Business Transformation for Sustainability

Every one of the 5 modules within the course is tailored to centre around sustainabilities' principles. By immersing themselves in this focused educational environment, students gain the knowledge and skills necessary to become adept stewards of our planet's future.

• Sustainability Factories
• Fundamentals of Sustainability Transformation
• Collaboration for Transformation
• Change Management for Sustainability
• Sustainability Management & Tools
  
  This highly comprehensive learning empowers graduates to orchestrate resources across corporate boundaries, and to successfully manage organisations in dynamic and changing social and environmental contexts. The programme also provides them with the mindset that makes the difference between the past and the future: a mindset of sustainable collaboration.

KEDGE's Research Centre for Sustainability focuses on interdisciplinary research on organisational impacts. With 24 academics and 6 PhD students, it is among Europe's largest hubs for corporate sustainability research and education. The Centre promotes sustainable business practices, striving for a better world. The MSc programme leverages this expertise, exposing students to seminars and workshops on sustainability challenges on an international level.

Discover KEDGE Research Centre for Sustainability

As part of the MSc programme, students are immersed in an ecosystem and exposed to invaluable practical experiences and research opportunities. These include internships and industry placements in France or abroad, collaborative projects with corporate partners, research methodologies within the field, a two-month NGO-mission and engaging company challenges which create the opportunity for students to apply sustainability notions and go through a first-hand sustainability transformation experience. This experience enhances their career prsopects and prepares them for leadership roles in the international sustainability sector.

Transformation is also encountered during the sustainability factories, in which students engage in a personal and organisational journey. By enhancing complex thinking capabilities for problem solving, sustainability factories allow for better problem framing, application of knowledge, acceleration of ideas, co-construction of solutions and presentation of sustainable value propositions for a better world.

Collaboration with key players from the civil world such as NGOs and regulators is key to successful business transformation. To ensure a thorough understanding of the potential of such cross-sector collaboration, students engage in a 2-month NGO mission with a specific assignment. The real-life experience in non-business sector organisations activates students' understanding of the contributions that such players can make towards sustainability transformation. Skills acquired during the NGO project are a differentiating element for employability. During the programme, students are supported in the transferability process of such skills in their career-building process.

Personal transformation for sustainability involves an individual's conscious effort to change their attitudes, beliefs, behaviours, lifestyle choices in ways that promote environmental, social, and economic sustainability. This transformation is deeply rooted in the recognition of the interconnectedness between personal actions and their impacts on the planet and society.

Students are immersed in an ongoing process that requires research, continuous learning, self-reflection, and adaptation. It involves staying informed about emerging sustainability trends and solutions, reflecting on one's progress and challenges, and being open to evolving perspectives and practices. 

Complex thinking for sustainability, anchored in Edgar Morin's approach, emphasises a holistic understanding of the interconnected and interdependent nature of sustainability challenges. Incorporating Morin's principles into our curriculum empowers students to navigate the complexities of real-worl sustainability problems with agility and creativity.

This international Master of Science (MSc) offers thorough preparation for upcoming graduates, comprising: 

• Courses taught in English, facilitating mastery of the universal language of business and equipping students to navigate effortlessly in international professional settings.
• Educational resources , such as business simulations and case studies, delve into global issues, offering a comprehensive view of sustainability challenges worldwide. This curriculum is pivotal in equipping aspiring leaders and professionals to confront urgent international issues.
• International speakers and professors, fostering a dynamic multicultural environment both on campus and during internships bring diverse experiences and perspectives, reflecting the industry's global richness and nurturing adaptable professionals ready to excel internationally. This exposure not only enhances their academic experience but also fosters a profound comprehension of global sustainability challenges and the collaborative approaches essential for their resolution.

The curriculum and the vision of the school place significant emphasis on core values like inclusiveness. Within the framework of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, several goals specifically address the principle of inclusivity. At KEDGE, embracing inclusivity entails actively combating various forms of discrimination, including: gender, sexual orientation, religion, geographical and social origin, disability, territory (rural versus urban for example).
This commitment to inclusivity is integrated into various aspects of the academic programme, ensuring that students from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed and supported throughout their master's degree.

The programme approach perfectly captures the school's culture of sustainable development through several initiatives. The Green Plan is the reference of "Sustainability Development" in French superior education. It is both a self-diagnosis guide and a dashboard, as well as a strategic guide for the initiatives aimed at promoting sustainability and environmental responsibility within universities and other institutions of higher learning. Key components of the Green plan may include: environmental management, social responsibility, sustainable curriculum, campus sustainability, stakeholder engagement, waste management, sustainable transportation, carbon neutrality as well as  climate action.

For over a decade, the school has diligently pursued the advancement of its sustainable development strategy, in line with the six principles (purpose, values, method, research, partnership, dialogue) for managing responsible education supported by the United Nations (UN PRME).

Students are exposed to a variety of stakeholders and gain a comprehensive understanding of specific new tools for leading business transformation in a dedicated module:

• Circular economy
• Sustainability research methods
• Responding to climate change
• Sustainable finance
• Reporting for sustainability

Circular Economy Collage

This 3-hour collaborative workshop examines our current economic model, highlights its impacts and explores a different model using fewer resources, designs out waste and respects the planet's limits. Participants are working in small groups with the help of a set of cards and brainstorm ideas to shift away from our economy towards a more sustainable and circular model.

The workshop provides a structured and collaborative environment for exploring the transition to a more sustainable and circular economic model, empowering participants to envision, apply and contribute to positive change.

Our sustainable studies module provides students with hands-on experience and real-world projects that address global environmental and social challenges. Throughout the course, students work on collaborative projects with industry partners including an in-company internship as well as an NGO mission to make a tangible impact on sustainable development.

• Company: Throughout the internship, students actively participate in projects and initiatives aimed at advancing sustainability goals within the company. They apply theoretical knowledge gained from their academic studies to real-world scenarios, gaining practical skills and insights into sustainable business practices. During the company internship, students undergo a comprehensive 4-month training programme aimed at practicing value creation across four dimensions: value creation, stakeholder relations, steering, operational management and the transformation process. 
• NGO: During the NGO mission, students collaborate with an NGO working on sustainability-related initiatives, such as environmental conservation, social justice, or community development. They contribute their skills and knowledge to support the organisation's mission, gaining hands-on experience in addressing real-world sustainability challenges.