Sustainability in action: United Nations Principles of Responsible Management Education (UN PRME)

Principle 1 | Purpose We develop the capabilities of students to be future generators of sustainable value for business and society at large and to work for an inclusive and sustainable global economy. We want our students to be both the generators and stewards of sustainable value. Many of them are experienced professionals when they come to us, and we endeavour to set them on a path that takes them beyond delivering profit to creating value for people and planet. Over the years that Cranfield School of Management has committed to PRME, highly motivated members of faculty and staff have worked together to bring responsibility and sustainability to the forefront of our management education, research, and outreach. The University’s new corporate plan has elicited a more concerted effort to embed sustainability across all our activities and, with this, a renewed sense of urgency to create a targeted plan of action to embed Principles of Responsible Management Education within the School of Management. Through production of this report, our positive engagement with colleagues and senior leadership, including our Vice Chancellor, reflects a university-wide commitment to embedding the PRME Principles that extends beyond faculty to include professional service units, including Internal Communications, Alumni Relations and Facilities. These conversations have created significant interest and buy-in from stakeholders across the university, and we are looking forward to continuing our mission, united. We have recently joined an Advance HE initiative which promotes collaboration between universities to advance sustainability by sharing ideas and developing action plans to improve each institution’s Times Higher Education Impact Rankings. School of Management faculty and staff are part of these multidisciplinary collaborative teams, bringing back practical actions to implement and raising the profile of sustainability in our education offering. The Sustainable Business Group continues to be the hub for sustainable management and business, convening collaborations with other disciplines within the School of Management and with the University’s technical schools to deliver interdisciplinary sustainability-oriented teaching, research and outreach. As well as launching a new Sustainability MSc in partnership with the School of Water, Energy and Environment, the group has led the development of five sustainability-focused modules for graduate programmes, and a further four modules for executive education programmes since our last report. We see PRME as a dynamic process that requires a holistic approach to our role as educators, recognising the interdependence between each principle. So, to develop our students’ capabilities to generate sustainable value (Principle 1: Our Purpose), we are clear on:

• Why we have this purpose: Our Values (Principle 2). • How we will accomplish it: Our Methods (Principle 3). • How we understand and tackle the challenges: Our Research (Principle 4). • Who we need to connect with: Our Partnerships (Principle 5). • Where we can facilitate debate: Our Dialogue (Principle 6). • What we do: Our Organisational Practices (Principle 7).

1a: Contribute to a university-wide action plan around improving our performance in the Times Higher Impact ranking. 1b: Appoint a sustainability/PRME champion in every Centre within Cranfield School of Management Goals:

8 Sustainability in action