CLIMATE SOLUTIONS FOR THE PACIFIC
SCHOOL: Monash Business School, Monash University COUNTRY: Australia
Research designed to help countries that are already reeling from the effects of climate change is the focus of a new partnership between Monash University and Fiji National University that will be overseen by Monash Business School. Launched in March, the Pacific Action on Climate Transitions (PACT) will examine how business and finance policy can help nations mitigate and adapt to climate change. “Much of the focus in research on climate change has been on either understanding the science of it, trying to push forward with mitigation strategies or changing consumer behaviour,” explained dean of the Faculty of Business and Economics and head of Monash Business School Simon Wilkie. “But what we’re focused on is actually: ‘How do economies that have been damaged and shocked by climate change already transition going forward and restructure their economy to become more resilient?’” Business across the Pacific region, where small and medium‑sized enterprises make up some 70-80 per cent of countries’ economies, has felt the impact of climate change more than most. “With Fiji currently losing two and a half per cent of its GDP every year on average due to infrastructure damage, PACT can be a driving force behind the Pacific’s transition to a resilient region in the face of climate change,” added Wilkie. Research between the two institutions has already begun and takes in topics that include the management of Fijian forests, the legal framework around Fiji’s climate laws and ways of attracting climate finance. Having grown up in Fiji, Monash Business School economics professor Paresh Narayan has witnessed the effects of climate change first‑hand, and so has been central to PACT’s formation. He was quick to emphasise the importance of basing it in the Pacific: “I wanted to provide leadership and focus on climate change with a research centre that isn’t based in a developed country, but a developing one, built on the foundations of collaboration.” Acting vice-chancellor of Fiji National University Unaisi Nabobo-Baba voiced her support and hope for the research centre by remarking: “Pacific people will gain access to new knowledge that will enable them to address a myriad of climate change issues by research that is conducted for our people, by our people.” TBD
HEC LAUNCHES NEW BRAND IDENTITY
SCHOOL: HEC Montréal COUNTRY: Canada
HEC Montréal has launched a new identity using the messaging, “HEC Montréal. Where opportunities are created”. The school wants to emphasise all the distinct areas of the business school, with the new brand informed by a survey of those who know HEC Montréal best: namely, its student population as well as the business community in Québec. “Our brand has enjoyed an enviable position in education and research for over a century,” said Office of Communications and Government Relations director Natalie Roussel. “We want to consolidate this reputation and demonstrate that HEC Montréal is constantly evolving and adapting to current challenges. It has powerful assets which it mobilises to meet the profound expectations of society.” The rebranding was the result of an acknowledgement that the world is increasingly competitive, especially in the academic arena. The school aims to help solve complex challenges through creativity and doing things differently. One example of this is its entrepreneurial support programmes, which can help leaders move towards sustainability, with a focus on the environment and society. The business school used brand strategy firm Folk to provide assistance in the project. EVP and managing director Claudia Milord commented: “We had the opportunity to collaborate closely with the HEC Montréal team for developing the positioning and identity of the brand. An authentic brand must draw upon its past, its culture and its vision. “Nobody can shine a spotlight on this subject better than the people within the organisation. We worked with them to weave in the external perspectives and bring the brand to life on all levels.” The new brand, which is aimed at the current and future student community as well as business and entrepreneurs, has been announced through the press, radio, social, billboards, on the metro and on the school campus. EB
12 | Ambition | MAY 2023
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