“Sustainable development is the pathway to the future we want for all. It offers a framework to generate economic growth, achieve social justice, exercise environmental stewardship and strengthen governance.” – Ban Ki-moon
The catalogue of harm caused by irresponsible businesses grows daily as businesses seem to lurch from one crisis to another. Finding solutions to stop and reverse this trend is one of the pressing challenges of our time. Irresponsible businesses break the implicit covenant between society, business and nature, creating unacceptable social, environmental and economic impact.
Irresponsible businesses exploit marginalised communities; damaging our ecosystems and unfairly distributing costs, risks and harm. The causes of irresponsibility are complex and are deeply embedded within social and economic structures that have co-evolved with changing ideologies, forms of governance and social norms. The challenges associated with responsible business transformation cannot be under-estimated – challenges that Birmingham Business School is tackling head-on.
As such, the University of Birmingham Business School has collaborated with a leading financial institution to create the Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business.
While the need for responsible business graduates continues to grow, the Centre operates at the frontier of intellectual development and forms part of a vibrant cross-cutting community of scholars and students who are passionate about ‘responsibly rewiring’ all businesses to add greater value to society. Birmingham Business School is transforming management education in responsible business leadership, entrepreneurship and citizenship to help drive long-term change in the global business community.
“Building on Birmingham Business School’s existing teaching initiatives, we want to become recognised as a leading provider of responsible business education across the world. The Centre will develop sector-leading, responsible business educational modules embedded within UG, PGT, PGR and MBA programmes to complement existing educational offers.
All students will be able to engage with revolutionary course content that tackles the often-neglected areas of ethical banking and responsible business practice. Undergraduate and Masters students will study the ‘Principles of Responsible Business’ module, inspiring the next generation of responsible business leaders to make long-term changes in the corporate world.
We’re developing innovative problem-based responsibility education methods, including gaming, decision theatre workshopping and business solution laboratories – creative thinking spaces where brilliant ideas can flourish. Educational development is the foundation for creating responsible learners and potential leaders, with the knowledge and capability to transform the organisations in which they will go on to work. We want to extend that reach as far and as fast as we can,” says Professor Ian Thomson, Director, Lloyds Banking Group Centre for Responsible Business.
Studying at Birmingham Business School gives all students a competitive edge in responsible business practice. The School already promotes real-world business experience through high-profile international study and industry placements and works in partnership with global industry players such as Accenture, Deloitte and PwC.
“The Centre reflects the mission of Birmingham Business School as a whole – to enable us to work with other businesses, academic institutions, NGOs, policy makers and civic society at the frontier of intellectual development in responsible business and education. Our students, academics and wider stakeholders will be able to capitalise on our academic excellence to extend our scope of influence and impact in the field of responsible business – with our research ultimately informing a more prosperous, equitable, inclusive and sustainable society for us all,” concludes Professor Cathy Cassell, Dean, Birmingham Business School. “Please do join us to help inform, energise and shape future responsible business policy and practice and become a global responsible business leader.”
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