Nottingham leads the way
The University of Nottingham is producing new generations of highly sought-after business graduates and some of the most important research in the field of CSR18/08/2008 | By TNE
Ranked among the top 10 universities in the UK1 and top 70 in the world2, The University of Nottingham is recognised as one of the few truly global universities. Recent years have seen it take huge strides internationally, becoming the first UK university to open a campus overseas, in Malaysia, and following this with a second international base at The University of Nottingham Ningbo, China.
Across all campuses, the University is producing innovative, world-changing research in areas such as biotechnology, pharmacy, medicine, engineering and life sciences. But it is in business that Nottingham is really making a name for itself among international organisations.
In fact, Nottingham University Business School was ranked first in the UK and fourth in Europe by the 2007/08 Aspen Institute Beyond Grey Pinstripes survey. The prestigious institute also placed the Business School second in the world for its research on integrating social and environmental stewardship into business.
Aspen compares schools on how far they have embraced the issues that have become increasingly important to businesses in recent years such as social impact, environmental stewardship and customer accountability.
One of the main reasons for the business school’s high rankings is the work of its pioneering International Centre for Corporate Social Responsibility (ICCSR). Under the directorship of Professor Jeremy Moon, the ICCSR has gained an impressive reputation.
“What is interesting about CSR is its unpredictability and that it is driven by people outside companies, such as the media and non-governmental organisations,” says Professor Moon. “But now companies are trying to anticipate the agendas, as we have seen with the development of greener technologies. Others are trying to reduce social risk in their work practices. At Nottingham, we understand these CSR agendas and can help organisations address the challenges they face.”
The Centre achieves this through its world∞class teaching and research. It became the first place in the UK to offer a unique MBA in CSR and has since launched an MA in CSR too. One of the centre’s unique aspects is its internship programme, which places students within organisations to help tackle CSR challenges. In recent years, students have proved valuable to companies like BT, the BBC, Boots and Experian. This outstanding teaching record is matched by the ICCSR’s research output, which has seen its academics published in virtually every quality English language business ethics or business and society journal.
As a result, many organisations turn to the Centre for its cutting-edge applied research. Businesses can draw on the expertise of a large group of talented PhD students to investigate their CSR issues and the Centre has been responsible for recent reports for the likes of the Charities Aid Foundation and the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants.
Next on the horizon for the ICCSR is an expansion into Executive education, providing vital CSR education for employees. The move can only enhance the Centre’s status among the very best of its kind anywhere in the world.<
1 As ranked by Shanghai Jiao Tong University’s Academic Ranking of World Universities
2 As ranked by Times Higher Education
Further information: www.nottingham.ac.uk/business
