EDHEC International BBA' sustainable forum
On april, 7th our first sustainable forum was organised on both Nice and Lille campus. Students from year 1 introduced the projects they have developed all year long during a day dedicated to their “Sustainable Impacts Projects”. This year, 191 charities were present with a focus on well-being, education, gender equality, and environment.
On this day, several conferences, workshops and activities took place to promote the different causes the students decided to support. The school’s administration as well as politics, charities’ representatives and the press also attended the event.
A pedagogic approach
The « Sustainable Impact Projects » are based on the 17 Sustainable development goals of the United Nations and are aligned with the “learning by doing approach” of the EDHEC International BBA. These group projects, which run throughout the academic year, allow students to respond collectively to varied economic and societal problems and to apply their personal skills and notions learned in class.
« The goal of those Sustainable Impact Projects is to teach students how to manage a group project with real business' constraints. This also develops their sense of entrepreneurship. »
Pascale Taddei, Associate Professor and Sustainable Impact Projects Director in Nice.
Among the challenges students had to face: looking after sponsors, raising capital, elaborating a communication plan and promoting their non-profit association in France and abroad whilst responding to one of the 17 sustainable development goals.
Impact future generations
These projects also aim to sensibilise students towards sustainable development' challenges, as well as diversity and inclusion. Alessia Di Domenico, Director of the EDHEC International BBA explains: «By creating these Sustainable Impact Projects for the first year of our International BBA, we are directly connecting these projects to the UN’s goals. In doing so, we are responding to our students’ desire for their academic studies to have meaning, while also anticipating the needs of businesses for managers and leaders possessing greater awareness of how their future strategic choices will impact society.»
Next step? The awards' ceremony which will take place on september, 7th to recognise the best projects and hand over to the new students who will join us at the start of the new academic year.
