Sustainability is one of the four School of Business key strategic initiatives

The School of Business’ new strategic plan for the years 2021–2024 includes four new key strategic initiatives. They have been set to ensure that the School meets the ambitious goals set out in the new strategy. The key strategic initiatives are fully in line with the Aalto University living strategy for the same period but emphasize those priorities that are particularly relevant for the School of Business.

Professor Minna Halme leads the actions within this strategic initiative. She explains why sustainability was chosen as one of the four strategic initiatives:

‘Sustainability challenges like climate change, loss of biodiversity and growing inequality threaten the livability of the earth for the humanity. Our production and consumption systems and economies need to be renewed to adjust ourselves to the limits of one planet. Business schools have a key role to play in this renewal.’

In the School of Business strategic plan this strategic initiative is described in the following way:

‘We promote ‘Better business – Better society’ throughout our activities. Our faculty, staff and students have a mindset and skills that enable cross-disciplinary research, teaching, impact work and stakeholder collaboration for the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRMEs). We offer dedicated courses focused on general and discipline-specific sustainability topics and integrate sustainability considerations into our ordinary courses in a non-add-on fashion. We continuously improve our sustainability research and education based on critical self-reflection and feedback from our key stakeholders. We enhance and develop the sustainability research and education capabilities of our faculty by active recruitments.’

One of the key actions is to make everyone at the School of Business aware of and engaged in the School’s motto ‘Better business – Better society’, the UN’s SDGs, and the PRMEs.  

Professor Minna Halme brings up examples of activities that will be implemented in practice.

‘We will integrate sustainability considerations into all our ordinary courses, and we will also launch new, more dedicated sustainability courses. We also encourage our faculty to address sustainability questions in their research and to on that basis co-create sustainability solutions together with our stakeholders.’

Read more:
About UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) at Aalto University:
https://www.aalto.fi/en/sustainability/aalto-is-committed-to-sdgsAbout Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) at the School of Business:
https://www.aalto.fi/en/services/sustainable-development-at-the-school-of-business

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The four strategic initiatives are:

• Educational renewal with life-wide learning
• Cutting-edge research and infrastructure
• Community wellbeing
• Sustainability