Business School Receives International Recognition for Ethics and Sustainability

Northumbria University's Newcastle Business School has achieved membership to the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education initiative (PRME).

Signatories to PRME must demonstrate a commitment to responsible management education by implementing changes within their operations, curriculum and research, and commit to report regularly on progress. They must also publicly advocate the values of the PRME and the benefits of participation in the initiative.

PRME is the first organised relationship between the United Nations and management related academic institutions, business schools, and universities. It provides a global network to advance corporate sustainability and social responsibility, and an engagement framework for the incorporation of universal sustainability values into curricula and research. The initiative also seeks to develop a new generation of business leaders capable of managing the complex challenges faced by business and society in the 21st century.

By becoming a member of PRME, Newcastle Business School joins a prestigious group of 500 leading business schools and management-related academic institutions from over 80 countries across the world.

Doctor Julie Crumbley, Associate Dean Academic at Newcastle Business School and Northumbria Law School, said: "This membership represents official recognition by the United Nations of our plans to embed PRME into our culture, strategy and operations as a means to demonstrate Newcastle Business School's commitment to delivering the best business management education in the UK and internationally. There are already many examples of how we implement the principles of responsible management education within our modules, programmes and research activities, and the principles will form a key strand in the curricula design of our programmes as part of the current review."

Dr Alex Hope, Senior Lecturer in Business Ethics at the Business School, added that Newcastle Business School was also the first institution to embed the principles at a curricular level. He said: "This achievement is a clear signal for our business partners, and especially for our students, that Newcastle Business School is committed to making a meaningful contribution to social, environmental and economic well-being through the delivery of our teaching. It's why the PRiME principles are being embedded at every level of our curriculum – for undergraduates as well as postgraduates.

"Evidence suggests that there is growing demand from students for a more globalised curriculum and focus on corporate responsibility initiatives within management courses. Our engagement with students certainly reflects this. They want courses that fit with the social and ethical agenda, and they are increasingly seeking employment with companies that shares these values. Understanding the importance of ethical and sustainable business practice can also enhance employability opportunities for our students."

The integration of responsible management principles into higher education is also a key focus of accreditation bodies such as AACSB International. Newcastle Business School recently joined an elite group of the top 1% of business schools worldwide after achieving a double accreditation from AACSB in business management and accounting.

The Six Principles for Responsible Management Education:

Principle 1 | Purpose: 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.

Principle 2 | Values: We will incorporate into our academic activities and curricula the values of global social responsibility as portrayed in international initiatives such as the United Nations Global Compact.

Principle 3 | Method: We will create educational frameworks, materials, processes and environments that enable effective learning experiences for responsible leadership.

Principle 4 | Research: 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.

Principle 5 | Partnership: 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.

Principle 6 | Dialogue: We will facilitate and support dialog 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.