there are considerable opportunities to work across faculties and create interdisciplinary units focused on societal change. To enable students to appreciate the complex, interconnected nature of global challenges, teaching systems thinking is particularly essential. For instance, operations management modules should examine supply chain resilience and circular economy principles, while marketing courses should cover sustainable consumption, inclusive branding and ethical supply chains. In addition, schools should consider putting engineering students and business students together on capstone units, generating powerful opportunities for innovative solutions. Embedding experiential learning is also critical in developing socially responsible graduates. Projects that engage with local communities directly, for example, are a chance for students to apply classroom learning to real-world problems. When students co‑design projects that respond to community needs, such as those that strengthen local supply chains, advance sustainability initiatives or support social enterprises, they gain practical insight and purpose. Business schools could also establish community- based innovation labs or social impact hackathons where students, faculty and local stakeholders work together to prototype solutions for societal issues. Finally, curricula should explicitly aim to develop transversal skills, such as empathy, ethical reasoning, systems thinking and collaboration as core learning outcomes. These competencies go beyond technical expertise and prepare graduates to lead responsibly in a world that demands both strategic insight and moral awareness. Advancing assessments In a curriculum focused on social good and positive change, assessment strategies should adapt to reflect the real-world complexity of ethical and sustainable decision-making. Traditional written exams often fail to capture the applied, reflective and collaborative skills that students need to tackle societal challenges. Instead, assessments should move towards authentic, practice-based tasks that simulate the contexts students are likely to face as future, responsible leaders. Furthermore, thinking creatively about assessments can strengthen connections between the business school, its students and the wider community. For example, developing business plans and impact
Soheil Davari is director of accreditations and an associate professor at the University of Bath School of Management in the UK. He also serves as the school’s PRME lead and will chair the PRME UK & Ireland Chapter Conference 2026, to be held in Bath Colin Higgins is professor of management and deputy dean at Deakin Business School, Deakin University, Australia. He teaches sustainability and strategy on the Deakin MBA and ensures the school is at the forefront of curriculum and learning experiences that build student capability for impact
12 Business Impact • ISSUE 6 • 2025
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