First PRME Chapter Africa Annual General Meeting hosted by AUC School of Business

After spearheading its launch during the School of Business Business Forum in 2022, the school hosted the first Annual General Meeting of the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (UNPRME) Chapter Africa at the AUC New Cairo campus on January 11.

The hybrid meeting provided a forum to discuss the strategic direction of the chapter and was followed by a session discussing the Implications of COP27 on Responsible Management Education in Africa.

“This meeting and what PRME represents reflect what AUC School of Business is all about. Also, all those attending the first annual meeting reflect their support and endorsement to the importance of responsible business,” said Dean Sherif Kamel. “Across Africa, our beloved continent, of course we have our differences but also we have our similarities and I believe that the PRME Chapter Africa is a platform where we can work together and learn from each other,” he added.

The Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) is an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact. This global intergovernmental organization calls on the private sector to take action and contribute to social and environmental needs as expressed in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Complementary to and in support of this call to business, the focus of PRME is to build awareness of sustainability and the SDGs at business schools and universities around the world by integrating the SDGs into the teaching, research and practices of these institutions.

“PRME is a wonderful example of a United Nations initiative that actually shows the strong force from the global community,” highlighted Mette Morsing, head of PRME Secretariat.

The aim is to ensure that current and future business leaders have the knowledge and capabilities they need to make decisions that balance economic priorities with social and environmental imperatives to deliver positive change and create a better world for all.

“Business education is the most popular field in the world, we have a huge responsibility regarding how we teach young future leaders,” expressed Morsing.

PRME Chapter Africa aims at bringing PRME closer to the needs, aspirations, challenges and opportunities that are unique to African countries at a local and regional level. PRME Chapter Africa offers a specific platform for dialogue, learning, and action on responsible management, leadership education, and research in Africa, for Africa, by Africans.

“We have to think about our purpose while seeking guidance from other PRME chapters and those that have more experience working with PRME," commented Mumbi Wachira, professor at Strathmore University Business School and vice-chair PRME Chapter Africa.

“We wanted different programs and disciplines including business, economics, and political sciences to embed responsible management and SDGs within their Intended Learning Objectives (ILOs) one way or another,” continued Hadia FakhrEldin, professor at British University in Cairo (BUE) Faculty of Business Administration, Economics and Political Science, and CSC member, PRME Chapter Africa.

This new venture supports and promotes meaningful action towards tackling the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals through cooperation and partnerships between business schools and universities across Africa.

“To achieve PRME Chapter Africa’s mandate with only our member schools and those on the committee in their individual capacity, our efforts would be very limited, this is why strategic partnerships are essential,” stressed Cobus Oosthuizen, professor at Milpark Business School, and Chapter Steering Committee (CSC) member, PRME Chapter Africa.

In addition to the panel discussion, the meeting also witnessed the announcement of the winner of the 2022 PRME Global Students Sustainability Awards - Africa, which went to The Sustainability Club from Al Akhawayn University in Morocco. This year’s winning club demonstrated a strong commitment to SDG 15, which looks to protect, restore and promote sustainable use of terrestrial ecosystems, sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, and halt and reverse land degradation halt biodiversity loss, as well as humanitarian aid.

Hosting the event, which was attended by over 114 physical and virtual participants from 14 countries from around the African continent and the world, comes in line with the School’s efforts in fostering collaborations within the region for the betterment of business and management education and thought leadership.

Find out more about PRME Chapter Africa here.