The School of Business renews its status as a Champion member of the global PRME network for sustainability education for 2026–2027

Aalto University School of Business has been approved for a new two-year term in 2026–2027 as part of the United Nations' Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) network Champion group, which promotes sustainable development in business schools. 

Securing another Champion-level term indicates that the School of Business is on the right track in its efforts to promote sustainability and responsibility. Among Nordic countries, only the Stockholm School of Economics and Kristianstad University, alongside the School of Business, achieved Champion-level membership out of a total of 50 Champion-level universities.

According to PRME, each Champion-level university has demonstrated strong commitment to promoting sustainability and has implemented innovative and impactful measures to integrate sustainability and ethical principles into curricula, research, partnerships and other activities.

‘Our second consecutive term in the PRME Champion group shows that we have been consistently doing the right things. On the other hand, it also indicates that we are ready to both share our experiences with others and continue improving ourselves,’ says Dean Timo Korkeamäki. 

New offerings in sustainability education

Sustainable development is integrated into all the School of Business bachelor's and master's programmes, and a new master's programme focusing specifically on sustainable development and entrepreneurship, Sustainable Entrepreneurship, began in autumn 2024. The programme has complemented the existing sustainability education offerings, which already included the popular, multidisciplinary Creative Sustainability master's programme, for which business students can apply. 

New initiatives in the School of Business sustainability education include the new Responsibility and Impact major in our Bachelor of Science in Economics and Business Administration programme starting in autumn 2026. Starting in autumn 2026, Aalto University will also join the national Sustainability Studies Network, which will expand our sustainability-related course offerings. 

‘We constantly want to develop our teaching and course offerings so that our graduates have all the sustainability and responsibility knowledge and skills increasingly required in working life,’ says Paula Schönach, senior sustainability advisor who coordinates the School of Business's PRME Champion work. 

Sustainability and responsibility have long been research subjects at the School of Business, as the Sustainability in Business research group was founded over thirty years ago. The group's research has been pioneering, while sustainability thinking and responsibility have moved from the business margins to a central factor. Nowadays, no credible company can ignore social responsibility, and the knowledge related to business sustainability, responsibility and management is increasingly emphasised in the School of Business's education.

PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education) is a voluntary network of universities and colleges offering business education under the auspices of the United Nations. Its goal is to promote responsibility and sustainable development in business education worldwide.