Taking a creative approach to Student Social Responsibility
Students on Copenhagen Business School's International Business programme do more than just learn about corporate social responsibility. They help promote it themselves.
In the summer of 2009, nine IB students will go to Zambia as a part of their newly started project, Inspiration Camp Africa. According to co-founder Anders Maul: “The project is aimed at helping African schoolchildren realize their dreams and create awareness about the environment, energy and sustainable development”.
Inspiration for more
Inspiration Camp Africa is collaboration between students on the CBS International Business course, the CBS entrepreneurial centre and various Danish companies.
The wheels were set in motion by 1st year BSc student Iben Bojsen after returning from a visit to the African country. She noticed a need
for the local children to be inspired to achieve more than just take over their parents' jobs picking coffee.
for the local children to be inspired to achieve more than just take over their parents' jobs picking coffee.
“These children have the necessities covered but lack the drive to achieve more for themselves and Zambia,” said Iben Bojsen.
The camp will take place at the Chulemenda coffee farm about 30km outside the capital Lusaka, where 70 African families live and work. It is the children of these families that are the target for the Inspiration Camp Africa project.
Create and be creative
Each day has a new activity ranging from sports and music to science and entrepreneurship with the common goal of getting the children to create and be creative.
In the long run, the people behind Inspiration Camp Africa hope the camp will be more than just a one-off event. If successful it will work as an integrated extra curriculum activity for the IB programme and students interested in leaving their mark on the world and being social responsible.
In the long run, the people behind Inspiration Camp Africa hope the camp will be more than just a one-off event. If successful it will work as an integrated extra curriculum activity for the IB programme and students interested in leaving their mark on the world and being social responsible.
“The idea is to get future IB students engaged in creating a development project. It serves as both a good learning experience for the new students and they get to do something for other people,” said Iben Bojsen.
As corporate social responsibility becomes increasingly important so does the business student’s need to navigate in this discipline. This summer a handful of IB students will learn about it first hand.
Martin Nyvang Mariussen
Last updated by Andrew Arnold 19/05/2009
BSc in International Business EngAGE
- Do you want to continue your career with a company directly after your BSc studies?
A selected group of BSc students will be granted the opportunity to follow a new programme aimed at continuing their career immediately after graduation in one of a number of large Danish companies.
The contents of this programme will be tailored in partnership with the companies, who will pose practical challenges to the students during the programme. The programme will be very academically demanding and offers individual coaching, preparing the students to work independently already after three years of studying.
The participants will be selected on the basis of an assessment of their aptitude. The companies will take part in the selection process.
The contents of this programme will be tailored in partnership with the companies, who will pose practical challenges to the students during the programme. The programme will be very academically demanding and offers individual coaching, preparing the students to work independently already after three years of studying.
The participants will be selected on the basis of an assessment of their aptitude. The companies will take part in the selection process.
Why choose International Business?
Lectures in English, an international programme and career opportunities are among the reasons given by current students.
"I had just finished high school and I was looking for an opportunity to study business," says Robert, a first year IB student from China. "Chinese businesses strongly emphasise internationally-oriented employees these days, and I knew I would have a better chance in the competitive business environment if I left China for my university studies."
A unique approach to international business education
The main task of the International Business programme is to educate students so they can work in, or be consultants for companies and organisations with international operations, says Associate Professor Jens Gammelgaard who took over as director of the International Business programme in 2009.
