Social and Environmental Entrepreneurship

Full course description

Interest in the concept of social and sustainable entrepreneurship has been sparked over the last two decades due to frustration with inefficient, ineffective and failed action of government and philanthropic bodies, as well as the socially destructive behaviour of many businesses. An explicit and central social/sustainable mission, innovation, creativity and a strong market orientation are the distinguishing features of social and sustainable entrepreneurship. Social and sustainable entrepreneurs are committed to furthering a social and/or sustainable mission, and rank social, environmental or cultural impact on a par with, or above, profit. At the intersection of business, government and not-for-profit organisations, these social and sustainable entrepreneurs are now visible and having an impact on a global scale.

This course will provide you the opportunity to learn how you can apply your knowledge and skills to address complex sustainability problems. This course is structured around experiential problem-based learning, providing you the opportunity to synthesise theory and practice as you develop an idea for your own social/sustainable enterprises. Topics will include: critically reviewing concepts; user centred-design of social and sustainable enterprises; frameworks for understanding and strategizing; understanding and reporting social and environmental impact; and cross-sector collaboration