As we enter PRME’s second decade, the 5th Annual Conference of the UK and Ireland PRME Regional Chapter will be hosted by Queen Mary, University of London. This year’s conference theme resonates with PRME's vision, which is “to realise the Sustainable Development Goals through responsible management education”, and its mission “to transform business and management education, and develop the responsible leaders of tomorrow”.
Inclusion is at the core of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Inclusiveness speaks to the notion of empowerment and the principle of non-discrimination. It is reflected in the pledge to leave no one behind, and in the vision of a “just, equitable, tolerant, open and socially inclusive world in which the needs of the most vulnerable are met” and “a world in which every country enjoys sustained, inclusive and sustainable economic growth and decent work for all” (paragraphs 8 and 9).
Academic institutions have a crucial role to play in promoting this agenda through their iterative critical pedagogies and practices, relationships with stakeholders, and interventions with society and the wider environment. Participants in the conference are challenged to imagine the role of the Academy, particularly PRME Business and Management schools, in realising the SDGs; and enabling ‘inclusivity’ as policy, pedagogy, critical ideology, and research to inform modes of reflexivity and criticality, and its attendant material practices in terms of responsible management education.
The theme of this conference aims to be guided by the following questions: What is the role of Business Schools in realising the 17 Sustainable Development Goals? What part can RME play in relation to the Sustainable Development Goals more broadly and /or in relation to Equality and Inclusivity in particular? Where are the opportunities and challenges presented by the SDGs, and by equality and inclusivity imperatives in the REF and TEF? What does it mean to decolonise Management Education in Business School? What are the challenges of integrating the universal principles of the UN in the Academy?
Keynote speakers will include high profile figures from industry and civil society, speaking on the future of responsible management education in relation to the SDGs. There will also be a business panel debate with members of the UN Global Compact and Business in the Community, on the skills and competencies that industry requires from graduates to achieve the SDGs. The Organising Committee is inviting proposals for either:
10-15 minute paper presentations;
or 40-minute interactive workshops
Priority will be given to inter/multidisciplinary proposals that engage participants in new or existing initiatives that serve to integrate the SDGs in to teaching, research and external engagement strategies of business schools.
Proposals will be considered on any aspect of education for sustainable development, responsible management and leadership across three themes:
Track 1: The potential contribution of Business Schools to the achievement of the SDGs;
Track 2: Inter/Multidisciplinary responses to promote education for Sustainable Development.
Track 3: Pedagogical and research approaches to embed inclusivity and equality in Business Schools;
Contributors are requested to submit proposals by March 29th 2018
When submitting a proposal please indicate if it is for a presentation or a workshop. If the latter, please explain how you will ensure that your session will be genuinely interactive, giving:
a working title;
a track number;
an abstract of some 300 words to conference@unprme.org.uk
The conference is open to academic and non-academic audiences, and not limited to members of the UK and Ireland PRME Regional Chapter or UN PRME signatories. Representatives of business and third sector organisations from around the world, and students of all disciplines, are particularly welcome. To register, please visit the Conference Website. Please feel free to address questions about the Conference to the host:
Yasmin Ibrahim: y.ibrahim@qmul.ac.uk