Leandro Bitetti
L. Bitetti - Integrating sustainability and entrepreneurship
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The European Union sees entrepreneurship as a good ally in achieving the sustainable development of society. While at the value level the two fields have points to align (how to combine economic goals such as growth and efficiency with social and environmental responsibility?) the commonalities are not lacking: they are both interdisciplinary, future-oriented, and promoters of critical thinking. Growing awareness of ecological limits and social inequalities is pushing businesses to balance their goals. This poses no small cultural challenge, including for business schools and the future managers who attend them.
This was discussed last June 27, in Cyprus, where a conference was organized to explore ways in which education for sustainable development can influence the teaching of entrepreneurship. The goal? To understand how best to meet the challenge of educating female professionals who are eager to make an environmental, social and economic impact in their future activities as entrepreneurs.
The conference was organized by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Speakers included Leandro Bitetti, head of SUPSI's Master of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Innovation Management, an educational track of the Department of Business Administration Health and Social Economics.
This was discussed last June 27, in Cyprus, where a conference was organized to explore ways in which education for sustainable development can influence the teaching of entrepreneurship. The goal? To understand how best to meet the challenge of educating female professionals who are eager to make an environmental, social and economic impact in their future activities as entrepreneurs.
The conference was organized by the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE). Speakers included Leandro Bitetti, head of SUPSI's Master of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Innovation Management, an educational track of the Department of Business Administration Health and Social Economics.
During the conference in Cyprus, sustainable development education applied to entrepreneurship education was discussed. What are the challenges in integrating these two areas into curricula for future entrepreneurs?
Many recommendations have arisen in recent years on how to integrate these two areas into the curricula of different school orders. There is talk, even in Switzerland, of a very early introduction of the topic, as early as elementary school. At the tertiary level, there are many who see the need for this integration as a real strategic priority for business schools. I would say that integrating is the central word: many agree that the curricula are definitely saturated, at all levels, and so it becomes difficult to add new content without removing other content. The truth, and this is the big challenge, is that it becomes crucial to target these two areas as the pillars of the curricula around which to orient. During the forum, we precisely discussed how integrating and not adding subjects of entrepreneurship and sustainability can be an appropriate, though certainly challenge-filled, approach.
How do you promote sustainability within the Master of Science in Business Administration with a Major in Innovation Management?
Ours is a work in progress, characterized by constant experimentation and adjustment. The important thing is to have a clear vision: our goal is to train leaders who are responsible for change, who do not chase innovation at any cost but consider its environmental and social implications.
We have integrated sustainability throughout the Master's program on two levels: through new content and new teaching methods. In terms of content, we have focused on increasing basic knowledge of sustainable development, which is essential for business students who may be unfamiliar with fundamental concepts such as the definition of a sustainable business, or ways to report on corporate sustainability.
A key element-and for this we should be very grateful and thankful-was asking all faculty to integrate sustainability principles into their respective courses. So it happens, for example, that for the innovation strategy and marketing modules, students develop projects that are not only interesting to the market but also desirable to society. Similarly, modules related to scientific work can focus on topics such as ecological transition. We want to convey the message that sustainability is not just a label or a fad, but a core value for those involved in innovation.
In terms of teaching methods, we are intensifying projects on real challenges in the company. The intent is to prepare our students not only to become responsible leaders, but also to be ambassadors, right from their studies, of a sustainable approach to entrepreneurship. Through these projects, we work with local businesses to highlight the importance of sustainable innovation, trying to convey and transfer this concept into their business.
How important is the interdisciplinary aspect in better preparing students?
universities in Europe and around the world are highlighting the need for an interdisciplinary approach to foster the marriage of entrepreneurship and sustainability, opening the door to candidates with diverse backgrounds such as designers and engineers. This enriches the program with diverse perspectives, but also poses the challenge of maintaining a uniform level of exit skills among students with different backgrounds.At SUPSI, we have a privileged context for interdisciplinarity and interprofessionality: we can count on expertise in various fields, and we have set ourselves the goal of creating moments of encounter between these disciplines. To ensure that this integration does not remain at a superficial level, as a first step we have introduced free credits and elective courses as a concrete stimulus to seize this opportunity for professional growth.In SUPSI disponiamo di un contesto privilegiato per l'interdisciplinarità e l'interprofessionalità: possiamo contare su competenze in vari ambiti e ci siamo prefissati l’obiettivo di creare momenti di incontro tra queste discipline. Per garantire che questa integrazione non rimanga a un livello superficiale, come primo passo abbiamo introdotto crediti liberi e corsi opzionali come stimolo concreto per cogliere questa opportunità di crescita professionale.