oikos adds “Sustainable Finance” track to its annual Case Writing Competition.
Finance plays a critical role in today’s economy and society as a whole. Development of savings, capital allocation via equity, bonds and commodity markets, as well as decisions to provide loans to firms, have a significant impact on businesses and individuals. Methodologies to evaluate firms, approaches to corporate reporting, and concepts in financial theory are key factors in economic decision-making. And views on the role of banks, insurance companies and other financial institutions are at the heart of long-term economic, social and environmental developments.
The education programs in finance that prepare students on these topics are key factors in that context. They don’t only provide insights into both finance theory and practice, but also shape perspectives and opinions on the field. Making sustainability an integral pillar of these programs is essential to catalyse global change towards a more sustainable economy
Against this background, oikos is adding a third track on “Sustainable Finance” to its annual Case Writing Competition. Launched in 2003, the competition awards leading teaching cases in two tracks on “Corporate Sustainability” and “Social Entrepreneurship”. Cases are evaluated by an international panel of leading faculty in a double-blind review process. Winning cases are made available through the oikos Case Collection, as well as further platforms such as the Case Centre (former ECCH) and caseplace.org. Additional partners of the program include Ashoka, a global organization that identifies and invests in leading social entrepreneurs as well as WWF, one of the world’s largest and most respected independent conservation organizations.
With the addition of a “Sustainable Finance” track, oikos expands the program to support the development and use of cases into a key field of business schools. Cases are a central pillar in management courses in general and finance education in particular. Building up a pool of cases that allow for reflection on finance issues from a sustainability perspective is critical. The new finance track of the oikos Case Writing Competition supports writers in making such cases available.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the reflection of environmental, social and governance opportunities and risks in investments, lending and insurance offerings; the integration of sustainability information (e.g. carbon exposures) in corporate reporting; the role of pension funds and other institutional investors in making financial markets more sustainable, approaches to incorporate sustainability into business models and decision-making in the financial industry; as well as the impact of regulatory action on sustainability in finance.
The deadline for submission of cases is 9 December 2013. Winners will be announced at the end of May 2014. Further information is available here.
