Sweden’s first two-year Master’s in sustainable business
Sven Helin, Head of School, Magnus Frostenson, Senior Lecturer and Tommy Borglund, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, responsible for the new Master's programme at Örebro University School of Business.
Örebro University School of Business has received a grant from the Knowledge Foundation of 2.4 million SEK to invest in a two-year Master’s programme in sustainable business. The programme is unique as it is one of the first in Sweden to combine business administration and sustainability.
List of companies collaborating with the programme: Telia Company, Skandia, Telenor, Trelleborg, Folksam, Spendrups, Kommuninvest, Delta Nordic, ScandFibre, Nethouse, Grant Thornton and Stena Metall, along with Social Venture Network (SVN).
"Many companies are demanding these types of skills," says Tommy Borglund who is the programme's initiator, "and also, many students are seeking this type of programme, which combines business with sustainability, social responsibility and ethics."
Örebro University School of Business has recently received a grant from the Knowledge Foundation (KK-stiftelsen) of 2.4 million SEK, and work is currently underway to establish sustainable business as a specialisation within the Master's programme in business administration. This means creating partnerships with companies for internships and research material for academic papers.
"There is a great deal of interest for collaboration from the corporate sector, many are well-known companies, providing both the opportunity for internships and educational visits for students. It also gives us access to a range of guest lecturers," says Tommy Borglund.
The Master's programme is planned to begin in the autumn 2018. Initially there will be 20 places available, but courses will also be available to other students who have a Bachelor's degree in business administration.
"The programme is based here at the School of Business, however elements such as internships and writing academic papers will be in cooperation with companies and other organisations," explains Tommy Borglund.
Students can expect a future of working on sustainability issues within companies and organisations. This could mean working in a company's sustainability department or as a consultant, or perhaps at an NGO. Interest in this subject is growing.
"In the long term, I think this will be beneficial for the whole of Örebro University", says Tommy Borglund, "which could lead to more courses and increased knowledge about sustainability and entrepreneurship."
Text and photo: Daniel Dagernäs
Translation: Jerry Gray