EGB and MSC faculty receive large Velux Foundation grant to study private-sector humanitarian initiatives

Associate Professor Jasper Hotho (EGB) and Assistant Professor Verena Girschik (MSC) have received a large grant under the Velux Foundation’s core-group programme to support their research on ‘Private-Sector Engagement in Humanitarian Action’ (HUMAC).

The grant allows them to build a new inter-departmental research group at CBS focused on how business-humanitarian collaboration can take place in an ethical, effective, and sustainable manner.

As the world grapples with growing humanitarian needs caused by COVID-19, natural disasters,and armed conflicts, there is a need for increased collaboration between private and humanitarian organizations. In response, Danish companies and international firms alike are experimenting with new ways to contribute to humanitarian assistance, including long-term collaborations and strategic partnerships.

With HUMAC, Jasper Hotho and Verena Girschik have been granted the opportunity to build a new research group at CBS on business and humanitarianism. The interdepartmental group will examine how humanitarian initiatives that involve private-sector firms can be organized in an ethical, effective, and sustainable manner.

The group will conduct in-depth process research on business-humanitarian collaboration in different crisis contexts. The aim is to analyze how partners organize their cooperation and how they handle the challenges they encounter along the way.  In doing so, HUMAC aims to generate urgently needed research-based knowledge and theoretical insights into the organizational dynamics, complications, and solutions of business-humanitarian collaboration — insights that can be used to enhance the delivery of aid and assistance to people in distress.

The HUMAC project is made possible by a grant from VELUX FOUNDATION’s core-group programme and co-financing from CBS, for a combined DKK 7.2 million. The VELUX FOUNDATION’s core-group programme seeks to support and promote excellent research in Denmark in the humanities and allied social sciences. The project will run for four years.

For further information, please contact Jasper Hotho, jh.egb@cbs.dk, or Verena Girshik, vg.msc@cbs.dk.