Management Education and Rio+20 (Part 2)

This June will see representatives from governments, the UN, major groups, business and a range of international organisations come together in Rio e Janeiro, Brazil for the UN Conference on Sustainable Development, better known as the Rio+20 Earth Summit. The management education and business communities will be playing an active part in this historic event. In preparation for this summit, here are 10 things you need to know (read part 1 here):

6. The 3^rd Global Forum for Responsible Management Education is the official platform for management-related Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) at both the Global Compact Corporate Sustainability Forum and Rio+20. On 14-15 June, 2012 in Rio, the Global Forum will focus on the role of management education in society for the future we want and how the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) can facilitate individual and systemic change within higher education as the community mobilises action toward achieving the Rio+20 vision on sustainable development. The event will be highly interactive, with an ultimate goal for participants to agree on concrete actions items and next steps. The formal outcomes of the Global forum will also inform the proceedings and outcomes of the Rio+20 Summit.

7. On the occasion of the Rio+20, the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative calls upon the leaders of the international academic community to sign a declaration of commitment to teach sustainable development concepts, encourage research on sustainable development issues, green their campuses, support sustainability efforts, engage with and share results through international frameworks, and engage with and share results through international frameworks. Heads of HEIs are invited to sign the declaration and submit it online.

8. There are a range of other management education-related projects feeding into the Global Forum. The Inspirational Guide for the Implementation of PRME will also be presented at the Global Forum. Through a range of case studies from schools around the world, the Guide responds to the most frequently asked questions concerning the implementation of the Principles of PRME with the further intention to help current and future signatories make progress on these issues beyond the events of Rio+20. Also, the PRME Working Groups on Anti-Corruption, Gender Equality and Poverty will present progress on their ongoing work.

9. 50+20: Management Education for the World is collaborative initiative between PRME, the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI) and the World Business School Council for Sustainable Business that seeks to find new ways and opportunities for management and business education to transform and reinvent itself. The report will launch officially at Rio+20 during the Global Forum.

10. Another project that will contribute to the proceedings of the Global Forum is the research report by Ashridge Business School, International Business Leaders Forum (IBLF) and PRME about the changing role of business leaders. Released on 29 March, the report ‘Leadership in a Rapidly Changing World: How Business Leaders are Reframing Success’ shows how an increasingly number of business leaders are connecting company success with social progress, and paying attention to social and environmental issues that have conventionally been the territory of political leaders and NGO activists.