- Arden University signs up to the UN PRME to share best practice across a network of almost 900 leading business and management schools in 99 countries around the world
- Move reinforces Arden University’s commitment to developing business leaders of the future with sustainability in mind
- Arden University is already carrying out several initiatives to support the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined by the UN
Arden University, a leading UK-based provider of flexible, online and blended learning, has signed up to the UN Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) demonstrating its commitment to creating leaders of the future that hold sustainability at their core.
The university, which has seven blended-learning study centres across London, Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds and Berlin, joins almost 900 leading business and management schools across 99 countries as part of the world’s largest organised relationship between the United Nations and management-related higher education institutions.
By signing up to UN PRME, Arden University’s faculty of leadership and management is committing to six key principles: Purpose, Values, Method, Research, Partnership and Dialogue.*
Since gaining degree awarding powers in 2015, Arden University has embraced the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by embedding them into its culture and aligning its CSR strategy to them. It has created several initiatives against the 17 SDGs and now plans to continue this work with the help of other PRME members.
These initiatives include donating laptops to schools and setting up a ‘hardship’ fund; a partnership with Mind and providing access to the Together-All student support portal. This all demonstrates how the university is dedicated to helping students with their mental wellbeing and making its education inclusive, resulting in more than 80% of its students coming from a BAME background, with 91% from the highest deprivation categories according to the POLAR framework.
Building on its sustainability focus, the university has already set itself a goal of becoming carbon neutral by December 2021, with one of its promises being to plant one tree for each graduate to help sustain rural parts of Scotland.
Dr. Alison Watson, Head of the School of Leadership and Management at Arden University, says: “This is such a big movement in the world’s business community and we’re very excited to be part of it. Since Arden was formed, it has used UN Sustainable Development Goals to shape its CSR strategy so it is right that we have this opportunity to learn from educational institutions around the world and share best practice so that we can all improve together.
“This will really benefit our students too. Graduating into a world that is so heavily focussed on sustainability and social good they need to be operating responsibly to succeed. The ideas and principles of UN PRME are vital if we’re to achieve that.
“We’re signing up not just for the success of our students, but because we believe it is the right thing to do. We want to produce and develop talented people that improve the world we’re in for everyone, not just themselves. We believe that following these principles is a vital step towards doing just that.”
