Torrens University Australia has been been recertified as a Certified B Corporations for the third time, confirming their commitment to positively impact the lives of students and staff, to improve communities and environmental impact.
The rigorous B Corp certification process recognises for-profit companies who utilise business as a force for good through exacting standards for social and environmental performance. Unlike other certifications for businesses, the B Corp certification is unique because it measures a company’s entire social and environmental impact.
Torrens University Australia President and CEO Linda Brown said the recertification as a B Corp demonstrates the university’s commitment to continuously improve the impact of the business as an education provider and to produce global graduates who have an intrinsic sense of social responsibility.
“Torrens University Australia was founded with a fundamental belief that profit and purpose go hand in hand. We want to disrupt the traditional models of tertiary education and prove that private enterprise can and should deliver significant public good.
“We are proud to be the only university in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand to be a certified B Corporation and part of the community of over 6000+ certified B Corpsglobally who have one unifying goal: to redefine success in business,” said Ms Brown.
The recertification is recognition of Torrens’ commitment to social and environmental impact through education. This includes$137 million in university scholarships in 2020 and 2021, $2.6 billion economic impact, improving access with 22% of students coming from traditionally underserved populations and having more than 275,000 people accessing free short courses and digital learning during the pandemic.
Vice Chancellor, Professor Alwyn Louw said that students benefit from the rigorous academic learning combined with opportunities to gain work experience with social-impact focused industries through Torrens University’s Social Enterprise Hub, by completing social entrepreneurship subjects and by being encouraged to enter prestigious, global social enterprise competitions such as Oxford University’s Map the System competition.
“B Corp certification is a philosophy that underpins all our courses and approach to research. Our researchers actively use their expertise and knowledge to create positive change in areas such as health, workplace culture, virtual reality, artificial intelligence –and their work is shared with everyone through our Research that Matters podcasts,blogs, and media articles. Our researchers can be instrumental in influencing important changes in policy, which then lead to changes with key people such as doctors and healthcare workers, who play a critical role in improving the lives of many.
“All students are encouraged to become changemakers who think about how they can be part of a solution that balances people, profit and the environment,” said Professor Louw.
“Torrens University Australia’s certification as a B Corp is a celebration of our commitment to be a profitable and sustainable business that transforms lives through education.”
