Engaging in the transformation of business & the economy
Building hope on the African continent
A South African University have restated their mission to be true builders of hope on the African continent, and to blaze new trails with a “science for society” strategy that puts its strengths and expertise at the service of human need. The project, that has received considerable funding from internal and external sources, enables research [...]
A curriculum that supports student self-development
While many business and management schools consider the study of sustainable development as a specialist subject, a business school based in France places the field at the heart of its MSc Management course. Inspired by the six PRME principles, the school’s transformative and issue-centered learning approach encourages students to pursue their own goals, following a Pro-Act pedagogy [...]
Questioning what we think we know
Which cultural foundations and changes leave their mark on our society? How can we create optimal educational opportunities for our future leaders? A university in Germany has embraced culture, sustainability and entrepreneurship as its thematic focuses in research and teaching – helping address the future of social commitment to civil society in the twenty-first century. Institution: Leuphana [...]
Seeking creative solutions to complex problems
A US-based university refocuses its efforts on ethics, social responsibility, service and sustainability as part of its issue-centered learning courses. One of their programs strongly encourages students to draw on knowledge and experience from all backgrounds when addressing complex issues, as well as promoting a transdisciplinary approach amongst faculty members and postgraduate students. Institution: Bentley University Country: [...]
Tackling complexity in large-scale problems
Solving complex, large-scale problems requires creativity and innovation; strategic and entrepreneurial thinking; and enlightened management and organizational practices. Three colleges in the US are collaborating to provide an issue-based learning sustainability certificate program that empowers our future leaders to make use of the skills, tools, and concepts from the liberal arts, business, and engineering in order to [...]
Resetting managerial mindsets
An international management masters program utilises a unique approach structured around five managerial mindsets (reflective, analytical, worldly, collaborative, action). The program breaks away from the traditional lecture format where the professor is considered the expert in the room, focusing instead on sessions that are designed to involve all participants, enabling them to transfer knowledge with [...]
Changing attitudes with the MBA for a Better Planet
A University in Canada plans to launch an MBA for a Better Planet. Students will combine a transformative classroom and online learning curriculum with experiential and field-based learning to better understand food systems and supply chains, barriers to a safe and secure food supply, and the role of business in development. The program aims to [...]
Applying whole person learning to real-world problems
A business school in Hong Kong sets an example to other institutions with its strong emphasis on ethics, corporate social responsibility and corporate governance to its education and research agenda, which form a core aspect of its transformative learning philosophy. The school conducts wide-ranging community based work in promoting corporate social responsibility by encouraging its [...]
A concert of ideas
The challenges facing leaders in education, business and the social sector are exceedingly complex and wholly unsuited to solutions generated from within the silos of individual disciplines. These challenges cannot be resolved by business relying exclusively on traditional methods of analysis and linear models of causality. An international collaboration of performing artists use the power of music to create highly integrated learning environments. In their world, music is never just music – but rather the sound of ideas employed to build integrated learning environments, helping participants form new perspectives, address problems across disciplines and re-connect with their deepest values.
Fostering a collaborative perspective in management education
The current challenge for management education is one of re-legitimization, particularly in the context of unresolved humanitarian, political and environmental problems. One Swedish business school has already proven itself an admirable institutional role model, given its long-held tradition of collaborating with surrounding society by connecting their faculty and students to the larger scope of community and global contexts, and working on human rights and social sustainability issues in tandem with private, public, and not-for-profit organizations. The business school further employs ‘live cases’ in its courses, where students are placed into the field to solve real problems across different facets of society.
