The Aspen Institute publishes top 100 business schools for CSR

The Aspen Institute publishes top 100 business schools for CSR

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Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is becoming increasingly important in the curricula of business schools across the world, according to the new edition of The Aspen Institute’s biennial survey, Beyond Grey Pinstripes. It found that the number of business schools preparing students for the environmental, social and ethical complexities of modern-day business had risen to 69% this year, up from just 34% in 2001.

The study ranks the top 100 business schools on their CSR based on four criteria: the number of courses offered that contain social, environmental or ethical content; student exposure measured by teaching hours and student enrolment in these courses; relevant courses that specifically focus on social and environmental issues in business; and faculty research reflecting the number of relevant articles published in peer-reviewed, business journals.

149 business schools from 24 countries participated, the vast majority from North America, and the findings are a result of18 months of rigorous research – designing the survey, outreach to MBA programmes around the world, data collection and analysis.

Top of the ranking is York University Schulich School of Business in Toronto, while two European schools make it into the top 10 – RSM Erasmus in Holland at number seven and IE Business School in Spain in ninth position. Europe is home to 18 of the top 100, with six in the UK. South America, Australia and Asia each had two, and South Africa one.

The study found that the number of elective courses offered per school containing some degree of social, environmental or ethical content has increased by 12% since 2007. However, the percentage of schools requiring content in a core course on how mainstream business can act as an engine for social or environmental change remains low, at 30%.