AMBA & BGA EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNERS
How did it feel to win Best CSR and Sustainability Initiative 2025? “We are profoundly honoured to receive this prestigious international award. It serves as a powerful validation of our decade-long commitment to integrating social responsibility and sustainable practices into the heart of our business education ethos. “This accolade is also a tribute to the collective dedication and passion of our entire community – our insightful students, engaged alumni, devoted faculty and staff and our invaluable partners – all of whom have worked collaboratively and tirelessly to translate our overarching strategy of delivering responsible management into tangible, meaningful impact. The recognition strengthens our resolve to strive for even greater heights in our fundamental mission to cultivate a new generation of ethically conscious and socially responsible business leaders who are prepared to address global challenges.” ZUEL won this award for its Compassionate Futures Nexus, a unification of five different initiatives (Starlight Haven, MBA Benevolence Network, Hope and Help, the Female Leadership Centre and Community Connect). Why was the decision taken to bring these initiatives together under one name? “Historically, our various CSR projects, though passionately executed, operated in a somewhat isolated manner, akin to well-intentioned ‘guerrilla units’, with individual effectiveness but without a unified strategic direction. “Our transformative journey through the AMBA & BGA accreditation process provided a crucial strategic ‘GPS’, guiding us to recognise the imperative need for a cohesive, overarching framework. The decision to integrate these five flagship initiatives under the single, powerful banner of the Compassionate Futures Nexus (CFN) marked a deliberate transition from ‘spontaneous’ philanthropy to strategic philanthropy. Unifying five established CSR and sustainability initiatives under one umbrella has enabled the School of Business Administration at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (ZUEL) to amplify its impact and demonstrate its commitment to providing a powerful example within China’s higher education landscape. Dean Haitao Wu tells Tim Banerjee Dhoul about the award-winning Compassionate Futures Nexus
“This conscious consolidation allows us to amplify our collective impact, create powerful synergies between previously siloed projects and offer a clear and compelling narrative to all our stakeholders.” One of the school’s Community Connect initiatives has involved faculty members donating their time to social causes, such as senior care and environmental clean-up. How did the school engage faculty members in this initiative and ensure that a large number participated, on top of the day-to-day demands of their teaching and research duties? “Fostering a culture of social service is deeply embedded within our institutional values and this is reflected in the significant participation of our faculty. In 2024 alone, 145 faculty members contributed more than 2,900 volunteer hours to community causes. “This high level of engagement is cultivated through a multi‑faceted approach. Leadership by example sets a powerful tone, with the dean and other school leaders actively participating. We also recognise and celebrate these voluntary efforts within our performance appraisal system, as well as offering specific awards and acknowledgements for contributions to social responsibility, to signal that this work is valued alongside teaching and research.” Another Community Connect initiative, involving the Youth Collaborative Practice Team, has generated 36 research reports and two master’s dissertations on rural governance. What is the impact of these insights from a CSR and sustainability perspective on the communities and students involved? “The Youth Collaborative Practice project, conducted in partnership with the Xianning municipal government, is a prime example of translating rigorous academic inquiry into direct, tangible community benefit. The output of 36 detailed research reports and two master’s dissertations has delivered actionable, evidence-based insights for enhancing local rural governance policies and practices. “From a CSR and sustainability perspective, the impact is twofold: for the communities, this research directly contributes to more effective, informed and sustainable local development initiatives, directly supporting Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 (sustainable cities and communities) by providing policymakers with practical tools for improvement. For the students involved, the impact is transformational. They gain hands-on experience in addressing complex, real-world societal challenges. This process moves them beyond being mere theoreticians and transforms them into pragmatic,
Ambition • ISSUE 5 • 2025 39
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