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The UN awards FGV EAESP for innovative pedagogies that promote sustainable development.

04.07.2024

The teaching team of the course “Sustainable Leadership: The Rainforest Perspective,” coordinated by the Center for Sustainability Studies at the São Paulo School of Business Administration (FGV EAESP), received a United Nations award recognizing innovative pedagogies that promote sustainable development, the PRME Faculty Teaching Award 2024.

In this edition, over 800 institutions from more than 90 countries within the extensive community of PRME - Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) signatory schools submitted applications. PRME is an initiative created by the United Nations in 2007 to engage business schools in incorporating sustainability topics into their curricula, research, classes, methodologies, and institutional strategies.

The course “Sustainable Leadership: The Rainforest Perspective” was created in 2022 and is part of the GNAM Week (Global Network Week) curriculum, an exchange program organized by the Global Network for Advanced Management (GNAM), which consists of 32 business schools from various regions of the world. For a week, students who opt for the program immerse themselves in the Amazon Rainforest to experience alternative ways of organizing and critically reflect on what it means to be a leader for sustainability, based on the complexities encountered. The course's emphasis on empathy, collaboration, and environmental management equips students with the necessary skills and mindset to tackle global challenges. Together, reflective activities and dialogues with local actors and leaders enable a paradigm shift in the conception of leadership, expand the boundaries of conventional approaches, and empower students to create positive change in the world.

The course team is composed of the following individuals: Fernanda Carreira (professor and course creator); Ricardo Barretto (professor); Gabriela Alem (professor); Mayara Souza (organization and support); Julia Pacheco (director of exchange programs); and Marcio Halla (local partner – Ecotoré).

The winners of the PRME Faculty Teaching Award 2024 were determined by a group of subject matter experts from PRME schools. The committee sought classroom interventions that demonstrated impactful pedagogical work, contributed to the advancement of the Sustainable Development Goals, promoted the development of student skills, and established relevance across disciplines. The committee also looked for submissions that demonstrated alignment with the goals of the PRME Impactful Five (i5) pedagogical framework.

The other winning teaching teams belong to the following institutions: California State University – USA (Accounting category); Ross School of Business – USA (Management category); Corvinus University of Budapest – Hungary (Marketing category); and Goa Institute of Management – India (Operations and Analytics category).

"The impact of the course has proven to be very profound. Our students not only gain a deep understanding of the various dimensions of sustainable development, but they also critically reflect on the need for a paradigm shift to truly achieve the 17 SDGs. We are talking about students from different countries around the world who spend a week together on a boat navigating the Tapajós River, listening to community, indigenous, and female leaders about what it means to be a leader for sustainability, something very different from what they learn in their business schools, many of which are ranked among the best in the world," says Fernanda Carreira, the creator and professor of the course.

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