CEMS Prague Wins the First-Ever Sustainability & Social Responsibility Award

We are proud to announce that the CEMS Master in International Management (CEMS MIM) at VSE has been awarded the inaugural CEMS Sustainability & Social Responsibility Award, with Ivey Business School at Western University being awarded at the same time. Introduced in 2025, the award recognises CEMS schools that go beyond expectations in embedding sustainability and responsibility into their programmes, fully aligned with the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) and the CEMS Graduate Profile.

Why CEMS Prague Won: Our Best Practices

  1. Sustainability is embedded throughout the curriculum

Sustainability and social responsibility are deeply rooted in the academic foundation of our CEMS-MIM programme. Beyond the required integration of sustainability topics into core courses such as International Strategy, Global Leadership, Global Citizenship Seminar, and the Block Seminar, we ensure that every year at least one Business Project and one International Strategy term project focus specifically on ESG or sustainability. Recent student work includes, for example, a comprehensive go-to-market strategy for SpaceTrees, a startup addressing climate-driven bark beetle outbreaks.

  1. ESG in practice: the only national ESG Rating

One of our flagship initiatives is the Czech ESG Rating, coordinated locally by the CEMS team and now completed for the fourth consecutive year. It remains the only official ESG rating for corporates in the country, actively involving faculty, students, alumni, and corporate partners. This initiative has also gained national visibility thanks to extensive media coverage, raising awareness of sustainability issues across sectors.

  1. Mandatory hands-on impact through the CSR in Practice course

The mandatory CSR in Practice course shapes students’ values through direct engagement with societal challenges. Last year alone, students contributed more than 920 hours of meaningful service. Their work supported elderly individuals in hospices, staff in Alzheimer’s care centres, children from underprivileged backgrounds, food banks and community kitchens, and families in need. The bone marrow donation campaign, which resulted in 137 students being tested, statistically enough to save a life, also originated from this course. This approach ensures students do not simply study responsibility—it becomes part of their lived experience.

  1. A vibrant sustainability culture driven by students

The local CEMS Club Prague plays an essential role in raising awareness of sustainability and social responsibility among students. Its dedicated ESG department runs initiatives that make responsible behaviour both engaging and visible within the community. Activities such as ESG Challenge Week, which encourages students to adopt sustainable lifestyle habits, and the fully plant-based Plant-Powered Barbecue highlight the creativity behind their efforts. The club has also organised impactful social events, including Abuse Is Not Love, held in cooperation with YSL Beauty and a local NGO.

  1. Opportunities for deeper academic and personal engagement

Students who wish to pursue sustainability further can do so through the NextGen Consulting minor, which includes a wide selection of courses focused on sustainability, net-zero transformation, and responsible business. Around 20% of students choose ESG-related topics for their master’s theses, reflecting strong interest in these areas. Engagement in social responsibility is also encouraged even before students enter the programme, as volunteering experience is rewarded with bonus points during the CEMS admissions process.

A Recognition That Inspires

This award acknowledges the collective effort of our CEMS academic team, students, alumni, corporate partners, and the CEMS Club Prague, whose dedication ensures that sustainability is not only an academic theme but a lived value across our CEMS community. We are honoured to be among the first recipients of this award and look forward to continuing our work in shaping responsible leaders who can create meaningful impact for society and the planet.

To learn more about our Sustainability & Social Responsibility award, tune into: https://cems.org/cems-sustainability-social-responsibility-award

CEMS Sustainability & Social Responsibility Award