Courses in Sustainability
Yes
Sustainability course is
Recommended
Description
Sustainability-minded students at Duke?s Fuqua School of Business can choose from an array of MBA concentrations such as the MBA in Energy & Environment, MBA in Energy Finance, or Master of Environmental Management/Master of Business Administration (MEM/MBA) degree, which draw on campus-wide resources and enable students to enhance their MBA skillset by gaining specialized expertise in such areas as corporate sustainability, environmental management, energy science and policy, global energy markets, environmental law, and other topics. The EDGE Seminar on Energy & Environment provides Duke MBAs with a unique opportunity to learn about today's most important energy and environment industry issues directly from senior business executives. One of these courses, "Business Strategy for Sustainability", touches on integrating sustainability as a business and a key to competitive advantage.
Fuqua's sustainability elective, "Business Strategy for Sustainability" course description below:
Global challenges such as urbanization, food security, water crises, inequality, natural resource degradation, and climate change increasingly present material risks to corporations. Yet these same trends can create profitable opportunities for companies if innovation is harnessed to create products and business models that provide solutions for growing global markets. As these challenges grow, companies are increasingly integrating sustainability as a business imperative and a key to competitive advantage. In the course, we will examine how businesses assess their risks and opportunities, and how they develop strategies to promote more sustainable practices. We will assess challenges in different firms, industries and geographies, and evaluate how these differences affect corporate strategy and practice. Class sessions will combine case studies, lectures, guest speakers, and interactive activities.
Students also touch on sustainability topics in the MBA core class Global Institutions and Environments.
https://centers.fuqua.duke.edu/edge/
Research Opportunities in Sustainability
Yes
Description
Students pursuing joint MBA/Master of Environmental Management degrees participate in sustainability research projects, including life cycle energy cost analyses for local businesses and NGOs. Specific projects include developing ways to reduce lighting energy costs at manufacturing facilities; identifying appropriate heating and cooling systems based on environmental impact and purchase and maintenance costs; ascertaining energy efficiency and projected return on investment; and preparing detailed sustainability reports for clients' engineers and facility managers.
Through Fuqua's Client Consulting Practicum, students are able to work on sustainability projects in the United States and internationally. Recent projects have focused on producer take-back in retailing and on low-impact and low-emissions strategies in urban development.
School's environmental commitment 1:
1. Fuqua has a long-standing commitment to environmental stewardship and fully support Duke?s drive to be a truly sustainable institution. Duke?s Fuqua School of Business promotes environmental responsibility through degree programs and educational centers, interest groups and volunteer activities. Leveraging programs throughout the university, Fuqua offers the 3-year Master of Environmental Management/Master of Business Administration (MEM/MBA) and Master of Forestry/Master of Business Administration (MF/MBA) degrees. These are among the preeminent business and environment joint degree programs in the world. We also offer the MBA with concentrations in Energy and the Environment (for students to gain specialized expertise in corporate sustainability, environmental management and law, and energy science, policy, and entrepreneurship) and also in Energy Finance (a deep dive into issues of project finance, markets and trading, corporate finance, and risk management, with a grounding in global energy markets).
School's environmental commitment 2:
2. The Center for Energy, Development and the Global Environment (EDGE) at Duke?s Fuqua School of Business prepares current and future business leaders to understand and respond effectively to the interrelated global challenges of energy, development, and the environment. Students participate in local volunteer programs such as Habitat for Humanity as part of team development exercises. Student-led clubs with sustainability focus include the Net Impact club, Duke MBA Energy club, and the Duke MEM/MBA club. Students in the Net Impact club host the annual Sustainable Business & Social Impact (SBSI) conference, the largest event of its kind in the Southeast, educating participants on opportunities to generate positive and sustainable change through business.
School's environmental commitment 3:
3. The Fuqua campus also reflects our commitment to sustainability, with energy-efficient lighting and HVAC, as well as water-saving devices throughout. Construction of Fuqua?s JB Duke Hotel and renovation of the Thomas Executive Conference Center was completed January 2017 and included all new infrastructure to improve energy and water efficiency, sustainable construction and design, indoor environmental quality, and landscaping to reduce runoff. Through the use of efficient transportation options and participation in waste reduction through single-stream recycling, composting, and use of reusable utensils and food containers, our students, faculty, and staff all contribute to lowering our school?s carbon footprint.
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