A United Nations Project Marks a Decade of Global Sustainability Research and Practice at the Whitman School

In the spring, students enrolled in the CASSE Program’s BUA 759 Sustainability-Driven Enterprise capstone course participated in an experiential learning
project sponsored by the United Nation’s (UN) Global Compact, an initiative to
implement universal sustainability principles from CEOs worldwide. For the project, students split into three groups to research the implications of supply chain automation in consumer products, information technology and energy, and manufacturing for more than 18 diverse companies that are part of the UN Global Compact.

“These are large corporations that are trying to improve the social and environmental sustainability of suppliers throughout their supply chain—many of which are smaller, entrepreneurial ventures—in order to create additional value for their customers,” explained Todd Moss, assistant professor of entrepreneurship and faculty director of the Sustainable Enterprise Partnership (SEP).

To Thuy Nguyen, a second-year MBA student who participated in the project, the program and experience she gained have given her an in-depth look at supply chain from a global perspective.

“This is a very special program,” said Nguyen. “I had a chance to work in teams with students coming from different schools, backgrounds and countries. Therefore, I could see a topic through different lenses while gaining a lot of hands-on experience.”

Moss said experiences such as this one are what make the SEP unique, helping students in the CASSE program gain essential skills and relationships.

“A number of companies that attended the Global Roundtable expressed interest in sponsoring their own follow-on projects based on the work of this year’s students,” said Moss. “Their interest speaks volumes about the quality of the students’ work.”

Arielle Spears
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