Sustainable RSM
This sustainability centre is part of NBS's Sustainability Centres Community, representing business schools from around the world. Find out more.
Sustainable RSM
Rotterdam, Netherlands
Rotterdam School of Management (RSM)
Erasmus University
Mission
Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (RSM) is committed to promoting global social responsibility, sustainability and the highest ethical standards in research, teaching and in every service we provide. Our faculty and staff members dedicate themselves to embedding these issues into coursework, initiatives and school-wide activities. We partner with students, academics and people in business to be a force for positive change. We want to ensure that our students understand and acknowledge that their managerial and employee decisions profoundly affect society, the economy and environment. We desire to equip students with skills, knowledge and attitudes to make wise and critical decisions in sustainable business operations.
Sustainable RSM is a branch of the Positive Change initiative in the business school, providing consultation and support; driving action and results along the themes sustainability, global social responsibility and ethical behaviour. These are the core elements of the UN Principles of Responsible Management (PRME) initiative. Our teams design events, research effective learning tools, provide updates on school activities reflecting our commitment along these themes and sets KPIs to stimulate, and monitor positive change within the RSM community. We facilitate the creation of knowledge circles that bring together academics, alumni & students around a number of targeted Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
As RSM actively demonstrates and disseminates theories, models, and practices that reinforce the connection between sustainable environments and integrated value, the Positive Change Initiative of RSM provides direct experience in action teams for students to activate their skills in out-of-the-classroom projects, events and activities; practicing stewardship and responsibility.
Two Domains
Responsible Management
The School infuses the central themes from the UN Global Compact’s Principles for Responsible Management Education(PRME) into its curriculum, co-curricular activities, and initiatives; sensitising mindsets to benefit society, the economy and the environment from the perspective that sustainability is the foundation of business. From enrolment in the first RSM course through achieving alumni status, students benefit from the integration of classroom education and out-of-class learning experiences on these targeted topics.
Sustainable Development
RSM’s primary focus is on developing business leaders with international careers who can become a force for positive change by carrying their innovative mindset into a sustainable future. Our first-class range of bachelor, master, MBA, PhD and executive programmes encourages active participation in exploring solutions to the world's grand challenges. RSM has adopted the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals as a reference framework.
Main Activities
- Stimulating lecturers and programme managers to integrate socially and environmentally relevant opportunities and challenges into all curricula, so that RSM students are sensitized and inspired to perform sustainable business operations throughout their (future) careers. Inspiring research to generate solutions for global challenges with the reference framework of the UN SDGs
- Tracking the overall environmental footprint of business-relevant behaviour of the RSM community; striving for sustainable levels, in particular, by minimising the consumption of natural resources and the production of waste streams and by maximizing the valorisation of waste produced.
- Raising awareness, inspiring, nudging participation, and stimulating the RSM community to behave in socially and environmentally sustainable ways and documenting RSM’s performance in a transparent dashboard.
- Driving the school mission A force for positive change with purpose-driven activities in the classroom and in action with alumni and business partners.
Organizational Structure
The RSM Executive Board funds activities and approves strategic and operational plans concerning sustainability-relevant activities at Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.
One full-time Positive Change Director, one full-time Positive Change Coordinator, one part-time Sustainability Coordinator, and two part-time (0.2 fte) program and communications student assistants constitute the Positive Change -Sustainable RSM Core Team. This Team initiates and coordinates sustainability-relevant initiatives and engages employees and students.
The Positive Change Action Teams (30-40 volunteer students annually) operate with a flat model of dedicated issue teams and project ambassadors. This team has direct contact with the RSM STAR study board and all the study associations of the business school.
One full-time Positive Change Director, one full-time Positive Change Coordinator, one part-time Sustainability Coordinator, and two part-time (0.2 fte) program and communications student assistants constitute the Positive Change -Sustainable RSM Core Team. This Team initiates and coordinates sustainability-relevant initiatives and engages employees and students.
The Positive Change Action Teams (30-40 volunteer students annually) operate with a flat model of dedicated issue teams and project ambassadors. This team has direct contact with the RSM STAR study board and all the study associations of the business school.