A Singapore business school has launched Southeast Asia’s first major on sustainability. The new course at Singapore Management University (SMU) aims to grow and promote the understanding of sustainability in Southeast Asia, a region with social and environmental issues ranging from deforestation and plastic pollution to overtourism and migrant labour. The major takes three to four years to complete and will arm students with knowledge of sustainable practices and how to apply it in business. Modules include sustainable finance, social entrepreneurship, economic development in Asia, development, underdevelopment and poverty, and sustainability and marketing. Compulsory modules include sustainability management and governance. One condition for the course is that is done concurrently with another chosen first major. The course will be available to SMU students from this year onwards. According to professor Gerard George, dean of SMU Lee Kong Chian School of Business, “Increasingly, businesses have embraced sustainability as part of their strategic goals. Many companies consider a sustainability strategy necessary to be competitive today and in the future.” The course is backed by Southeast Asia’s largest bank, DBS, which plans to commit more than $1 million in funding to sustainability research, scholarships and fellowships.

Posted by

Eco-Business