The importance of integrating sustainable development into business education programmes is multifaceted and critical for preparing future business leaders to navigate the complex challenges of the 21st century.
Business leaders increasingly face complex sustainability challenges, including climate change, resource depletion, and social inequality. Education programmes that incorporate sustainable development, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in particular, may equip students with the knowledge and skills to address these issues effectively. Also, by emphasising sustainable development, business schools instil a sense of ethical responsibility in students, encouraging them to make decisions that are not only profitable but also beneficial to society and the environment.
Moreover, it is a fact that companies that prioritise sustainability are often more innovative and competitive in the long term. Business education that includes sustainable development fosters a mindset of innovation and adaptability, preparing students to lead in a rapidly changing business landscape.
It is against this background that the Symposium ‘Sustainable Development in Business Education Programmes’ is being organised.
Aims
The main aim of the Symposium is to discuss and introduce some of the means via which the principles of sustainable development may be integrated into the curricula of business schools and educational institutions. It will also showcase research and innovation in sustainable practices, encouraging students and faculty to engage in projects that contribute to sustainability in business education. Finally, the symposium will discuss how best to engage learners more actively in sustainability initiatives and projects, to enhance their understanding and commitment to SDGs and sustainable practices in their future professional roles as business leaders.
The symposium will tackle a critical and timely topic, which may significantly contribute to sustainable development goals by fostering innovation and collaboration in the field of sustainability in the context of business education.
Participants will leave the symposium with a deeper understanding of the importance of sustainable development in business education, practical strategies for enhancing curricula, and new connections with like-minded professionals committed to advancing sustainability in the business world.
Target groups
The Symposium will be of special interest to educators, industry leaders, researchers, policymakers, and students, who will discuss and share best practices, innovative approaches, and research findings related to embedding sustainability in business education.
Key topics
- Curriculum Development, Strategies for incorporating sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) into business courses, including case studies, experiential learning, and interdisciplinary approaches.
- Research and Innovation, highlighting cutting-edge research on sustainable business practices and discussing how this research can be integrated into teaching.
- Industry Collaboration, exploring partnerships between business schools and companies to foster practical learning experiences and promote sustainability in the business world.
- Student Engagement, including methods for engaging students in sustainability initiatives, including student-led projects, sustainability clubs, and competitions.
- Accreditation and Standards, discussing the role of accreditation bodies in promoting sustainability in business education and examining how sustainability metrics can be incorporated into accreditation standards.
- Global Perspectives, sharing insights and experiences from different regions and cultures to understand how sustainable development in business education varies globally and how best practices can be adapted across different contexts.
- Future Trends, exploring emerging trends in sustainable business and predicting how these trends will shape the future of business education.
- Systemic Change and Institutional Transformation, discussing the need for systemic change within educational institutions and businesses to fully integrate sustainability principles into organisational cultures, policies, and practices.
- Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), exploring the role of education in fostering sustainability literacy, ethical reasoning, and responsible citizenship among students, educators, and future business leaders.
- Participatory Governance and Decision-making, discussing approaches for fostering participatory governance structures and inclusive decision-making processes within businesses and educational institutions to ensure stakeholder engagement and transparency.
- The Challenges facing sustainability education, a multi-perspective approach (educators, students, businesses, policy makers).
- Exploring Learning Strategies to embed sustainability in curricula development.
Format of the symposium
The event will start at 9am on 23 January 2025 and finish at 4:30pm on 24 January 2025. It will consist of:
- Plenary sessions: with keynote speakers discussing overarching themes
- Breakout sessions: focused group discussions on specialised topics
- Exhibition space: for organisations to showcase their works on sustainability in business education.
Documentation of the event
Accepted papers will be published in the book ‘Sustainable Development in Business Teaching and Education Programmes’, as part of Springer Nature’s World Sustainability Series, the leading peer-reviewed book series on sustainability issues.
How to participate: submission of abstracts
Researchers may submit any complete, original, and unpublished research papers, either conceptual or empirical. The Turnitin similarity index must be below 20%.
We kindly request interested colleagues to submit an abstract of 200 to 300 words, along with the authors’ names and full contact details, as soon as possible and before 20 November 2024.
Early submission of abstracts is strongly encouraged. The deadline for submissions of abstracts should not be regarded as the date the abstracts are due. Rather, it is the last possible day. Therefore, authors who submit their abstracts at a later stage should be mindful of the fact that presentation slots may be taken, and only poster presentations may be possible. Please submit your abstract as soon as you can, to avoid possible problems.
Abstracts should be submitted to: [email protected].
Full papers are due by 20 February 2025.
