Royal Roads University: Committed to Reimagining Business Education

In an era defined by climate crisis and inequality, businesses and investors are increasingly recognizing the need for more inclusive and environmentally sustainable markets to drive long-term value creation. But short-term pressures prevent the private sector from leading this transformation on its own. This is where universities have a distinct advantage; their long-term orientation can be leveraged to help business leaders understand complex problems, design and test innovative solutions, and collaborate with diverse partners to scale their impacts.

Royal Roads University has recently committed to two complementary initiatives that support the University and the School of Business in its pursuit of a more enlightened approach to business education and research: signing the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and receiving the Ashoka U Changemaker Campus designation. Together, these initiatives strengthen RRU’s capacity to respond to emerging demands from employers, and from students themselves, for entrepreneurial and management skills that can be applied to complex social and environmental challenges and create positive social impact.

In May 2019, RRU signed the PRME and has since become an advanced signatory. The six principles contribute to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through promoting responsible management education. Our new advanced signatory status will allow us to further embed the Principles into our research and teaching. Our students now have access to internship opportunities with sustainable businesses and faculty have new opportunities to exchange lessons and insights with other faculty around the world.

Leading the transition to more inclusive and sustainable markets will also require harnessing entrepreneurial and management skills to create positive social impacts.

RRU’s role as a leader for change and social innovation education has been recognized with its designation as an Ashoka U Changemaker Campus. The Ashoka U Changemaker Campus Network is a dynamic, global community of more than 45 universities and colleges committed to advancing social innovation and changemaking across their institution and beyond. Ashoka U is an initiative of Ashoka, the world’s largest network of social entrepreneurs and changemakers.

To be sure, offering sustainable and social impact courses on their own does not guarantee that students will be protected from short-term pressures of the business world upon graduation. But when sustainability and social impact education is combined with RRU’s philosophy on the transformative potential of applied, experiential learning, teaching and research, it becomes possible to transcend conventional barriers to change that is needed to reimagine capitalism. Come join us in this important endeavour!

If you’re interested in learning more about our status as a PRME advanced signatory or our Ashoka U Changemaker Campus designation, drop us a line or stop by the office.