Reimagining the Case Method in the Age of AI

The conference convened educators, researchers, publishers, and industry practitioners from institutions across Africa and the Middle East under the theme, Reimagining the Case Method in the Age of AI. It was initiated in 2024 with a particular mission in mind: to shift the narrative of case education and experiential learning towards Middle Eastern and African (MEA) perspectives, while fitting them in the greater global picture. This year, it brought together participants from 11 countries and 40 universities, continuing its mission to champion the case method which has been at KCC’s core since its launch almost a decade ago.

Case studies can be an anchor for pedagogy, but also a guide for real-life business application. For the method to be as effective as possible, it must be grounded in the topics that matter the most to today’s evolving ecosystem. In its first edition, the conference focused on the theme of sustainability, particularly how the case method can be used to promote sustainable business practices. This time, AI was explored as another pressing subject that directly affects how institutions teach, learn, and adapt.

Emphasizing the significant impact of AI particularly on business education, discussions focused on the transformation of the case method through leveraging the technology, while maintaining its core: the human experience. Case studies cannot be built without context, relevance and the critical skills of those who use and develop them, from a professor in a classroom to an executive in a business.

In this vein, Engy Madgy, director of KCC emphasized how AI can be leveraged to reshape the pedagogical interaction with the case method, while amplifying the voices of MEA scholars and institutions within the global case community.

Similarly, Dean Sherif Kamel underlined the importance of the case method and its uniqueness in capturing the complexity, creativity, and resilience of real organizations, particularly when reflecting lived experiences from diverse business environments.

Across keynote sessions, panels and debates, speakers emphasized further how AI can be used to give the case method life through interactive platforms that can increase its impact more than ever. Furthermore, they highlighted that the role played by educators has become crucial in identifying the messaging and meaning-making in the process of developing case studies. In his keynote address, Matthew Schonewille, assistant professor of business at Redeemer University emphasized the importance of authorship in the case method

“Words are not a voice. It’s your investment in those words that makes it meaningful.”

The second edition of the KCC MEA Case Conference was an opportunity to think about change positively and when technologies such as AI are used purposefully and responsibly, they can truly amplify the voices and visibility of the MEA region as well as foster collaborative and inclusive dialogue to drive innovation within it.

To relive the highlights and conversations from the KCC MEA Case Conference 2025, check out the full conference recap video by clicking here!