The School rated high on international sustainability rating for business schools

The School of Business, Economics and Law ranks top 30 in the international sustainability rating for business schools - the Positive Impact Rating - launched at the World Economic Forum in Davos today.

The School of Business, Economics and Law rates in the group “Progressive schools”, together with, among others, London Business School, Ivey Business School at Western University, Canada and Esade Business School, Spain.

”Since 2013, we have endeavored to provide our students with knowledge and tools for dealing with sustainability issues and thereby be able to contribute to a positive societal development. To be in the top 30 on the Positive Impact Rating is very gratifying. It is a confirmation of the work we have done so far, and encourages us to do even more to develop the leaders of the future,” says Per Cramér, Dean of the School of Business, Economics and Law.

The Positive Impact Rating is a new assessment system based on students' perceptions of their educational institution. For the first time, students around the world are evaluating their business schools based on how they perceive the positive impact the school has on the development of society. This has become increasingly important, not least in light of the goal of realizing the UN's 17 global goals.

“This type of alternative assessments, which is not primarily based on factors related to self-benefits, such as salary after graduation, but instead reflects how well the business schools contribute to solving societal challenges, is very positive. They create additional incentives for business schools to develop into leaders for sustainable societal development,” says Per Cramér.

The Positive Impact Rating assesses the impact of business schools on seven dimensions, including programs, student engagement, public engagement, and how well the schools serve as role models in the area of sustainability, just to mention a few. Based on the scores, schools are positioned on one of five levels. In this first edition of the rating, none of the 51 participating business schools made it to the top 5 level (Pioneering schools). Nine schools are featured in level 4 (Transforming schools) and 21 schools are featured in level 3 (Progressing schools), including the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg. The rating does not feature schools that were rated below level 3.

The Positive Impact Rating also asked the students what they want their business schools to stop doing and start doing. Make sustainability and social impact training mandatory in curricula is on the top of the list of what students want their business schools to start doing. Such an integration of sustainability perspectives into the undergraduate programs has the School of Business, Economics and Law worked purposefully with since 2013, a work that is now being broadened and deepened.

About the Positive Impact Rating

The Positive Impact Rating was initiated in 2017 by a large group of academics and institutional leaders from the management educational field, with the intention to support fundamental change in the business school sector with regards to the schools' societal responsibility and impact. Inspiration was taken from the 50+20 vision developed by GRLI (The Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative). The international student organisations oikos, AISEC and Net Impact have joined forces with UN Global Compact Switzerland, WWF Switzerland and OXFAM International to launch the Positive Impact Rating. The School of Business, Economics and Law was invited at an early stage to contribute to the design of the rating and has, together with a number of business schools within the international network PRME (Principles for Responsible Management Education, a UN-supported initiative), tested and evaluated the system on students.

In this first issue of the rating, the top 50 business schools from the Financial Times Masters in Management Ranking 2018 and the top 50 on the Corporate Knights Green MBA Ranking were selected. They also took in other schools interested in getting rated, including the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg.

Of a total of 97 schools contacted, 51 agreed to participate. 3000 students from 22 countries completed the online survey during the period October - December 2019. 79 students from the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg participated.

The Positive Impact Rating allows student to find a business school that prepares them as global change makers in the 21st century. It is also a tool for external benchmarking and internal development of the participating schools.

Link to the Positive Impact Rating report.

Contact
Maria Norrström, Director of communications, School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg
Phone: +46 31-786 1247, +46 709-226689, e-mail: maria.norrstrom@handels.gu.se