Women, Responsible Leadership and the MBA (part 4): Women on campus

22 April 2013 by Leave a comment

imagesBusiness schools around the world have taken a wide range of approaches when it comes to providing specific opportunities to promote and empower women in business. In the first blog we looked at range of resources on this topic and in the second post we looked at schools that provide a range of free certificate programmes through the 10,000 Women initiative. The third post looked at programmes being developed to empower women in the corporate world. Now, this post will consider the range of ways that schools are bringing up these issues to campus. 

Social Enterprise Week is an annual event where student clubs at the Graziadio School of Business and Management host a range of events to communicate the value of social and environmental responsibility, as well as sound ethical practices in business. During this week, the MBA Women Club, part of an international network dedicated to the advancement of business women as corporate leaders, held a panel discussion on Achieving the Feminine Triple Bottom Line.

A large number of signatory schools, such as Queen’s School of Business in Canada and London Business School in the UK, are also members of the Forte Foundation, a non profit consortium of major corporations and top business schools working together to launch women into fulfilling, significant careers through access to business education and opportunities. The schools provide, among other things, scholarships for women with high potential.

The Simmons School of Management has done extensive research around how gender is explored at a range of different business schools around the world. In 2012 they had an intensive, interdisciplinary student experience entitled the Simmons World Challenge where teams of students are invited to work with a small team of faculty over their winter break to develop creative solutions for major world problems.  The 2012 World Challenge theme was “At the Edge of Poverty:  Empowering Women to Change their Lives and their Worlds.” The MBA concentration in Organizational Leadership continues to have as its primary focus the success of women in organizations. As part of this, Simmons added a travel course to the UAE, including attendance and active participation in the 2012 Women as Global Leaders Conference (WAGL).

Villanova School of Business in the US has a Women in Business Advocacy Committee, dedicated to proposing measures that will enable all students to explore and understand issues that confront women as business leaders. They collaborate with the university-level Women’s Executive Leadership Program to ensure that the needs of VSB undergraduate and graduate students, VSB alumnae, and VSB corporate partners are best served.

The University of New South Wales in Australia has several programmes focused on women. The Academic Women’s Employment Strategy 2012- 2014 positions gender equity as a strategic priority for UNSW. In 2012 for the eighth consecutive year, it was recognised as an Employer of Choice for its initiatives to support and advance women in the workplace by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency. Initiatives developed under UNSW’s gender equity program include the Academic Women in Leadership program, the Vice-Chancellor’s Childcare Support Fund for Women Researchers and the Career Advancement Fund. The school has an Academic Women in Leadership Program, designed for women seeking to develop leadership capability and includes themes such as authentic style, executive influence, adaptive leadership, thought leadership and one-to-one coaching. Their AGSM Women Indigenous Leaders Scholarship is provided yearly to Indigenous women entering the Women in Leadership Programme.

Filed under 1-Purpose, 2-Values, 3-Method, 4-Research, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Australasia, Australia, Canada, North America, UK, United States, Western Europe Tagged with , , ,

Women, Responsible Leadership and the MBA (part 3): Empowering Women

15 April 2013 by Leave a comment

imagesBusiness schools around the world have taken a wide range of approaches when it comes to providing specific opportunities to promote and empower women in business. In the first blog we looked at a range of resources on this topic, while in the second we looked at schools that provide free certificate programmes through the 10,000 Women initiative. Here we look at a range of other approaches being taken to empower women in the corporate world.

Rotterdam School of Management in the Netherlands has an initiative called Women Empowerment which encourages women to empower other women in business networks and high-performance environments. These activities were designed to address the specific challenges that women face when climbing the corporate ladder – a subject of great interest to project initiator and RSM Associate Dean of MBA programmes, Dr. Dianne Bevelander, who has actively researched the subject. In 2011, also based on this research, the school offered an elective called Mount Kilimanjaro Women Empowering Women. Fifteen women from the MBA programmes joined the course which involved going to Mount Kilimanjaro and focused on developing a greater understanding of how to work with other women in high performance environments.

In a bid to encourage more women to join the science, innovation and technology sectors and raise the profile of women currently in the industry, Newcastle University Business School in the UK launched an initiative called “North East of England Role Model Platform for Innovative Women.” The scheme, which has been established to help women overcome personal and professional barriers to success in the science, innovation and technology sectors, was initiated following research carried out by Professor Pooran Wynarczyk of Newcastle University Business School’s Small Enterprise Research Unit that showed that women were massively under represented in certain sectors, namely, in science, technology and innovation.

Bentley University’s Center for Women and Business is focused on helping women reach their full potential in the workplace and helping corporations engage the full potential of talented women leaders. Among other things they organize Best Practices Forums to engage critical thought-leaders and business professionals around the world to provide solutions for helping businesses harness the full potential of talented women leaders within their organizations and incorporating a culture of inclusion.

University of St. Gallen in Switzerland has put together a Management Certificate  called Women Back to Business, which helps women returning from an absence re-enter the job market in managerial positions. The programme is in collaboration with the Executive School of Management, Technology and Law together with Swiss and international companies. It is a one-year training program which includes career coaching, skill training, reflection workshops and practical experience in a company, public organization or NGO.

 

If you would like to share your initiatives around this topic in future posts please contact me.

 

Filed under 1-Purpose, 2-Values, 3-Method, 4-Research, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Netherlands, North America, Switzerland, UK, United States, Western Europe Tagged with , , ,

Women, Responsible Leadership and the MBA (part 2): Entrepreneurship and 10,000 Women

8 April 2013 by Leave a comment

 UnknownThe last blog focused on Women, Responsible Leadership and the MBA by looking at the range of initiatives and resources available on this topic. Now, the second part considers the growth in training programmes specifically focused on women entrepreneurs.

Specifically, we look at PRME signatories involved in the 10,000 Women project started by Goldman Sachs. The project is a five-year global initiative designed to help grow local economies and bring about greater shared prosperity by providing 10,000 underserved women entrepreneurs with business and management education, access to mentors and networks and links to capital. The project is currently operating in 43 different locations around the world and partners with local schools to develop and provide entrepreneurial training. Participating schools offer free certificate programmes for women around entrepreneurship which often also includes mentorship and networking opportunities.

The Women’s Entrepreneurship and Leadership Center of The American University in Cairo has created The 10,000 Women Entrepreneurship and Leadership Certificate Programs (WEL) for Egypt. The Center works to narrow the gender gap by supporting a pool of talented women entrepreneurs and leaders to become active contributors to the economic vitality of their communities. Over 303 entrepreneurs have been trained since 2008.

In Brazil, Fundação Dom Cabral offers, in partnership with INSEAD, a  Entrepreneurial Women Programme certificate, which covers strategy, finance, marketing, people, logistics and business plan development. Since 2009, there have been twelve classes for women to develop competencies and skills that entrepreneurs need to make their businesses grow. This year, over 200 women have signed up for the next programme. Also in Brazil, Fundação Getulio Vargas offers a similar certificate, while their website provides an overview of the different businesses run by women who have gone through the certificate programme.

In the US, Babson College was been working to unlock the growth and job-creation potential of small businesses across the United States by providing greater access to business education, mentors and networks, and financial capital. Delivered through community college partners at select sites across the US, participating business owners must have a minimum of four employees, been in business for at least two years and post annual revenues of between $150,000 and $4,000,000.

In Peru, the Universidad del Pacifico is also involved in training women entrepreneurs. Because Peru has a well-developed microfinance network, the programme uses these networks for recruiting purposes and offers alumni access to a range of finance options to help them grow their business.

In South Africa, University of Cape Town launched the Raymond Ackerman Academy 10,000 Women program which targets two social issues, increasing unemployment as well as the large and quickly growing youth population. The programme gives students the skills to help them pursue careers, further their studies or start their own business and is open to both women and men. University of Pretoria has a certificate programme for women which takes place for 16 days spread over 4 months and includes 6 months of mentorship, 6 months of community-based women entrepreneur dialogues and ongoing networking events.

In China, Tsinghua University has partnered with Yale to create the Yale-Tsinghua Certificate in Healthcare Management. The program aims to help female Chinese healthcare managers and officials attain knowledge, skills and networks necessary for continued growth in healthcare careers. The programme is looking to train around 500 female Chinese healthcare managers and officials.

In India, the Indian School of Business’ Women’s Entrepreneurs Certificate Programme has had over 550 women entrepreneurs who have successful completed the programme across Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and Pune. They also provide a system of mentorship both online and offline.

There are also a large number of signatory schools that have entrepreneurship programmes focused on women which are not part of the 10,000 Women initiative. International Business School in Lithuania in 2010 implemented a project “Promoting Entrepreneurship among Women in Georgia in the Context of Integration into the European Union.” The project was designed to contribute to Georgia’s economic and social development and programs. Promoting women’s entrepreneurship is seen as a preventive measure to reduce women’s unemployment and poverty levels as well as to contribute to one of the strategic goals of the Millennium Development project.

Filed under 3-Method, 5 Questions, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Asia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America, Peru, South Africa, United States Tagged with , , , , ,

Energy and Sustainability in Business Schools – Business School response (Part 3)

25 February 2013 by Leave a comment

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Energy and Climate Change are two very important issues for the business sector. Companies of all shapes and sizes are working both independently and together to reach various carbon reduction goals set by themselves or by the international community (see Part 1).

Business schools are also increasingly active with more and more schools reporting on their energy and carbon reduction activities. In Part 2 we looked at a series of measures that business schools are taking to raise awareness about and reduce their carbon footprints. Here we look at how schools are getting more deeply engaged in these issues through partnerships, curriculum and research.

Partnerships

Several schools are partnering with businesses, NGOs or governments to help them with their carbon reduction goals. Universidad del Pacifico in Peru collaborated with the Fundacion Ecologia y Desarrollo in Spain to create their carbon strategy. The project included an awareness raising campaign, a project to calculate the emissions on campus and work with the different parts of the campus to ensure that these efforts continue into the future. At Fordham University, they measured and implemented methods to reduce their carbon footprint, working to meet the City of New York’s program for carbon reduction of 30 percent by the year 2017. An energy and greenhouse gas emission study was completed as part of New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s challenge to institutes of higher education to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 30 percent by the year 2017. The University of Dubai in the UAE, invited the Dubai Water and Electricity Authority (DEWA) to campus to conduct a workshop on conservation and present the latest developments in the fields of water and energy for students, faculty and staff. On February 16, 2012, the University was given the ‘Conservation Award – For a Better Tomorrow’ from DEWA for its reduction of water consumption by 9%, electricity by 23%. At Copenhagen Business School green technology are showcased regularly on campus to demonstrate new green IT solutions, electric vehicles or paperless systems to raise awareness among students and faculty. Companies such as IBM and Velux were the first corporate partners to showcase green technology at CBS.

Courses

A range of businesses are providing elective courses focused on the topic of energy. Babson has a course called The Norwegian Experience, an off shore course that explores the drivers of opportunities in the energy domain and examines ways new ventures are applying technologies in wind, water, solar and alternative fuel.

A growing number of schools have gone beyond providing single courses around energy related topics to creating whole MBA’s focused on Energy. Both Warwick Business School in the UK and Centrum in Peru have MBA programmes focused on Energy. The Energy MBA at Centrum was created to understand how to generate value in the energy field. The program focuses on the application of knowledge, techniques and best practices in order to ensure the management of hydrocarbon resources in different industries. In Switzerland the University of Applied Sciences HTW Chur has a Master of Advanced Studies in Energy Economics. Escuela de Organizacion Industrial in Spain provides an executive programme focused on carbon training. St. Gallen in Switzerland has a Diploma Program in Renewable Energy Management which provides training for future leaders in tomorrow’s energy markets.

Centres and Research

Many schools in all regions of the world have centres focused on the topic of energy and climate change or tackle these issues within their sustainability and other related centres. At the Rotterdam School of management the Erasmus Centre for Future Energy Business develops the business foundation for tomorrow’s energy markets. Their research focuses on bringing together energy practitioners, policy makers, and researchers from Economics, Computer Science, Behavioural Sciences, and Management Sciences to guide and to shape the transformation of the energy sector. The school will be hosting their second annual Erasmus Energy Forum in May 2013 focused on exploring the future of the energy business. In the US the University of California at Davis has an Energy Efficiency Centre which works to accelerate the development and commercialization of energy efficiency technologies, and to train future leaders in energy efficiency. University of Applied Sciences HTW Chur in Switzerland has a similar centre and also hosts the Swiss Alpine Laboratory for Testing of Energy Efficiency where they conduct measurements in the area of energy efficiency in line with established Swiss and international norms and practices.

- This is part of a series of blogs in 2013 focused on business schools and energy - 

Filed under 1-Purpose, 2-Values, 3-Method, 4-Research, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Denmark, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America, Peru, Spain, Switzerland, UK, United Arab Emirates, United States, Western Europe

MBA students impacting lives in developing countries – MBA+ Challenge Video Contest

11 February 2013 by Leave a comment

gbsn_MBA_Plus_challenge_logoAs we have seen in some of the recent blog posts on Primetime, contests present a growing number of opportunities for students to highlight their work and ideas in the area of sustainability on a global scale. The Global Business School Network (GBSN) has a yearly contest called the MBA+ Challenge Video Contest that especially focuses on how business students can impact lives in the developing world.

I recently had the chance to speak with the team at GBSN about this contest and what they are hoping to accomplish and highlight through it.

1.     Tell us a little bit about GBSN

GBSN addresses the severe shortage of skilled managers in the developing world. Here at the Global Business School Network, we believe that business education is essential to improving economic and social development in the developing world. We build local management education capacity through our international network of over 50 top business schools spanning 5 continents.

Our annual conference in Tunisia this coming June will also mark our 10th anniversary. At the conference, “Education, Employment and Entrepreneurship,” we will focus our attention on the role of business education in addressing the widespread challenges in employability and entrepreneurship for young people in the developing world.  More information is available at www.gbsnonline.org/2013.

 2.     What is the MBA+ Challenge Video Contest?

In order to capture and celebrate business students’ contributions in the developing world, GBSN holds our annual MBA+ Challenge Video Contest.  The challenge is to create a powerful video demonstrating how business students are utilizing their skills and education to impact lives in the developing world. For the first time we’ve opened the contest up to ALL business, management and entrepreneurship students and recent graduates (in the past 5 years) from around the globe – hence the “+”.

3.     What are the details of the contest?

The video should be no longer than 3 minutes, and can be produced and submitted by teams or individuals. First prize wins an all expense paid trip, for one team member, to GBSN’s Annual Conference in Tunis, Tunisia, June 10-12, 2013, where he or she will present the winning video. The winning teams will also be highlighted in the GBSN’s newsletter, website and Annual Conference program.

The producers of the top five videos, as determined by online voting, will each get the chance to have a mentoring session by Skype with an international leader in business or development. The contest will be open for submissions March 1st through the 31st. The online voting polls will be from April 1-14th. After the 5 finalists are chosen by votes, a panel of judges will then select the first, 2nd and 3rd place winners. This will be announced April 30th.

4.     What kind of videos are you hoping for? What were some of the highlights from past contests?

We want to see creativity, but more importantly, we want to see an impactful story.  Last year’s winner was a group from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College. Their video was inspired by the group’s participation in the “$300 House project.” A team of professors and students traveled to Fond des Blancs, Haiti to help the poverty stricken town improve living conditions. The team visited with families to better understand the problem, and came up with an architectural plan to build 100 houses over the span of five years.

Check out the rest of winning team member Jacqueline Stein’s blog post on nextbillion.net, where she shares her story of the project that inspired the winning video.

Link of winning video: http://youtu.be/rVKF8lOCRYo

Link to past winning videos: http://www.gbsnonline.org/?page=videos_mbachallenge

5.     What impact are you hoping that this will have?

We are hoping this contest will spotlight business students’ impact in developing countries. We also want to show other students, faculty and parts of the business education realm the positive impact that business education can make in addressing social and economic challenges. Our mission is to improve business education in the developing world in order to foster excellent leaders and managers. This contest is one way of demonstrating the mark that business students are making on the world.

Filed under 3-Method, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Asia, Australasia, Eastern Europe and CIS, Global, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America, Student, Western Europe Tagged with , , , , , ,

Spreading the word about PRME on campus

1 February 2013 by Leave a comment

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Signatories to the Principles for Responsible Management Education from around the world are using a wide range of strategies to integrate PRME into their curriculums and raise awareness about the Principles among their students and staff. One method that schools from all regions of the world are able to implement is to create posters with the 6 Principles of PRME on them and posting them in high visibility spots around campus as a way.

Several schools such as ISAE FGV in Brazil (pictured below) and the University of Hull in the UK created large posters with information about the Principles and their commitment to these which are placed on walls around the entrance to campus. In Peru, Centrum Católica (pictured above) displays a poster with the Principles on campus and in each classroom. This makes students aware of the school’s commitment and, as a result, students will often ask faculty and administration for more information about the initiative.

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In the USA, Thunderbird School of Global Management has posted information about the Principles across campus. They are also used as a guideline in curriculum development and as a pedagogical tool. Many of their students report that they chose Thunderbird based on its commitment to managerial professionalism and responsibility.

In Canada, MacEwan School of Business created a poster which was unveiled when they first became a signatory in January 2011 and is now displayed on campus.

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In the United Arab Emirates, the University of Dubai put the PRME poster with the six Principles in three locations on campus; at the main entrance near the reception, in the students’ foyer and in the MBA lobby. The purpose was to create awareness about the organization and UD’s commitment to the Principles. In addition, all students have to take a core course, “Business and Society,” in which students learn about PRME, the Global Compact, and how the UD is involved in each of them.

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In Jordan, Talal Abu-Ghazaleh College of Business decided to show the written Principles to increase the awareness of both students and faculty members and show how they are deployed in the school’s MBA program. Introductory sessions were held to raise awareness of PRME and explain how TAGSB is fully committed to the Principles, assuring the full understanding of how crucial it is to align them.

Many of the schools listed have created their own banners; however, the PRME secretariat also has a banner which is available to download from the PRME website at http://unprme.org/resources/display-resources-sub.php?scid=10.

- Do you have a poster on campus showing the Principles? Let us know and send us a picture. - 

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Filed under 1-Purpose, 2-Values, Brazil, Canada, Jordan, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, North America, Peru, UK, United Arab Emirates, United States, Western Europe Tagged with , , , ,

Energy and Sustainability in Business Schools – Business School response (part 2)

30 January 2013 by Leave a comment

clean_energyEnergy and Climate Change are two very important issues for the business sector. Companies of all shapes and sizes are working both independently and together to reach various carbon reduction goals set by themselves or by the international community (see Part 1).

Business schools are also increasingly active with more and more schools reporting on their energy and carbon reduction activities. In the next couple of parts of this series we will look at some of these schools and what they are doing.

Reducing Energy Use on Campus

In 2012, Cotsakos College of Business  was named a finalist in the 2012 Second Nature Climate Leadership Awards competition, which recognizes the most innovative climate leaders in the US. The university has embarked on several energy saving initiatives. In October 2010, the university opened what was then the largest solar energy facility on any university campus in the US. The initiative is projected to save an estimated $4.3 million in energy costs over the next 15 years, while also reducing the university’s carbon footprint.In the Netherlands, Rotterdam School of Management’s ‘Campus under Construction’ project, which is being implemented until 2028, focuses on modernizing the campus to make it more energy efficient. The university administration has been collaborating closely with both the city of Rotterdam and sustainability faculty concerning city planning and environmentally sustainable considerations. In 2013 a 15‐story building for international student housing, the Erasmus Plaza; a vibrant green esplanade; pedestrian‐avenue with underground parking; and the energy-neutral Erasmus Pavilion will be completed. Ashridge Business School in the UK switched in 2011 to a 100% renewable electricity supply contract.

Measuring the Carbon Footprint

One of the main efforts on campuses around energy is measuring and reducing their carbon footprint. Winchester Business School has a commitment to reduce carbon dioxide emissions per square meter by 30% below the 2006 levels by 2015. In 2011, the university set a target for carbon reduction of 43% by 2012. A growing number of schools are looking not just to reduce but to become carbon neutral. Pacific Lutheran University has a goal of carbon neutrality by 2020. In 2010 the university dropped its total energy costs by 10% by changing out light fixtures, adding motion sensors for lighting, and installing better insulation and window seals. Bentley University has made a commitment to become carbon neutral by the year 2030. The office of sustainability provides a website with information on Bentley’s current carbon footprint and an overview of their plans to reach this goal through energy system upgrades, green building and electronics recycling among other things. They have also constructed a 3,000 square foot solar thermal wall as part of the Athletic Center which traps heat from the sun. When the heating, ventilation and air conditioning is turned on, the air is pulled through the solar walls and is heated in the process requiring less energy to warm the air in a room.

Educating the campus about efforts

A large part of reducing energy use on campus is raising awareness of the issues with students and staff. In India, the Institute of Productivity and Management Green Initiative works to make its campus greener. They created ‘Save Energy’ guidelines which include conservation of water and electricity, which are widely distributed amongst staff and students. In Slovenia, the Faculty of Economics Eco Team encourages employees and students to get engaged by organizing and implementing a wide range of energy reduction activities. In Korea, Kyung Hee University ‘s Green Team also conducts a range of awareness raising activities and projects around Energy management and lighting efficiency across campus.

Taking part in International and National Initiatives

Another way that schools are raising awareness about these issues on campus is by participating in international energy related events. The University of Dubai takes part in Earth Hour every year on March 22nd. Students, faculty, and staff at UD signed up to participate in the world earth hour and participated by switching off the lights for one hour. Schulich School of Business also celebrate Earth Hour with their event ‘Earth Hour Every Hour’ in collaboration with IRIS, and the Ecologically Conscious Organization aims to provide environmental knowledge, and to inspire the creation of a future where waste and energy reduction are daily considerations. In France, Clean Tuesdays began as an association in 2008 to promote the development of Cleantech throughout France. On the first Tuesday of every month, an event or mini-conference is organized in a different location in France bringing together participants to share their expertise, their activities and their best practices in the field. Grenoble Ecole de Management is affiliated with this project and has hosted several Clean Tuesday events on campus.

Getting students engaged

Several schools, such as EADA in Spain, have student clubs focused on energy issues. At EADA, the Green Society is a voluntary student club for individuals who have an interest in Climate Change. Throughout the year the club organizes interactive seminars on the topics of Carbon Politics, New Sources of Energy, Creating a Low-Carbon Economy, and more. Grenoble Ecole de Management has a student engineer specialized in Quality, Security & Environmental analysis who is currently carrying out a comprehensive study of the School carbon footprint. The University of Victoria in Canada has instituted voluntary carbon-offset programs for students travelling as part of their exchange program.

- This is part of a series of blogs in 2013 focused on business schools and energy - 

Filed under 1-Purpose, 2-Values, 3-Method, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Canada, France, India, Korea, Netherlands, North America, Slovenia, Spain, UK, United Arab Emirates, United States

2012 International Year of Cooperatives and Management Education – Business school response (Part 3)

24 December 2012 by Leave a comment

Each year the United Nations identifies an issue of global importance and uses that time to raise awareness about it in the international community. The 2012 International Year of Cooperatives recognizes the diversity of the cooperative movement around the world and its contribution to socio-economic developments, such as poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration.

In Part 1 of this series introduced the International Year, while Part 2 looked at a range of examples of cooperative operations around the world. In Part 3, we will see how business schools are exploring this topic in their programmes.

Some business schools provide specialized programmes focused on cooperatives. A leading programme is Saint Mary’s University in Canada’s Master of Management  Co-operatives and Credit Unions which is designed to improve students’ understanding of management within the context of the co-operative economic model.

SDA Bocconi School of Management in Italy created a Master in Management of Social Enterprises, Not for Profit Organizations and Cooperativesbased on intensive dialogue and discussion with the cooperatives themselves. Again in Canada, L’Université du Québec à Montréal offers a specialization in cooperatives and social organizations. They also bring in the topic of cooperatives across their programmes and initiatives, emphasizing cooperatives management during orientation activities and maintaining an endowed faculty chair on the subject.

Cornell University’s Cooperative Enterprise Program aims to enhance the performance of existing cooperative businesses and facilitate the development of emerging cooperative enterprise through teaching, research, and outreach. The CEP has grown out of a long-standing outreach effort at Cornell to agricultural cooperative businesses.

A few Business schools have Centers for Cooperatives. The University of Wisconsin’s Center for Cooperatives has a dedicated site for the International Year of Cooperatives with a wealth of information including how to start a coop. They also have links to research they have done around the economic impacts of cooperatives in the US.

Gustavson School of Business in Canada incorporates cooperatives into several of their courses. The international finance course includes frequent discussions based on current news from international financial markets, and students present in class on the topic of financial co-operative institutions and their role in developing countries. They also have an active interdisciplinary Centre for Co-operative and Community-Based Economy.

 Some schools also provide space for cooperatives to develop. ISAE/FGV for example has Technological Incubators for Popular Cooperatives (ITCP), in partnership with the Stickel Foundation. These incubators have been working with two solidarity and inclusive enterprises created by women from the Brasilândia, a low‐income neighbourhood in São Paulo: Doces Talentos, an organic catering service; and Brasilianas, a sustainable fashion project.

Is your school providing programmes on Cooperatives? Share your examples in the comments area below.

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An innovative way to making your campus more sustainable: The Student Green Energy Fund

17 December 2012 by 3 Comments

solar-dok_company stock image water bottle for filling stations_bottleCampuses around the world are increasingly working on projects to make their buildings and operations greener. The University of South Florida Saint Petersburg (USFSP) in the United States has taken a unique approach to funding these activities and in particular green campus projects relating to energy: student fees.

I recently had the chance to speak with Eric Douthirt, Todd Shank and Michael Leggett all working on this project at USFSP.

1. How did the Student Green Energy Fund start and how does it work?

The USFSP Student Green Energy Fund (SGEF) began as a student-led initiative where USF system students lobbied the Board of Governors of the Florida State University system to set up this fund to be used for “green energy” projects on campus. In the Spring of 2011, the fund was approved for USFSP and a $1 fee per credit hour was created which essentially became this pot of money (the actual Student Green Energy Fund). Then, the USFSP Student Government was tasked with appointing a student led committee to oversee the fund and determine how it would be used by soliciting for project proposals from the campus community and ultimately voting on which ones should receive funding.

The committee is made up of 6 students and 4 university faculty/staff members. Our chair is Mike Leggett, an undergraduate student in Environmental Science and Policy. We also receive significant help, operationally and otherwise, from several non-voting member students that want to be involved. Much of our time is devoted to soliciting for proposals and generally increasing awareness of the fund to the campus. We meet bi-weekly to discuss business and vote on project proposals twice a year (once in the Spring and once in the Fall).

2. What kind of projects have you already funded?

So far, in our first semester of operation we have approved/funded:

  • A revamp of the campus gym with sustainable cardio equipment (treadmills that operate off the energy transferred to it by the user and elliptical/stationary bikes that actually add power back to the grid as people use them). These are currently in place and we actually plan to have our first ever “Save the Watts” indoor race on the bikes and ellipticals during the Spring 2013 semester… a team competition to see which team can produce the most watt hours in a 30 minute time frame.
  • Solar Doks: completely off the grid outdoor table/umbrella/bench units, powered by solar panels that allow users to plug in and charge cell phones, laptops, etc. Construction is due to start this month
  • A Hybrid Truck for the USFSP Waterfront, a division of the Campus Recreation. The truck will be used to haul equipment to sponsored trips around the state, saving the University an estimated $1300 in fuel costs and mitigating 6395 lbs of CO2 annually.

3. What kind of projects are you thinking about in the future and what would you like to do with SGEF moving forward?

In the past week or so we voted on and approved three new projects:

  • Retrofit of parking garage lighting with energy efficient LED lighting which will reduce energy costs for the building by up to 70% and reduce emissions up to 48 MT – CO2 (roughly equal to the total emissions of 6 single family homes in a year)
  • Bottling Refill Stations at campus water fountains that visibly measure the number of plastic bottles “saved” – we estimate that the disposal of about 1500 plastic bottles will be mitigated annually through this project.
  • An addition of one more Woodway treadmill at the campus gym that is powered completely “off the grid”

Going forward, one of the most important things we are trying to focus on is the educational components of projects. We want the campus community to not only understand how these projects are being funded, but also the importance of these projects and HOW they actually make a difference.

4. How has SGEF been received? By students? Staff? The community?

I attended an event known as the Southeastern Student Renewable Energy Conference this fall and I was greeted by students and instructors who were extremely excited to hear about our SGEF progress. What I found was that SGEF is seen by students across the country as a new mechanism to advocate for sustainable concepts and policy changes. Also, as a committee, we work not only to ensure that SGEF is successful, but also to empower and engage as many minds as possible. This is how we will create a true national movement at our university.

That being said, we have a long way to go with increasing awareness of the fund on campus. Some students might see the fee attached to their tuition bills, but still not really understand what it is, or what it’s being used for. For the next year and a half, increasing this awareness is a top priority for the committee to ensure that the student body is ready to vote to reinstate the fund in 2014.

5. What advice do you have for other schools who might be interested in putting in place a similar scheme?

Obviously whether or not the school is a state-funded institution will have a huge impact on what needs to happen to institute a fee funded program like this. As I already stated, significant efforts were put forth at the state level by students and faculty alike to set up the fund for USFSP. I think my advice is that persistence will pay off. Even our first semester after the fund was approved was full or organizational and committee work that had nothing to do with actual green projects. It can become quite burdensome and a significant time commitment, so it’s important that you have leadership in the group that can keep the committee focused and determined.

Once projects are funded and you see progress being made on campus, it’s INCREDIBLY satisfying!

For more information about campus greening at USFSP, connect with the USFSP Student Green Energy Fund committee via their Facebook page at facebook.com/USFSPSGEF.

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Filed under 2-Values, 3-Method, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Campus Greening, North America, United States Tagged with , , , , ,

2012 International Year of Cooperatives and Management Education – Business Examples from Around the World (Part 2)

10 December 2012 by Leave a comment

Each year the United Nations identifies an issue of global importance and raises awareness about it in the international community. The 2012 International Year of Cooperatives recognizes the diversity of the cooperative movement around the world and its contribution to socio-economic developments, such as poverty reduction, employment generation and social integration.

The World Co-operative Monitor launched in October 2012 ranks the 300 largest co-operative and mutual enterprises by turnover and provides a list of these organized by industry. The official website for the Year also provides a list of national cooperative associations organized by region. A few PRME professors shared their thoughts on top cooperative practices with us:

Leo Wang, Assistant Professor, School of Business, McEwan University, Canada: Mountain Equipment Co-op in Canada is a great example of an alternative business model that is built around leaving the world a better place than when we arrived. As both a cooperative and a business engaging in sustainable practices, it tries to champion sustainability in many different aspects (supply chain, internal processes, communications with consumers, etc.). For just $5 you can get a lifetime membership which gives you the right to vote. They now have over 3.3 million members.

Elizabeth Franklin-Johnson, Euromed Management, France & CEREFIGE, France: Sol à Sol is playing an important part in constructing the social economy as well as preserving nature. Selling organic fair-trade “Maté”, a traditional Argentinean drink, this cooperative offers rural workers in Argentina a chance to develop sustainably, have access to training and have a fair price for their products. From Sol à Sol’s base in Marseille, France, goods are packaged by employees in an environment which helps the social and professional integration of adults with disabilities. Sol à Sol has managed to combine the social, economic and environmental pillars into their business model, as well as having the additional ethical angle, all of which confirm their implication is sustainability, and in my mind ticks all the boxes!

Other examples recommended by faculty and students include;

  • Mondragon in the Basque region of Spain is a cooperative movement of workers that began in 1956 which has more than 83,000 employees and 9,000 students. 85% of its industrial workers are members.
  • Rabobank in the Netherlands was founded as a cooperative over 100 years ago by enterprising rural people who had virtually no access to capital markets. It has since grown in into an international financial service provider with a wide range of products. Its focus on sustainability revolves around four themes: safe and sustainable food supply, renewable energy and cleaner production, economic participation and access to finance for all and community involvement.
  • Unimed do Brasil is the largest private healthcare operator in the world. It also has the largest number of coops – 370 – which include 109,000 doctors and 3,029 accredited hospitals that provide care for more than 18 million customers.
  • Seikatsu Club Consumers’ Cooperative Union in Japan is an organization that started in 1965.  Initially, a single Tokyo housewife organized 200 women to buy 300 bottles of milk in order to reduce the price. It has since grown and now places an emphasis on direct producer/consumer links and is dedicated to the environment, empowerment of women and improvement of workers condition. Today, there are 600 consumer co-operatives with over 22 million members (almost a fifth of the country’s total population of 127 million) who buy a wide range of food products, clothing, publications and daily goods.

What other examples of cooperatives can you think of? Share them in the comments box below.

- This is part of a three part series on the International Year of Cooperatives. Part 3 will feature the response from business schools.

 

Filed under 1-Purpose, 2-Values, 3-Method, 4-Research, 5-Partnership, 6-Dialogue, Asia, Brazil, Canada, France, Japan, Latin America, Netherlands, North America, Spain, Western Europe Tagged with , , , , , ,

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