Making The Case For Doing What’s Right: In Conversation With Andrew Burke, Dean Of Trinity Business School

Education Making The Case For Doing What’s Right: In Conversation With Andrew Burke, Dean Of Trinity Business School Matt Symonds Contributor Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. Co-Founder Fortuna Admissions & CentreCourt MBA Festival; The S of QS New! Follow this author to improve your content experience. Got it! Jul 6, 2022, 06:33am EDT | New! Click on the conversation bubble to join the conversation Got it! Share to Facebook Share to Twitter Share to Linkedin “Business schools are a force for good – or at least they can be.

But they need to turn up the dial, . . .

[+] so to speak, on ethics, humane business and sustainability. That’s the only way forward. ” Andrew Burke, Dean – Trinity Business School Photo Chris Bellew /Fennell Photography Copyright 2021 Chris Bellew/ Fennell Photograph Has climate change finally found its way on to the agenda at business schools? Since UVA’s Darden School of Business committed to becoming carbon neutral within a decade back in 2010, business education providers across the globe have, in some way or another, shifted focus – in both teaching and operations.

In late 2021, eight of Europe’s leading schools – including the likes of HEC Paris, IMD and Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford – announced a first-of-its-kind partnership , BS4CL to support businesses to combat the climate crisis. And yet, when surveying 160 business schools in 2020, the Financial Times found that less than one-third had objectives to become carbon neutral, and only a dozen or so had set deadlines of 2030. Meanwhile others gave target dates as far off as 2060.

While plenty of schools demonstrate an awareness of the need for greater effort in curbing climate change, discernible commitments are harder to come by. But there are institutions taking that bold step and going all in on a less carbon-intensive future. INSEAD has committed to slashing its greenhouse gas emissions by 67% by 2035, and achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.

Meanwhile, ESSEC Business School has set a goal of cutting its programme-related emissions by one-quarter this year. Ireland’s Trinity Business School (TBS) is leading the way. In a recent strategy launch, which saw the business school’s community turn out in full force – including notable EMBA candidate and Irish rugby legend Jamie Heaslip – Trinity committed to achieving carbon net zero status by 2030.

A major undertaking, and a undertaking that – according to the FT survey – would leave Trinity wanting for company. The School’s commitment could well raise the bar in the business education community towards making bigger, bolder commitments to the tackling climate change. “Climate action is about creating a movement.

It’s about achieving critical mass sufficient to cause a convergence of financial and ecological sustainability,” says Professor Andrew Burke, Dean of Trinity Business School. “To be effective it’ll require organisations and their communities to get their hands dirty. ” MORE FOR YOU Kentucky State University Is In Financial Peril Legal Experts On Pearson V.

Chegg And Why It Could Be A Huge Deal How To Land A Spot At One Of These Tuition-Free Medical Schools An impassioned advocate of business school-led climate action, Burke comes across as a man not easily daunted by big challenges – climate-related or otherwise. Since taking over as Dean in 2015, he’s been at the heart of a significant overhaul of the business school within the prestigious Trinity College Dublin. Burke has been the driving force behind delivering of a new €80M euro, state-of-the-art, eco-friendly building, securing Triple Accreditation and expanding of Trinity’s educational offering, and, most recently, transforming operations in pursuit of a cleaner future via Trinity Business School’s new strategy.

During his tenure, Trinity has rapidly improved performance across all major rankings, surging 24 places in the FT’s European Business School Ranking 2021. “It was always important to me that, wherever I go, I must be able to add value – contribute something positive. I knew, we had to achieve ‘big’ at Trinity.

Make no mistake those weren’t just my ambitions – Triple Accreditation, massive expansion – they were shared ambitions across Trinity. That’s how I knew that it was the right place for me. ” A man with a vision: for Trinity Business School and for higher education.

But university wasn’t originally a priority for the Dean: “Going to university was originally an after-thought. As a young man from a low income household, the appeal of the wage that came with apprenticeships was rather enticing,” Burke admits. A graduate of Ireland’s other major university, University College Dublin, Burke’s career has seen him take on faculty positions at a number of leading institutions, including UCLA Anderson, the University of Edinburgh, Balliol College Oxford and the University of St Andrews, with a lengthy stint at Cranfield School of Management.

And as a consultant, having advised organisations such as the European Commission, the World Trade Organisation and IPSE (the largest association of independent professionals in Europe), Burke’s admission of initially considering passing up a university education seems all the more unpredicted. Burke explains that, after a tentative ‘I’ll see how it goes’ first few weeks at university, his outlook on attending university had markedly changed. It was the community spirit at UCD that really convinced him.

“What I really enjoyed about university was the actual ecosystem itself. The sense of community, the developmental and exciting societies and clubs available to students” A former President of the UCD Students’ Union, Burke’s own experience at university has undoubtedly shaped his perception of higher and business education. And that is reflected in how he now leads as a business school dean.

“Inclusion is key at Trinity. Inclusion in every sense of the word,” he insists. In recognition of the School’s commitment to improving gender equality and representation among staff and students, Trinity Business School was awarded the Athena SWAN Bronze Award in 2021.

The FT reports 63% full-time international faculty, and while many top European schools have fewer than 30% female faculty Trinity is at 43%. Commenting at the time, Burke insisted that equality, diversity and inclusion was critical to the business school’s success: “We recognise that greater diversity, amongst other things, enhances organisation performance and so have tried to nurture a diverse community to achieve our potential!” And, Trinity having committed to women’s scholarship, inspired by The 30% Club – a global campaign to increase gender diversity at board and executive-committee levels – it seems the School really is walking the talk. I’m keen to return to Trinity Business School’s bold commitment to carbon neutrality.

To understand the motivation behind the ambitious target, I ask Andrew Burke about the thinking behind the recent strategy. “The bottom line is: it’s the right thing to do. ” Andrew Burke has been the driving force behind delivering of a new €80M euro, state-of-the-art, .

. . [+] eco-friendly building at Trinity Business School.

Trinity Business School Burke insists upon the responsibility that business schools have to lead the change they want to see in the world. But he’s quick to note the role of others in inspiring Trinity’s commitments: “At first we really weren’t sure about when to commit to achieving these results by – some were more aggressive in their attitude than others,” he says. “After coming to an impasse on when to set as the proverbial cut-off point, we opted to take a break and get some fresh air.

Standing on the school’s roof – which is a natural garden – we began to hear chanting. It was then that we saw young people marching in the streets of Dublin – and when I say young, I mean pre-university, school kids – in their thousands, all in support of climate action. ” “It was at that moment that we knew what we had to do.

” What Burke had witnessed was one of the many marches to take place in the city in recent years in recognition of the climate crisis, and in response to perceived inactivity. But, as Trinity’s Dean is keen to note, the school’s climate-inspired commitments stem from more than just a moral standpoint: “It’s about credibility. How can we preach to our students to do better, if we don’t do the same?” Reflecting on the march that firmed in his mind the need for an aggressive approach to climate action, Burke notes: “On some level, I felt a sense of shame.

As leadership staff at a major business school, we’re in a position to make real change, and we’re tiptoeing around the issue, unsure how to act. Meanwhile, there are our future – future Trinity students, future professionals – are pleading in the streets for action. ” There can be no doubt that what underpins Trinity Business School’s new strategy and bold commitments is hard pragmatism and good business sense, but the Dean’s deep-seated and staunchly-felt sense of moral obligation cannot be overlooked.

“Business schools are standard-bearers. They have to lead by example. And, whatever standards they set for their stakeholders, they have to match – and then some.

If we go back only a few years, it was out of the question to commit to something as overhauling as a commitment to carbon neutrality. But no longer can we opt for what’s easy, or convenient – or merely profitable. Whether it’s climate change, human rights, or EDI, schools must take the initiative, and lead from the front.

” “Business schools are a force for good – or at least they can be. But they need to turn up the dial, so to speak, on ethics, humane business and sustainability. That’s the only way forward.

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