Top-ranked French business school INSEAD has completed an MBA curriculum review that will see major changes to the content and focus of teaching as it joins other business schools in putting sustainability and social responsibility at the heart of business education.
INSEAD is regarded as one of the top business schools in the world with their €98,500 ($AUD161,000) MBA consistently placing in the top three programs on major global rankings.
The renewed MBA curriculum will embed sustainability into all its 14 core courses and introduce a mandatory capstone challenging students to integrate sustainability learnings across all management areas.
INSEAD Dean and Professor of Economics Ilian Mihov business schools had an important role in cultivating future leaders.
“At INSEAD, we strive to provide our MBA students with rigorous and relevant business education to develop them into responsible leaders who will not only deliver prosperity, but also embrace sustainable practices to lead businesses that are a force for good,” he said.
Professor Urs Peyer, INSEAD Dean of Degree Programmes said the renewed curriculum aimed to equip students with the knowledge and tools to make the right choices and have their own positive impact during their careers.
“When they make and create solution for a business, they will take into account the social and environmental impact. When they lead a business and appreciate the financial performance, they also keep in mind progress,” he said.
The renewed MBA curriculum meets the increasing demand for sustainability-focused leaders in the job market. It equips future business leaders with the knowledge and skills needed to manage sustainability risks and opportunities in business, enabling them to make better decisions and integrate performance and progress. It also inspires them to champion creative sustainable solution that address global challenges.
In recent years, INSEAD has been increasingly incorporating sustainability topics into its core courses. This process is now complete – by redefining sustainability in business as integration of social and environmental issues into business decisions; and embedding a learning objective related to sustainability in all of its MBA core courses.
Students can further tailor the programme to suit their individual interest, choosing from a wide selection of over 75 elective courses across nine different academic areas. The most recent additions include Energy Transition Finance and Well Being at Work and Thoughtful Consumption. New electives will be added every six months to support learning of the latest business practices.
The new sustainability-focused capstone will be introduced during the last period of the students’ MBA journey and is designed to put theory into practice. Students will play roles of leaders of a company facing strategic challenges. In their analysis and decision making, they will practice to integrate sustainability into all aspects of management including operations, strategy, accounting, finance and marketing. .
Sustainability is a global challenge that requires global solutions. With locations in Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America, and over 80 different nationalities in the classroom, no other business school than INSEAD offers such a high impact environment to facilitate sustainability discussions and cultivate sustainability-focused leaders and entrepreneurs.
The refreshed MBA curriculum is scheduled to be rolled out in January 2024.
