The Kelley School of Business launched an Institute for Environmental and Social Sustainability on April 24. Through the institute, current and future business leaders can learn more about the environment and sustainability to create a global impact, Rebecca Slotegraff, the associate dean for research at the Kelley School of Business said. The institute is open and offers courses but does not have a set location yet.
The institute hopes to develop new environmental and sustainability courses, stronger connections to cooperate partners, case studies, certificate opportunities and internships for students at undergrad and master’s levels, Rebecca Slotegraff said.
“The mission is to create cutting edge research education and outreach to equip current and future business leaders with the knowledge and skills in environmental and social sustainability,” Slotegraaf said.
Kelley faculty has been working to establish this institute over the past academic year, Slotegraff said.
[Related: Students give feedback about IU’s climate action plan at forum Thursday]
“By having this institute, it allows us to build stronger collaboratives with some of the things we have already started and build stronger,” Slotegraaf said.
According to News at IU, Kelley has 45 professors involved in research on environmental and social sustainability. Slotegraaf said the institute will improve the expertise of the Kelley faculty.
In the 2022-2023 school year the Kelley School of Business held a meeting where they decided sustainability shall be the main goal for the institute and be the name of the institute Owen Wu, Director of Research and outreach, at the institute said.
“The overarching background of the institute is the UN sustainability goals,” Wu said.
The institute will focus on a variety of the United Nations’ sustainability goals such as wellbeing, poverty, hunger, education and clean water, Wu said. Faculty and students at the institute will play a huge role in research and covering topics on sustainability that will impact humans.
“This institute will keep generating youth, innovative new projects and new education,” Wu said. “Exciting things will be coming over the summer and the next fall semester.”
From an education perspective, Kelly Eskew, director for education and outreach at the institute, hopes the Kelley School of Business and IU become the go-to school for young people interested in impacting the private sector through sustainability and climate leadership.
[Related: This year’s warm winter, explained]
“I love teaching about sustainability and climate, I am so excited that the business school has elevated this work to an institute that will allow us to do more and go out and face the biggest challenges we face today," Eskew said.
Eskew said she is working on education initiatives, new courses, bringing in speakers, conferences and workshops and many more opportunities for students to be educated in climate and sustainability through the institute.
More information on the institute can be found on the Kelley School of Business website.
