International Business and Sustainable Development

About the course

Subjects

Social responsibility Sustainability Strategy Globalisation Internationalisation

Course content

Sustainable development is one of the key challenges in international business concerning multiple factors, such as social, economic and environmental issues. It also involves various stakeholders at different levels in complex ways. However, while international business studies have shed light on the role of multinational enterprises (MNEs) in sustainability, it has often been discussed in a one-dimensional manner by focusing either on foreign firms' strategies or domestic problems in developing countries.

This course takes an interdisciplinary approach in order to help students broaden their views and deepen their understanding of the relationships between international business and sustainable development. Using the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as a reference point, the course explores industry-specific and country-specific issues in an international context. By doing so, the course critically examines how MNEs' activities could positively and negatively affect the SDGs in different settings.

See course description in course catalogue

What you will learn

To facilitate learning and achieve a good grade, students should work diligently on the course contents and in-class activities. The main learning objectives are as follows;

Explain academic concepts and theoretical frameworks and apply them to real business activities in an international context and provide your analysis of their impacts on sustainability.
Appreciate the background and aims of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and understand key issues/factors in different contexts.
Identify key actors in a given context and critically analyse how their interactions promote or hinder sustainable development.
Consider how MNEs can carry out their business responsibly and contribute to sustainable development in a host country.
Develop and demonstrate your own arguments and suggest managerial implications.
Structure your arguments/discussions logically and present them in a proper academic style.

Course prerequisites

This elective course is open to all undergraduate students in their final year. No prerequisite is required to take this course. However, good insights into the role of business in promoting sustainable development and genuine interest in developing countries/emerging markets are essential. The knowledge of the academic literature on international business studies and global value chains is preferable. A good understanding of global development issues and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) is advantageous.

Facts

Level

Bachelor

Type

Elective

ECTS

7.5

Code

BHAAV6043U

Teaching periods

Autumn – 1st quarter

Academic year

2025/2026

Status

Available places

Teaching language

English

Teaching Format

On campus

Exams

Written assignment
Individual exam, autumn

Assessment type

7 point grading scale