The IFERA 2021 conference theme “Family Business: A Model for the New World?” has called on family business researcher to reaffirm the central role of family businesses in economy and society, and likewise the importance of producing rigorous research to help family firms survive and thrive, generating positive impacts that benefit society at large. In this session, we explore these important issues in a panel interview with professors Jess H. Chua and James J. Chrisman. During the session, the panelists will recall the experience of setting up one of the first centers for family business research 26 years ago, and draw lessons for the future by answering questions from two past students and the participants.
