4.07.2008 - 09:00am ET

(CSRwire) NEW YORK - April 7, 2008 – The Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME), a UN-backed global initiative developed to promote corporate responsibility and sustainability in business education, has now been endorsed by more than 100 business schools and universities from around the world.

Institutions participating in the initiative, which was launched under the patronage of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in July 2007, make a commitment to align their mission and strategy, as well as their core competencies – education, research and thought leadership –, with UN values embodied by the six PRME principles. Actions encouraged under the initiative's framework include curriculum development around the corporate responsibility agenda and research in support of sustainable management systems, as well as public advocacy and opinion leadership to advance responsible business practices.

"Thanks to the joint outreach by all partners, the PRME initiative has reached this critical milestone of 100 signatories," said Dr. Manuel Escudero, Head of Academic Initiatives at the UN Global Compact, which is one of the initiative’s co-conveners. Speaking on behalf of the PRME steering committee, Dr. Escudero stressed that "this will enable the initiative to bring good efforts to scale and truly embed the sustainability agenda in the training of future business leaders."

The PRME Steering Committee includes the UN Global Compact, the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International), the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD), the Aspen Institute's Business and Society Program, the European Academy for Business in Society (EABIS), the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI), the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), and Net Impact.

Following its early outreach and awareness-raising efforts, the initiative is currently establishing several participant working groups to facilitate implementation of the principles and identify best practices. In addition, a Global Forum for Responsible Management Education will be convened on 1-2 December 2008 at UN Headquarters in New York. The event will present a first opportunity to take stock of the PRME initiative so far, to exchange experiences and forge a closer link between the United Nations’ mission and the work of business schools.

For more information about the PRME, please visit www.unprme.org.

Matthias Stausberg
Spokesperson
UN Global Compact
stausberg@un.org
+1-917-214-1337

Amy Ponzillo
PR Coordinator
AACSB International
mediarelations@aacsb.edu
+1-813-367-5207

Claudia Kipka
Communications Coordinator
EABIS
claudia.kipka@eabis.org
+32-2-541-1615

Liz Maw
Executive Director
Net Impact
lmaw@netimpact.org
+1-415-495-4230 x306

Matthew Wood
Communications Director
EFMD/GRLI
matthew.wood@efmd.org
+32-479-473999

Sam Silverstein
Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)
ssilverstein@gmac.com
+1-703-245-4317

Linda Lehrer
Communications Director
Aspen Institute Business & Society Program
linda.lehrer@aspeninstitute.org
+1-212-895-8002

About the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)

The idea of developing a principle-based global engagement platform for academic institutions followed a recommendation by academic stakeholders of the United Nations Global Compact and was officially introduced in October 2006.

Under the coordination of the Global Compact Office and several international academic associations, a PRME task force of sixty deans and scholars developed a set of six principles that form the core of the global platform for responsible management education.

Following the launch of the PRME in 2007, a secretariat was established in the Global Compact Office, with an international steering committee providing further guidance. For more information, please visit www.unprme.org.

About the United Nations Global Compact

Launched in 2000, the UN Global Compact brings business together with UN agencies, labour, civil society and governments to advance ten universal principles in the areas of human rights, labour, environment and anti-corruption.

Through the power of collective action, the Global Compact seeks to mainstream these ten principles in business activities around the world and to catalyze actions in support of broader UN goals. With over 3,900 participating companies and hundreds of other stakeholders from more than 120 countries, it is the world's largest voluntary corporate citizenship initiative. For more information, please visit www.unglobalcompact.org.

About the Association for the Advancement of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB International)

AACSB International - The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is a not-for-profit corporation of educational institutions, corporations, and other organizations devoted to the promotion and improvement of higher education in business administration and management. Founded in 1916, AACSB International established the first set of accreditation standards for business schools in 1919.

In addition to accrediting business schools worldwide, AACSB International is the business education community's professional development organization. For more information, please visit www.aacsb.edu.

About the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC)

In 1953, the organization now called the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) began as an association of nine business schools whose goal was to develop a standardized test to help business schools select qualified applicants.

In the first year it was offered, the assessment GMAC sponsored, now known as the Graduate Management Admission Test, or GMAT, was taken just over 2,000 times; in recent years, it has been taken more than 200,000 times annually.

GMAC values strong, creative relationships with organizations whose missions reflect our commitment to excellence in graduate management education. For more information, please visit www.gmac.com.

About the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD)

The European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) is an international membership organization, based in Brussels, Belgium. With more than 650 member organizations from academia, business, public service and consultancy in 75 countries, EFMD provides a unique forum for information, research, networking and debate on innovation and best practice in management development.

EFMD is recognized globally as an accreditation body of quality in management education and has established accreditation services for business schools and business school programmes, corporate universities and technology-enhanced learning programmes. For more information, please visit www.efmd.org.

About the Aspen Institute Business and Society Program

The Aspen Institute Business and Society Program (BSP) is dedicated to developing leaders for a sustainable global society. Through dialogues and path-breaking research, BSP create opportunities for executives and educators to explore new pathways to sustainability and values-based leadership. BSP's websites, www.CasePlace.org and www.beyondgreypinstripes.org, are the leading sources of innovative curriculum in top business schools around the world. The Business and Society Program is an independently-funded policy program of the Aspen Institute. For more information, please visit www.aspeninstitute.org/bsp.

About the Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI)

The Globally Responsible Leadership Initiative (GRLI) is the result of four years of intensive work by a group of senior representatives from companies, business schools and centres for leadership learning from five continents. The group was formed by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) with the support of the United Nations Global Compact.

The Initiative aims to promote understanding of globally responsible leadership and to develop its practice. The Initiative is developing a body of knowledge on globally responsible leadership and encouraging its practice in companies worldwide. For more information, please visit www.globallyresponsibleleaders.net.

About the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS)

Established in 2002, the European Academy of Business in Society (EABIS) is a unique alliance of companies, business schools and academic institutions, with the support of the European Commission, committed to integrating business in society issues into the heart of business theory and practice in Europe.

EABIS' aim is to shape and enhance the quality of debate on the role of business in society in Europe; equip current and future business leaders with the mindset and capacity to put business in society at the heart of the way companies are run by integrating the changing role of business in society into the mainstream of business research, education and training; transform the way that business leaders, academics, policy-makers and others interact and communicate on business in society issues amongst themselves and with a wider audience; and inform policy-making on issues of business in society. For more information, please visit www.eabis.org.

About Net Impact

Net Impact is an international non-profit organization whose mission is to make a positive impact on society by growing and strengthening a community of new leaders who use business to improve the world.

Net Impact offers a portfolio of programs to educate, equip, and inspire more than 10,000 members to make a tangible difference in their universities, organizations, and communities.

Spanning six continents, Net Impact's membership makes up one of the most influential networks of MBAs, graduate students, and professionals in existence today. Net Impact members are current and emerging leaders in CSR, social entrepreneurship, nonprofit management, international development, and environmental sustainability who are actively improving the world. For more information, please visit www.netimpact.org.

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