Event Report

Executive Summary

As we navigate an era defined by accelerating climate disruption, rising inequality, rapid technological shifts, and deepening mistrust in institutions, the role of business education has never been more critical. Business schools around the world are uniquely positioned to prepare the next generation of leaders with the values, skills, and vision needed to guide businesses toward inclusive and sustainable futures.

In June 2025, PRME, together with partners AACSB, EFMD Global, the Responsible Research in Business and Management (RRBM) Network, and the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, welcomed the international higher education and business community to Responsible Management Education (RME) Week, hosted at Cornell Tech in New York City. Now in its third year, RME Week continues to grow as a dynamic platform for collective learning, collaboration, and action.

At the heart of the week was the PRME Global Forum, a convening of educators, students, business leaders, and policymakers committed to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through responsible management education. Over 240 participants from across sectors and continents came together in the spirit of shared purpose and global responsibility.

Under the theme "Community and Commitment to Advance Global Responsibility," this year’s Forum featured a curated programme designed to strengthen our global network, share tools and best practices, and spotlight academic leadership in sustainability and ethics. Throughout the week, participants explored how the Principles of PRME can be applied to transform business school curricula, institutional strategies, research agendas, and student experiences.

This gathering served not only as a milestone of progress, but as a launchpad for future collaboration, demonstrating what is possible when a global community comes together to reimagine business education as a force for good.

Highlights included:

• Chelsea Clinton delivered an inspiring fireside chat with Chigozirim Bodart, Chief of Staff at the United Nations Global Compact, that emphasized the critical role of business schools in addressing global challenges through cross-sector leadership and ethical decision-making.
• The PRME Education Awards recognized exemplary contributions in teaching, research, and institutional leadership for advancing responsible management education.
• Student presenters from the Marketplace Simulation Challenge and PRME Students Sustainability Awards shared innovative projects and facilitated roundtable discussions on leadership and sustainability in action.
• The PRME Students Sustainability Awards honored student-led initiatives making measurable contributions to the SDGs across diverse global contexts.
• PRME and Ivey Publishing announced the winners of the inaugural Sustainability Case Writing Awards, celebrating excellence in case writing that advances sustainability in business education.
• The Positive Impact Rating 2025 results spotlighted business schools driving societal impact, with new insights from both students and faculty.
• Deans, academics, and sector leaders engaged in cross-cutting dialogues to explore institutional strategy, legitimacy, and collaboration in support of the SDGs.

Theme & Purpose

Guided by the theme “Community and Commitment to Advance Global Responsibility,” this year's Forum was a powerful reminder of the strength of our global network and the shared responsibility we carry as educators, business leaders, and students. The theme served as both a reflection and a challenge: a reflection of the deep commitment already embedded in the PRME community, and a challenge to go further to transform shared values into bold, purposeful action. As Maria Castillo, Social and Environmental Impact Director and Senior Professor at IÉSEG School of Management noted, “It’s about sharing and learning from other schools and trying to bring the best of that into the context of our own institutions.”

Throughout the week, the theme came to life in intentional spaces designed for connection, collaboration, and co-creation. Participants were not only inspired, but equipped with practical ideas, new partnerships, and a renewed sense of clarity around their next steps. In the words of Andrew Karolyi, Dean of the Cornell SC Johnson College of Business, “We don’t just talk here. It’s an opportunity to come together and we have a new sense of commitment.” At a time when global challenges can feel overwhelming, the Forum reinforced that real progress is possible when we move forward together with community, courage, and action.

Objectives

The Forum aimed to:

• Strengthen community and collaboration among PRME Signatories, partners, and stakeholders
• Inspire deeper engagement with PRME initiatives
• Provide actionable strategies for integrating sustainability into teaching, research, partnerships, and institutional practice
• Elevate the role of business schools as drivers of global responsibility and contributors to the UN’s mission
• Center global equity and inclusion, with emphasis on student leadership and voices from the Global South
• Provide a space for equal contribution from around the globe to business and management thought leadership

The 2025 Global Forum was designed to catalyze both immediate and long-term impact across the PRME community. Key anticipated outcomes included: strengthened cross-regional networks and new institutional collaborations, increased participation in PRME initiatives such as the Impactful Five (i5) project, Working Groups, and the Champions; and greater recognition of PRME’s role as a key bridge between higher education and the United Nations. The Forum also aimed to equip attendees with practical tools, strategies, and insights to integrate responsible management education into their institutions.

Structure

The Forum was structured to reflect and reinforce the Principles of PRME across multiple formats:

• Plenary sessions highlighted global progress toward the SDGs, and featured thought leaders from academia, business, and the UN.
• Community-led sessions, comprising the majority of the programme, were organized into thematic tracks aligned with the Principles of Teach, Research, Partner, and Practice, to reflect the range of roles and strategies used to embed responsible management across institutions.
• Collaboration and networking opportunities were woven throughout the Forum experience, with receptions, interactive sessions, and informal moments across the week designed to foster meaningful peer exchange and strengthen connections within the global PRME community.

Day 1 - Monday, 9 June

Welcomes Addresses:

• Amina J. Mohammed, Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations
• Sanda Ojiambo, CEO of the United Nations Global Compact
• Representatives from the organizer, partner, and supporting organizations of RME Week kick-off RME Week
• PRME Advisory Board

In Conversation: Chichi Bodart and Chelsea Clinton at the 2025 PRME Global Forum

• The discussion emphasized the importance of curiosity and humility in leadership, citing examples from personal experiences and historical figures. The need for schools to serve civic and community purposes was underscored, along with the importance of integrating gender equity into all aspects of society.

Purpose and Values in Action: Advancing the SDGs through Collaborative Leadership in Academia and Business

• Leaders from academia, business, and policy sectors explored the necessity of cross-sector collaboration to achieve the SDGs. The session emphasized bold partnerships and actionable leadership approaches to align research, policy, and practice.

Breakout Sessions:

Teach: Principles for Good Practice: Preparing Students for Community Engagement on Sustainability Practices

• Focused on embedding sustainability into curricula through experiential methods, this session showcased how educators can empower students with real-world engagement tools and pedagogies. (Slides)

Research: Building a Sustainable Future: Storytelling, Business Cases, and Learning Through Play

• Explored the impact of experiential and case-based learning in sustainability education, offering practical approaches using award-winning business cases and storytelling strategies.

Partner: AIM2Flourish: A Celebration of the Past Decade and an Invitation for the Future

• Celebrated ten years of AIM2Flourish, a programme empowering students to document real business innovation for good. The session explored how educators can integrate this powerful initiative into their courses. (Slides)

Practice: Champions for Climate Leadership (C4CL): Feedback and Feedforward towards Future Knowledge Mobilisation

• Engaged participants in shaping the next phase of the C4CL initiative, including developing new teaching resources and evolving the Playbook into an open-access learning platform. (Slides)

Accreditation, Rankings, and the SDGs: Aligning Business Education with Societal Impact

• Examined the evolving expectations around accreditation and rankings, focusing on how business schools can align reporting and practices with societal impact and the SDGs. (Two-pager)

Breakout Sessions:

Partner: From Global to Local: Advancing PRME at the Local and Regional Levels

• Highlighted the success of PRME Chapter UK & Ireland’s Local Networks, this session illustrated the benefits of localized implementation of Principles of PRME through collaboration with local stakeholders. (Slides)

Teach: Be the Tipping Point Initiative (BEtp)

• Introduced BEtp’s global movement to help educators update courses for sustainability while providing support networks, practical resources, and frameworks for institutional transformation.

Practice: Designing and Implementing the PRME Manifesto for SDG 4

• Participants explored strategies to strengthen PRME’s Manifesto for SDG 4, contributing feedback and solutions to support its implementation across the global PRME community. (Slides)

Research: Turbo-Charge Your Research: Tapping the Potential of the Global Academy of Management Networks

• Encouraged the integration of sustainability into business research, this session provided insights on building scholarly networks and aligning academic work with PRME’s mission. (Slides)

Simulation Champions: Student Leadership in Action

• Celebrated student excellence through simulations and awards presentations. This session highlighted student-led initiatives that translate responsible management theory into practice, inspiring peers and faculty alike.

PRME Curriculum Resources

PRME teased new and upcoming curriculum resources to support educators in embedding responsible management education throughout their programmes. These tools will help align course content with the SDGs and support faculty development across disciplines.

PIR Launch

Launched during the Forum, the 2025 Positive Impact Rating (PIR) captures the voices of over 17,000 students from 86 business schools in 28 countries, measuring schools’ societal contributions beyond academics.

This year’s edition also featured faculty perspectives for the first time, reinforcing PIR’s role as a benchmarking and accountability tool for institutions striving to align with global sustainability goals.

PIR Launch Slides