First-of-its-kind training program designed to nurture future leaders

Business School of Lausanne, University of St. Gallen and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development launch a unique Executive program in Sustainable Business.

Business School of Lausanne (BSL), University of St. Gallen (IWÖ-HSG) and World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD) have joined forces to launch a first-of-its-kind Diploma in Sustainable Business, designed to nurture future business leaders.
The program offers a unique setting in which participants can acquire the new skills and competencies required to lead the sustainability agenda in business, and apply them directly in a practical consulting project.
The Diploma in Sustainable Business brings together experts from IWÖ-HSG’s renowned Institute for Economy and the Environment, specialists in interdisciplinary learning and training from BSL and business and sustainability professionals from the WBCSD. The year-long course will address global sustainability challenges, explore their strategic implications and assess their impacts via lectures, corporate visits, exchanges with NGOs and outdoors sessions.
Modules will be taught by thought leaders from academia, government, non-governmental organizations and business leaders. The Diploma in Sustainable Development is aimed at participants who want to develop their skills in the sustainability field, integrate sustainability into their existing area of responsibility or become sustainability experts.
Dr. Katrin Muff, Dean, BSL, said: “Equipping leaders at all levels with the competences to embrace the emerging environmental, societal and business challenges of the next decades globally is our main aim. We are using the latest pedagogical methods and highly innovative circular learning methods to ensure that participants leave the program with everything they need to lead responsibly and sustainably in any situation and organization they choose.”
Prof. Dr. Thomas Dyllick, Professor for Sustainability Management, University of St. Gallen, said: “What makes our new program special is the particular mix of subject competence in the sustainability field combined with leading-change skills and their practical application. We want participants to not just know what to do, we also want them to be able to do it."
Margaret Flaherty, Chief Operating Officer, WBCSD, said: “We are delighted to be collaborating with such esteemed academic institutions on this new diploma. The WBCSD is uniquely placed to provide the business perspective on global sustainability challenges and we are excited to be contributing our knowledge and experience - - by making our reports and publications available, as well as staff to lead sessions - - to help train future leaders.”
The part time Diploma in Sustainable Business is run in association with the World Business School Council for Sustainable Business.