

My host, Bart Lariviere, had thought of several options for us to consider doing on Sunday afternoon, but the cold weather and threat of ice/snow caused him to revise his plans.  Instead we took the train into Brussels to see the Christmas market and eat some lunch.  Shortly after we left the train station we saw St. Michael's Cathedral.  This is where the king of Belgium was married. 

Brussels Cathedral

We went inside and saw beautiful stained glass windows and Nativity scenes from countries from around the world.  Bart purchased a candle in honor of my visit with him (as is his custom when entertaining guests), and so we took a picture of the two of us and the candle.

After a couple of hours walking around the Brussels city center, we went to Bart's house where he served a typical Flemish dish (a meat stew).  His wife Isabelle and one of his sons joined us for dinner.

Bart, Olivier, and Isabelle at dinner.

Enjoying the Sites in Dendermonde, Belgium

This trip was my third to Europe in 2023.  I selected this spot so that I could spend some time with a colleague from Belgium--Bart Lariviere (at the Catholic University of Leuven, or KULeuven).  We went to the Dendermonde city center to see the sites and have dinner. 

Stadhaus Dendermonde (City Hall)

We had a nice dinner at Grande Cafe Den Abazjoer, which sits on the corner of the Dendermonde Markt (city center).

Bart and Dwayne both had the seafood dish...it was excellent!

 

After dinner we had to cross back over the Dender river to get to our car.  The bridge we walked across is called Vlasmarktbrug.  (See below.)

Vlasmarktbrug (over the Dender River)

Earlier in the day, as I was walking around Dendermonde (in very cold weather) I came across this guy.  (See below.)  He looks happy to be in Dendermonde.

Meeting a Fellow Perrysburger in Vienna

Candy and I attended the "English Speaking United Methodist Church of Vienna" this morning.  It was about a 25 minute walk from our AirBnb apartment.  One of the first people to introduce themselves was Jerry Barton.  He asked us where we were from, and Candy said Ohio.  He then asked where in Ohio, and she said "Perrysburg."  He exclaimed, "Perrysburg?"  I started to explain that it was close to Toledo when he said he was a 1966 graduate of Perrysburg High School.  Actually, he grew up on Ft. Meigs Road, less than a mile from our house.

Jerry Barton and Dwayne 

He normally plays the organ for the church service, but did not do so today.  Candy was fascinated by the organ and took a picture:

Enjoying a Night Out in Vienna, Austria

After a productive work week, we joined Christina Sichtmann and her partner Tobias Proll for drinks and music at Cafe Amadeus.  The music included guitarist (and sometimes kazoo player) George Albert, who sang both German and U.S. songs. I only knew three of the U.S. songs...one of them, the last one he played, was "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz movie.

Tobias, Christina, Dwayne, and Candy

We were told this was NOT a place tourists would know about nor visit...so, we were able to have an authentic Austrian experience.

Working on My Sabbatical Project in Vienna

The primary project that I proposed working on during my Faculty Improvement Leave (known elsewhere as a sabbatical) was to collaborate on developing a program for assistant professors with Dr. Christina Sichtmann.  We spent several long days designing a program that we hope will provide some insights to this group as they cultivate a research pipeline.

Dwayne and Christina at work!

We did take some breaks during our stay, and Christina had several ideas about places to see.  Today we visited Schönbrunn Palace.  It and the grounds around it are quite impressive.  The three of us walked around for a couple of hours, and Candy photographed Christina and I so that we might have some pictures for promotional materials for our program.  Christina took the picture below of Candy and I in front of the Palace.

At Schönbrunn Palace in Vienna, Austria

Exploring the University of Vienna, Austria

I had the pleasure today of visiting the Faculty of Economics at the University of Vienna.  Of course, my primary interest was in their Department of Marketing.

Christoph Fuchs, the chair of the Department of Marketing, welcomed me when I first arrived.  Later he treated Adamantios Diamantopoulos and me to lunch.  Adamantios just retired (on October 1), so he was enlightening me on how that was working for him and providing me with some tips for when I retire.  

Christoph Fuchs is on the left and Adamantios Diamantopoulos on the right.