Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society partners with ChangeNOW International Summit for Change and hosts Force for Good Conference
As the new academic year gets underway at INSEAD, The Business School for the World, there will be several new opportunities for business leaders to promote business as a force for good thanks to the recently established Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society. A partnership with ChangeNOW and the first INSEAD Force for Good Conference will promote a deeper conversation on the role of business in positive societal progress.
The Hoffmann Institute is the Academic Partner of the ChangeNOW International Summit for Change to be held on 28-29 September at STATION F in Paris, France. The summit – co-founded by INSEAD alumni – will explore concrete action and innovations that businesses can take to lead in implementing solutions to our most urgent global issues.
Executive Director of the Institute Katell Le Goulven says that, “We face unprecedented challenges to global growth and development. Risks are rising from environmental pressures, from our rapidly changing geopolitical landscape and from the blistering pace of technological advancement. We need to convene the thought leaders, innovators, investors and entrepreneurs who can affect real change. This is how we turn steps forward into strides towards a sustainable future.”
ChangeNOW will feature project presentations by INSEAD alumni, a job fair for students, public talks and B2B meetings. André Hoffmann MBA’90D and Professor Andre Calmon will join Hans Loth, Global Head of UN Environment Partnership at Rabobank, for a panel exploring how supply chains can shape new business models. The panel will be moderated by the Institute’s Executive Director Katell Le Goulven. INSEAD Deputy Dean and Dean of Innovation Peter Zemsky will moderate a Tech for Good session exploring how emergent technology such as blockchain and AI can be leveraged for social good.
Projects from INSEAD are part of 400 groundbreaking solutions from 80 countries addressing the world's most pressing issues. The INSEAD projects to be presented include:
- 1001 fontaines – Pioneering an innovative response to the problem of safe drinking water
- Irene Energy – Innovating a next generation back-office for the energy industry
- Plastic Eaters – Ensuring the next generation has an ocean to swim in
- Zephyre – Customizing solutions for electric vehicle charging stations
- Mpower Financing – Empowering students through innovative lending
- Startup Bootcamp – Connecting ideas and investors through a global network
To begin the conversation on business and society in advance of the ChangeNOW Summit, the Institute is publishing a webpage where the social media conversation can be viewed in real time. Social media users can join the conversation on Twitter and Instagram using the hashtag #INSEADforGood. The Institute welcome everyone to engage with on this topic. To join the conversation, please visit the first webpage published by the Institute on the INSEAD website.
Ilian Mihov, Dean of INSEAD, says, “This is a crucial conversation for business and society in this moment. I am glad to see the Hoffmann Institute take the lead and bring together the leaders who must be part of this conversation. At INSEAD, we have a lot to offer – excellent research, expert faculty, a staff that supports our efforts to lead by example and partnerships that make a positive difference around the world. Together we can scale up business as a force for good.”
The conversation will be carried forward into the Force for Good Conference that will be held on 5 October on the INSEAD Europe Campus and the next Alumni Forum Asia slated for 10 November on the Asia Campus.
The Force for Good Conference will feature a keynote address by Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever, as well as presentations and panel discussions on gender myths, sustainable finance, radical sustainability and other topics related to business as a force for good. The Alumni Forum will bring together INSEAD alumni from around the world to discuss their role as agents of change who promote business as a force for good.
The Institute is also looking to make an immediate impact on INSEAD campuses. The team is convening a staff task force to help the school walk the talk on business as a force for good in day-to-day operations and is organising the release a school-wide Business and Society Report that highlights INSEAD leadership on sustainability, as well as areas of improvement.
The Institute ushers in a new era for INSEAD, with new research focus and new ways to teach the next generation of leaders – and by extension, new ways to do business around the world.
About the INSEAD Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society
The mission of the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society is to lead the way in transforming business education to ensure that leaders and organisations benefit society and the environment. The goal is to create new knowledge, curricula and outreach opportunities to equip tomorrow’s leaders with the tools necessary to address our global challenges.
The Institute aims to develop into a platform that strategises, coordinates and facilitates school-wide activity around its mission. This approach enables the Institute to collaborate with all areas and centres of the school. The Institute’s current priorities include ethics, gender balance, humanitarian operations, social impact, sustainability, tech for good and wealth inequality
The Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society was established in August 2018 through a €40 million commitment from André Hoffmann MBA‘90D and his wife Rosalie. For more information on this landmark gift, see the press release.
For more information on the Hoffmann Global Institute for Business and Society, visit our webpage.
