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Asia can build ‘new era of sustainability’ – Ban

Asia can build ‘new era of sustainability’ – Ban

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Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon today applauded the work of a global education initiative for responsible management, and urged it to help put a more “human face” on business education in Asia.

In a video message to delegates at the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) Asian Forum, meeting at Kyung Hee University in Seoul, the capital of the Republic of Korea, Mr. Ban said he that hoped the initiative would continue its work and “inspire other academic institutions in Asia to join our common cause.”

The PRME initiative was launched in July 2007 with the aim of promoting corporate responsibility and sustainability in business education.

Mr. Ban encouraged delegates to continue forging ahead with PRME’s work, especially in Asia, saying it had a main part to play in building a new era of sustainability.

“Asia remains one of the most dynamic regions in the world economy. Educating future business leaders in the region will have a profound influence on the way business is done worldwide in the future,” he said. “Asia itself has acknowledged that business education in the region has focused mainly on efficiency,” he added.

“This forum is a welcome step in putting a human face on management education. I look forward to the changes in curriculum and research that will no doubt result.” The Secretary-General noted the significant growth of the initiative since its launch.

“More than 320 business schools and academic institutions in over 60 countries are now taking part. In doing so, they are helping to advance the values and work of the United Nations Global Compact.” The Global Compact, created in 2000, aims to foster socially responsible business practices and has more than 8,000 participants worldwide to date.