Six leading African business schools launched the Business Schools for Climate Leadership Africa (BS4CL Africa) initiative to build a collaborative framework for climate action that can transform business education curricula to match the needs and adapt to the realities of the African continent.
“Our ultimate goal is to ensure business schools effectively address climate change issues by integrating … critical subjects within the business schools’ ecosystem,” said Sherif Kamel, the dean of the school of business at the American University in Cairo (AUC).
The initiative will apply to projects, teaching and business development activities, among others, he was quoted as saying at a 7 November round table for African business school deans held at AUC in Egypt.
Dr Roze Phillips, an adjunct faculty at the Centre for Business Ethics at the Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS) of the University of Pretoria, South Africa, told University World News the institute welcomed the establishment of BS4CL Africa as “timely” and as adhering to the saying, ‘Nothing about us without us’.
“BS4CL Africa gives voice, advocacy and action to Africa’s unique requirements as we craft our fit-for-purpose responses to what is fast being recognised as a climate catastrophe bearing down on Africa and the world,” Phillips said.
Structure
BS4CL Africa is based on the model inspired by the European Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL) group, which was initiated at the 2021 United Nations Climate Conference (COP26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom, by eight of Europe’s leading business schools.
The BS4CL Africa participants are the School of Business at the American University in Cairo, Egypt; ESCA Ecole de Management (ESCA School of Management) in Morocco; the Lagos Business School in Nigeria; the School of Tourism and Hospitality at Strathmore University, Kenya; and the Gordon Institute of Business Science and the Stellenbosch Business School, both in South Africa.
Also supportive of the BS4CL Africa initiative are the Association of African Business Schools, or (AABS); the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, or UNFCCC; and Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) at the United Nations Global Compact and the PRME chapter in Africa.
The initiative will also invite contributions from the private sector and civil society, and will mirror the ambitions of COP27 taking place in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt.
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