MBS is the 2nd best school to change the world according to Les Echos
This Monday, October 25, 2021, the ChangeNow ranking of schools and universities to change the world published in Les Echos Start is a new indicator that evaluates the ability of higher education institutions to train students in the major issues of environmental and societal transition.
CSR is a fundamental parameter for students’ quest for meaning and for accompanying recruiters in the transformation of companies. CSR is at the heart of the ranking and of the strategy of MBS, which, for this first publication, is directly ranked 2nd in the ranking.
A new methodology to better meet the needs of students and companies
The health and ecological crises have reinforced the priority that students give to the search for meaning in their activity. According to the French Network of Students for Sustainable Development (REFEDD), “70% of students at the end of their studies place the indicator of usefulness before or at the same level as that of remuneration in the choice of their job” (REFEDD study-oct.2019/janv.2020). At the top of this quest for meaning is the desire to have an impact on environmental and social issues.
At the same time, companies need to reinvent themselves in order to meet the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and in order to support these fundamental transformations, they need to recruit expert talent in CSR and innovation in all corporate functions.
In response to these profound changes, Les Echos Start has published for the first time this year the Ranking of Schools and Universities to Change the World, in order to identify the training courses that are best suited to the expectations of students and companies.
A 2nd place among the top 15 management schools for MBS
For this first edition, MBS directly climbed to 2nd place in the ranking. “This very good result makes sense because this methodology directly echoes our identity: MBS is a School of Management that is committed and inclusive, which trains the forerunners of the responsible economic transition,” explains Bruno Ducasse, Managing Director of MBS.
To achieve this mission, the school integrates an environmental and societal dimension throughout the curriculum and in each of its courses. Last March, 600 students from the Bachelor’s and Grande Ecole programs had the opportunity to mobilize all their acquired CSR skills during the SDG Challenge. “This seminar trains students in the Climate Change, in order to understand the systemic challenges of sustainable transformation and to allow them to get a sense of the scope of the solutions to be implemented. They then move on to the practical side and devise a business plan to solve a concrete problem posed by actors in the Occitanie region in connection with the Sustainable Development Goals,” explains Dr. Helen Etchanchu, co-holder of the COAST Chair.
Another example of the adaptation of pedagogical content this year is Start-up Week, which asked the 800 final year students to imagine solutions to accelerate the environmental transition of the air transport sector.
This development of teaching is possible thanks to the contribution of MBS Research, 25% of whose publications are involved in CSR issues. This commitment is also reflected in the organization of the school’s teaching and research staff with the existence of Chairs that support companies and MBS programs on the themes of inclusion, social entrepreneurship, social and sustainable finance and sustainable development.
Finally, if students wish to be the main actors of this transition at the campus level, they can join one of the three student associations involved in this theme with Care About Us (fight against gender-based violence and discrimination), Gaia (sustainable development association) or Mon Bureau Solidaire which provides voluntary support to numerous charities in the region.
Opening of a new Excellence program dedicated to ecological and societal transitions
Today, the school intends to continue improving its curricula and training programs by offering new courses for those who wish to go even further in the field of CSR.
Indeed, during the Sustainable Development Meetings co-organized by MBS, Bruno Ducasse announced: “We are building “act for change”: a course of excellence dedicated to ecological and societal transitions (research & teaching). This course will be dedicated to training future ambassadors to move the lines.”
To discover the complete ranking, go here.
