A Closer Look at Applied Sustainability Centers

http://www.aspencbe.org/documents/Applied%20Sustainability%20Centers%20Final.pdf
Authors: Roberts, Alex; Johnson, Jennifer; Bunch, Rick
Source: The Aspen Institute Center for Business Education
Year: 2008
Number of pages: 22

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Abstract:

Just as business school courses and programs with sustainability elements have proliferated in recent years, so have centers. This edition of A Closer Look discusses the rise of academic centers with a focus on applied sustainability, primarily in environmental subjects, and examines a number of those centers in detail. Our hope in offering this information is to provide a survey of the current sustainability landscape, help schools learn from each other’s experiences and inspire greater collaboration and creativity.

By “applied sustainability,” we connote a focus on the development and adoption of sustainable practices. Many parts of the academy seek to encourage applied research and education, and sustainability in particular is an area given to interdisciplinary approaches. Therefore, while we focus here mostly on centers based in business schools, we also examine some centers based in other parts of the university.

We use the term “center” loosely, to encompass organizations of various titles within the university that focus or catalyze sustainability research or teaching through engagement of external stakeholders. While their other goals and functions are also vital, in this review we focus on what they do to influence the world of practice.