New report recognises commitment to social responsibility

In June 2021, The Chartered Association of Business Schools (CABS) published a new report titled: Business Schools and the Public Good, highlighting best practice from a diverse range of business schools across the UK, including Alliance Manchester Business School (AMBS).

CABS brings together UK business schools, supporting its members to maintain world-class standards of teaching and research. This includes recognising and encouraging the role business schools play in contributing to a better, more socially responsible society.

CABS set up a Taskforce to consider how business schools understand, approach and deliver ‘public good’ through teaching, research, internal operations and external engagement. The final report of the Taskforce presents 20 exemplar case studies of institutions delivering public good in the UK business school sector, including practices at AMBS. At AMBS, the promotion of ‘public good’ is realised through our social responsibility strategy. The report draws attention to the influential role of the social responsibility committee and its Chair, Professor Hongwei He, Director of Social Responsibility at AMBS, in driving change at the School.

The report highlights how at a local level, AMBS has advanced its University’s vision of public good: “Over the past three years, with a ring-fenced budget to support strategy development, the work of AMBS’ social responsibility committee has enabled the School to report activity towards each of the 17 SDGs from across its teaching, research and engagement activity.”

The report draws attention to initiatives implemented at the University and AMBS including Ethical Grand Challenges, AMBS’ undergraduate SR scholarships, its HR policies and the work of the School’s Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee to name a few. It also points to how the School is committed to delivering public good through aspects of procurement and internal operations including a commitment to Fairtrade and the Workers Rights Consortium.