Area of Concentration: Responsibility

Learning Objectives

Students will

• demonstrate the ability to apply principles of social responsibility at various levels, such as the state, company, and individual contexts;
• apply critical reflection to understand the antecedents and consequences of acting responsibly in business and society;
• explore disruptive changes in the global environment and will be equipped with the critical skills necessary to analyse the social implications of these changes on organizations and society;
• learn from a variety of interdisciplinary approaches to reflect and address the key planetary changes of our times.

Thinking about the future of society cannot be done in a meaningful manner without reflecting on issues of social responsibility and sustainability. This area of concentration focuses on responsible leadership, corporate social responsibility, and the critical understanding of social and environmental issues. In our courses, students acquire competencies that extend beyond the tools of traditional economics and management and enable responsible action towards sustainable futures. The curriculum ranges from introductory and theory-oriented courses to a variety of specialised seminars on topics such as corporate and consumer responsibility, critical finance, climate change, the environmental crisis, (new) work and ethics, diversity and inclusion, AI and ethics, intergenerational justice, postcolonial perspectives, the future of energy systems, and post- growth economics. A special feature of our courses is the integration of in-depth conceptual and ethical considerations with a strong relationship to practice. The focus on action is reflected, in particular, in a variety of teaching formats (case studies, role plays, excursions, and so on) and guest lectures by practitioners.

Overall, this area of concentration  aims at enabling competence in both reflection and action to address social and ecological issues at the micro-level of the individual, the meso-level of organisations, and the macro-level of political frameworks.

Bachelor: The seminars provide an introduction to our major topics. In our courses, students acquire competencies that extend beyond the tools of traditional economics and management and enable responsible action towards sustainable futures.

Master: Students can choose from a broad range of advanced courses, in which questions of great significance are analysed. At this level, the focus is on deepening reflection and practising application skills.

Key Topics:

• Business Ethics in Society
• Human Rights and Social Sustainability
• Environmental Sustainability
• Responsibility in Leadership and Organisations
• Ethics in Practice