STRATEGY
Transformative education Our strategy is transformative education: the transformation of people, organisations and society. The full impact of environmental, social and governance (ESG) themes on society are unknown. Unknown risks cannot be managed; you must recognise them before you can get started with them. These themes show complex patterns in which hardly any structure can be applied. Facing this requires an open mind, self- knowledge, wisdom and curiosity. We want to contribute with research and education to understand this complicated societal challenge, and to help identify a solution. Creative thinkers and practical problem solvers are also key to finding an educational solution. There are many different practical steps Schools can take to implement these key issues within their programmes. For example, putting green issues into the curricula or working with sustainable and ethical employers. For Nyenrode, it took the form of embracing the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) in its 2020 – 2024 strategy. Our primary focus is on the UN SDG 8: ‘Decent work and economic growth.’ Inclusive and sustainable economic growth can drive progress and generate the means to implement further sustainability goals. The pandemic has led to the loss of more than 255 million full-time jobs. Although economic recovery is under way, it will take several years to fully build back not only the economy, but society as a whole. In addition, this SDG has sub-goals that include labour rights, inclusion and equality at work, and access to financial services.
Nyenrode Business University strives to be an inclusive organisation, with diverse perspectives and backgrounds. We believe it is important to be transparent around how we are incorporating this goal with our community, in the hope that it may create a snowball effect for other Schools or companies. One practical step we are taking is to incorporate the SDG into education and targeted impact research which allows us, simultaneously, to strengthen the societal impact we are having. Our valuable in-house knowledge is actively shared, in order to enhance results in terms of meeting all the sustainable development goals. By showing leadership and taking the initiative at an organisational, team and individual level, we are working towards a sustainable future. This goal ties in with our purpose (serving society by shaping responsible leaders), origin, and strategic focus, and is underpinned by our core values: leadership, entrepreneurship and stewardship. In this way, studying at Nyenrode Business University encourages critical thinking that focuses on how to deal with current and future societal challenges. We even help to develop practical solutions by building knowledge centres with business partners, and solving challenges together. Further examples of the work Nyenrode Business University is doing around the sustainability agenda relates to SDG 17, which involves ‘strengthening the means of implementation and revitalising the global partnership for sustainable development’. These days, serving society goes beyond organisational and national boundaries. It requires co-operation with partners in ecosystems. We strive to be a hub where people and organisations make new connections and create social impact jointly.
The future of education and learning is practical,
experimental, personalised, continuous and lifelong, so it is increasingly difficult to
predict what knowledge and competencies will be needed in the future
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Ambition | BE IN BRILLIANT COMPANY
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