Q4 2019-2020 Activity Update

The Hoffmann Institute has kept busy throughout the summer, here is our latest activity report covering the last quarter of the 2019-2020 academic year.

Through dedicated webinars, we explored sustainability in careers, family businesses and governance

Working in tandem with the INSEAD Consulting and Climate Action student clubs, the Wendel International Centre for Family Enterprise, the INSEAD Corporate Governance Centre and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), we led conversations on careers in sustainability, how family businesses can support societal goals, and how to redefine sustainability governance amid the COVID-19 crisis.

We spoke at the United Nations Global Compact 20th Anniversary Leaders Summit

Under the theme ‘Recover Better, Recover Stronger, Recover Together,’ Dean Ilian Mihov joined high-level Summit speakers discussing how to tackle societal challenges and advance the Sustainable Development Goals. This virtual summit was attended by over 11,000 people making it the largest gathering of leaders from business, civil society, governments and international organizations. Alongside the Summit, Dean Mihov was appointed as Chair at the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Board – the UN-led global movement to transform business and management education through research and leadership.

We inaugurated INSEAD’s first Summer Learning Festival talking about women in leadership, systemic racism, sustainable food systems, the European Green Deal, and building back better in a post-Covid world.

During INSEAD's first Summer Learning Festival which included a specific track on business and society, we co-organised online events with ChangeNOW, the Community Impact Challenge (CIC), the INSEAD Women in Business Club, the INSEAD social impact student club (INDEVOR), and INSEAD Life Long Learning team. From webinars featuring Paul Polman, Andre Hoffmann, and Frans Timmermans to explore how to build back better, create healthier food systems, and understand the European Green Deal, to events with Professors Felicia Henderson and Zoe Kinias, and Avivah Cox to unearth the roots of systemic racism and reflect on what can be learned from women leaders – the sessions engaged 1,400 members of our community, alumni and beyond.

For the second year in a row, we supported students for the 2020 Summer Start-up Tour, the SDG Bootcamp, and the Social Enterprise Consulting Experience

We supported the winners of the Summer Start-up (‘SSUP!), an INSEAD MBA student-led venture, and published their learning journeys on their respective SSUP tours - Ful Foods and The Blue Team. Another student-related collaboration resulted in publishing the three takeaways from the school’s first ever online SDG Bootcamp, taught by INSEAD Professor Jackie Stenson. We further supported the Social Enterprise Consulting Experience (SECE), an initiative that has helped social enterprises in the INSEAD network generate value and amplify impact through short-term consulting projects.

We collaborated with INSEAD Alumni Association France (IAAF) to highlight women’s progress in the business world.

A business and society summer blog, the IAAF created Flash Impact as a platform to share best practices on business impact. In addressing diversity and gender equality, we collaborated on the 4 key learnings on gender imbalance at the workplace.

We published 9 stories and 61 social media posts.

From shining an unflattering light on our economic and social systems with Hard Times Reveal Hard Truths, to addressing economic inclusivity for refugees with Rebuilding Lives With ‘A Beautiful Mess,’ to uncovering social and cultural challenges of social entrepreneurship with Managing Business and Culture in the Rainforest – the 9 stories addressed a range of business and society topics.

That is all for this quarter, but do follow us on social media to stay updated!

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