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In line with its sustainable development strategy, IÉSEG aims at integrating environmental and social transition challenges into all subjects taught. In March 2024, as part of the “Transition 2026” program, professors first participated in a series of training modules to deepen the social and environmental issues specific to the subjects and professions they teach. Then, in May, each department defined its own transformation roadmap, inspired by the “ClimatSup Business” report from The Shift Project and the European Union’s “GreenComp” model. During these workshops, professors identified the positive and negative impacts of their disciplines and the key competencies to be changed or integrated into their courses.

“Offering students sustainable development courses is no longer enough. The magnitude of current challenges invites us to rethink what we teach across all disciplines,” explains Myriam DEGRAVE, Academic Head of Sustainability at IÉSEG.

10 Ambassadors to providing students with a solid and ambitious sustainability competency pathway

To drive this transformation, IÉSEG appointed, in September 2024, 10 Sustainability Ambassadors*, matching the 10 major disciplines taught at the School. Their common objective: to adapt courses to establish a cohesive and ambitious sustainability competency pathway, from the first day at IÉSEG until each student’s graduation. These Sustainability Ambassadors were identified for their expertise in their discipline (Finance, Marketing, Accounting, Law, Information Systems, Supply Chain, etc.) and for their expertise and sensitivity to transition issues.

Based on the identified key competencies, the ambassadors audited and mapped all the courses in the Grande École Program. Then they connected with professors in their departments to identify whether these competencies were already integrated into the teaching or which course contents needed to be adapted to include them.

Interdisciplinarity as a key to broader perspective

Through regular discussions, the Ambassadors adopted an interdisciplinary approach to build a comprehensive and robust framework of environmental and social competencies.

For example, one key competency identified across all disciplines is “Critical Thinking.” This essential skill is developed differently in courses, encouraging students to question the status quo. Specifically, IÉSEG will continue to teach the fundamentals in each subject but will also teach alternative models and schools of thought that challenge traditional models, so each student can make informed decisions. The goal is to give students the tools to make the best choices later, decide what they want to implement in their companies, and how they want to act to achieve the desired impact.

These new competencies and models take various forms:

– In marketing: What role can marketing play in promoting models compatible with planetary limits?- In accounting: How can triple accounting, which considers environmental and social impact measurement, be taught?

– In economics: What are the interactions between the economy, energy, and climate? What are the limits of growth in a world with limited resources?

– In Human Resources: How can authentic and impactful equity and inclusion policies be deployed? How can employees be supported in the company’s transition?

– In strategy and sustainability: How can business models be questioned? How can a company’s environmental footprint be calculated to decarbonize the entire value chain?

63 key competencies identified… 228 courses audited

Throughout this process, the Sustainability Ambassadors identified 63 key environmental and social competencies and audited 228 courses to identify necessary transformations. The roadmaps of all departments were presented at a specific Executive Committee meeting in March 2025, and the transformations will engage the teams until the end of 2026, although many changes have already been implemented. For example, a course titled “Transformational HR Management” was launched during the last academic year. It teaches how companies can rely on Human Resources departments to better address global (social and environmental) transformations at the individual, managerial, and organizational levels.

According to Giverny DE BOECK, Sustainability Ambassador for ‘Individuals and Organizations,’ “competencies related to people and organizations, such as adaptability, change management, and expertise in diversity, equity, and inclusion, are essential for tomorrow’s leaders. These skills enable students to drive significant changes in response to ecological and social challenges, which are deeply interconnected in society. A truly sustainable future depends on learning a deep understanding of the ‘S’ in CSR and recognizing that social and ecological challenges are two sides of the same coin.”

Frank GOETHALS, Sustainability Ambassador for ‘Management of Information Systems,’ adds, “In IS, we have identified the importance of the environmental footprint of digital systems. In line with The Shift Project’s recommendation, we will now ensure that all students understand the concept of digital sobriety. A life cycle analysis will help students understand the necessity of digital sobriety and learn how it can be implemented within companies.”

For Raluca PARVULESCU (Economics and Quantitative Methods), “what gave me the greatest satisfaction was seeing how engaged all the professors in my department are in addressing students’ concerns about climate change, resource depletion, energy challenges, inequalities, and diversity. Those I spoke with were genuinely determined to integrate their research findings into their courses. There is already evidence of this commitment everywhere: in classroom discussions, case studies, theoretical models… Sustainability raises more questions than it answers, and economics as a discipline is deeply challenged. Although we don’t have all the answers, I see this as an exciting opportunity to involve students in the thinking process and work together towards a better understanding of the problems and possible solutions.“

Finally, Laurie-Ann Underwood (Marketing) says, “this exercise was particularly useful for our Marketing/Sales Department, as it allowed us to step back and examine the work we accomplished in 2024 to ensure that each course integrated meaningful content directly related to sustainable development, which represents a significant effort. I am very proud of my role as a Sustainability Ambassador, as I was able to work with all the professors in the department to analyze how our courses fit together and ensure a smooth and coherent pathway for our students.“

“What is a course compatible with a +1.5°C, +2°C, or even +4°C trajectory? What does it mean to teach management in the face of 21st-century challenges? This process raises fundamental questions about our role as an institution and as professors. More than ever, it is crucial to educate future leaders with a scientific approach and align management sciences with planetary limits. It is a beautiful movement carried by the ambassadors,” concludes Myriam DEGRAVE.