United Nations PRME Champion
Transforming management education through research and leadership
Creating business leaders with purpose
Realising the Sustainable Development Goals through responsible management education
The UCT Graduate School of Business is an Advanced Signatory and Champion of the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a United Nations-supported initiative founded in 2007.
PRME is the largest organised relationship between the United Nations and management-related higher education institutions, a voluntary initiative with over 800 signatories worldwide. Its vision is to create a global movement and drive thought leadership on responsible management education.
The UCT GSB naturally aligns with the international effort to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the work of the UN Global Compact. As a top business located in a changing emerging market, we embrace our responsibility to engage with our socio-political and economic context. Our teaching, learning and research is directed towards building a more economically prosperous, equitable and integrated continent. We’re constantly investing in quality scholarship and strong partnerships to support these aims. Our track record demonstrates our success.
UN Sustainable Development Goals
Geared to make a difference
At the heart of Agenda 2030 are 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that address the most important economic, social, environmental and governance challenges of our time. The SDGs clearly define the world we want – applying to all nations and leaving no one behind.
We are in agreement on where the world needs to go. The new global goals result from a process that has been more inclusive than ever, with governments involving business, civil society, higher education and citizens from the outset.
UCT GSB’s contribution to the SDGs
As an institution of higher education involved in the development of current and future managers we declare our willingness to progress in the implementation, within our institution, of the following Principles, starting with those that are more relevant to our capacities and mission.
We will develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy.
We will incorporate into our academic activities, curricula, and organisational practices the values of global social responsibility as portrayed in international initiatives such as the United Nations Global Compact.
We will create educational frameworks, materials, processes and environments that enable effective learning experiences for responsible leadership.
We will engage in conceptual and empirical research that advances our understanding about the role, dynamics, and impact of corporations in the creation of sustainable social, environmental and economic value.
We will interact with managers of business corporations to extend our knowledge of their challenges in meeting social and environmental responsibilities and to explore jointly effective approaches to meeting these challenges.
We will facilitate and support dialogue and debate among educators, students, business, government, consumers, media, civil society organisations and other interested groups and stakeholders on critical issues related to global social responsibility and sustainability.