CEMS Magazine | May 2011
WRITER: Christoph Sonnenschein Acting Head International Relations Centre, University of Cologne
Getting involved in Social Entrepreneurship
Those negotiations are crucial, and their outcome will most likely define the kind of world our grandchildren will live in. However, by only focusing on limiting the impact of anthropologic activity on the environment through regulation, too little importance is given to the business environment as a complementary means to addressing this global issue. The CEMS alliance educates tomorrow’s business leaders, and could therefore not seek to raise student awareness of this critical issue.
Cologne combines Business Projects and Sustainability topics in a new course format
CEMS Climate Change & Policy Simulation offered for third year running
Starting in term 1 of the 2011-12 academic year, CEMS students can begin their semester in Cologne with a newly developed CSR course taking place in September. Students will not only learn about ethical values, objectives and the motivation of Social Entrepreneurs but also look into the founding of their own social businesses as a career alternative. Following the CSR course, the CEMS Block Seminar “Sustainability in Management”, which Cologne has successfully offered for many years already, adds new aspects to the topic and is taught by a multidisciplinary team of professors.
Thus, for third time, four CEMS academic members* offer simultaneously the “CEMS Climate Change & Policy” simulation. This course offers a deeper understanding of the background and consequences of climate change for business by emphasising the potential development of climate change, its impact on international regulatory frameworks, and emerging challenges, strategies and market opportunities for businesses.
Highlight event to be staged by ESADE
The chance to apply knowledge to real-life cases
The highlight of the course will occur on 20th-21st May in ESADE, where students from the four universities will meet up to carry out a simulation from UNFCCC negotiations. The participants will be representing countries or important stakeholders of the civil society and negotiate based on their respective position paper and what they have learned throughout the course.
The CSR complete package is rounded off by social projects, which are credited as CEMS electives. These projects are offered by the University of Cologne in cooperation with SOCIAL, an agency for social responsibility. Topics will range from the launch of a service-oriented sales channel for sustainable products to project management for the construction of eco-friendly houses aimed at strengthening eco-tourism in the Dominican Republic. CEMS students thus have the unique possibility to directly apply their gained knowledge working with multicultural teams on real life cases.
This will even be an opportunity for CEMS students from all around to debate on current public and corporate policies to mitigate climate change. But further than that, it will hopefully also be the breeding ground for many innovative business models and solutions, to challenge and reform the “business as usual” paradigm. Eventually, these ideas will be heard somewhere and help to progress towards a new world of business, in which “responsible management” will become the norm.
By offering social projects every semester, the University of Cologne has established CSR courses as an integral part of Cologne’s CEMS course offer.
* University of St. Gallen, University of Cologne, Rotterdam School of Management and ESADE, who will host the final negotiation.
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