Responsibility on the MBA schedule

Both students and companies demand that the leaders of the future are also educated to focus on sustainability, the environment and on being responsible.

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become increasingly important to not only business life but also executive educations. Business schools worldwide have permanently placed it on their curriculum and students increasingly gravitate to the companies that have CSR as a natural and integrated part of their company. This trend is clearly apparent in a recent survey by Net Impact, an international non-profit organization based in the US.

Measured in the number of positions for CSR alone, the increase is over 37 percent within the last three years. During 2004, 19 positions within CSR were advertised per month. In 2007, the number increased to 48 positions each month.

An increasing number of MBA students want both a career and, at the same time, the ability to contribute to the environment and society. This trend also applies to the choice of MBA schools where CSR has become part of the curriculum.

"CSR is so much in demand that we are considering establishing a separate education with it as a focus. CSR is currently part of each one of our master programs," says Per Guldbrandsen, Executive Director responsible for the MBA programs at Copenhagen Business School.