MORE THAN 100 INSTITUTIONS NOW ENDORSE UNITED NATIONS-BACKED INITIATIVE

TO PROMOTE RESPONSIBILITY IN BUSINESS EDUCATION

 

The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a United Nations-backed global initiative developed to promote corporate responsibility and sustainability in business education, has now been endorsed by more than 100 business schools and universities from around the world. 

Institutions participating in the initiative, which was launched under the patronage of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July 2007, made a commitment to align their mission and strategy, as well as their core competencies -– education, research and thought leadership –- with United Nations values embodied by the six PRME principles.  Actions encouraged under the initiative’s framework include curriculum development around the corporate responsibility agenda and research in support of sustainable management systems, as well as public advocacy and opinion leadership to advance responsible business practices. 

“Thanks to the joint outreach by all partners, the PRME initiative has reached this critical milestone of 100 signatories,” said Dr. Manuel Escudero, Head of Academic Initiatives at the UN Global Compact, which is one of the initiative’s co-conveners.  Speaking on behalf of the PRME Steering Committee, Dr. Escudero stressed that “this will enable the initiative to bring good efforts to scale and truly embed the sustainability agenda in the training of future business leaders”.

The PRME Steering Committee includes the UN Global Compact, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), the Aspen Institute’s Business and Society Program, the European Academy for Business in Society (EABIS), the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) and Net Impact.

Following its early outreach and awareness-raising efforts, the initiative is currently establishing several participant working groups to facilitate implementation of the principles and identify best practices.  In addition, a Global Forum for Responsible Management Education will be convened on 1-2 December 2008 at United Nations Headquarters in New York.  The event will present a first opportunity to take stock of the PRME initiative so far, to exchange experiences and forge a closer link between the United Nations mission and the work of business schools.

The idea of developing a principle-based global engagement platform for academic institutions followed a recommendation by academic stakeholders of the United Nations Global Compact and was officially introduced in October 2006.

Under the coordination of the Global Compact Office and several international academic associations, a PRME task force of 60 deans and scholars developed a set of six principles that form the core of the global platform for responsible management education.

Following the launch of PRME in 2007, a secretariat was established in the Global Compact Office, with an international steering committee providing further guidance.  For more information, please visit www.unprme.org.

Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact brings business together with United Nations agencies, labour, civil society and Governments to advance 10 universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

Through the power of collective action, the Global Compact seeks to mainstream those principles in business activities around the world and to catalyze actions in support of broader United Nations goals.  With over 3,900 participating companies and hundreds of other stakeholders from more than 120 countries, it is the world's largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative.  For more information, please visit www.unglobalcompact.org.

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For information media • not an official record