Enderun launches pioneering program that combines business management and sustainability
Enderun Colleges today announced the launch of its new undergraduate degree program in Sustainability, an interdisciplinary course in environmental science, business management and public policy that will be the first of its kind in Asia.
“Sustainability differs from traditional courses in environmental science, and even traditional courses in business administration, political science and economics, by grounding questions of leadership, resource allocation and ethical conduct in a scientific understanding of the pressing environmental challenges we face, as individuals and as a planet,” said Bryan Benitez McClelland, co-chair of the College’s new Sustainability and Environmental Studies Department. “The Enderun Sustainability degree will not only prepare students for the many high-paying jobs now available in the sustainability field, but for leadership positions in society, as social entrepreneurs, policy makers and change agents.”
Students accepted into the four-year degree course will explore a wide range of topics, including climate change, global sustainable development policy, product design, food systems, urban planning, transportation systems, green buildings as well as energy, water and waste systems, before choosing a concentration in social entrepreneurship, corporate sustainability management, public policy, or applied environmental science, according to Edmond Perez Maceda, who co-chairs the Department with McClelland. The degree course also includes a unique tutorial with senior faculty members, a culminating thesis or project, a community outreach experience and a topical internship, either in the Philippines or abroad. The Enderun Career Services Office has placed more than 700 undergraduates in international internships since 2010.
“The demand for sustainability experts with global perspectives is growing rapidly in the corporate sector,” noted Maceda, a veteran environmental engineer who currently serves as Chief Sustainability Officer for property giant Megaworld Corporation and previously for Ayala Land Inc. “Many large investors and lenders now explicitly require investee corporations to build sustainability teams, monitor the socio-ecological impact of their activities, and disclose their sustainability performance using global reporting standards. Consumers increasingly base their buying decisions on the perceived social responsibility of producers, further stoking demand for managers trained in sustainable business principles and practice. Our new program expressly prepares graduates for these corporate career opportunities; but it also prepares them to change the world, as social entrepreneurs, activists and thought leaders.”
McClelland, a social entrepreneur best known as the founder of Bambike, a manufacturer of bamboo bicycles, agreed, emphasizing the value of the program’s interdisciplinary curriculum: “The challenges that will define the century– climate change, natural resource depletion, population growth and rising income inequality—cannot be addressed without a holistic understanding of business, government, economics and environmental science. Too many academic programs prepare students for the world as it was, or vanishingly is, encouraging the kind of myopia we see so commonly in our political and commercial leaders. In an increasingly interconnected world of interrelated, existential challenges, the ability to work across disciplines and across cultures will be key.”
Enderun Colleges President Dr. Edgardo Rodriguez concurred. “The Sustainability major is an exciting, interdisciplinary alternative to traditional programs in political science, business administration and environmental science. It leads to rewarding professional opportunities and prepares graduates for practical leadership roles in both the private and public sectors. It also offers excellent preparation for graduate-level study in economics, business, law and environmental science. I am proud of this pioneering program, and we look forward to guiding our first batch of students on their sustainability journey.”
Enderun Colleges’ Sustainability degree program starts in June 2016. Applications for this course are ongoing. For more information, call (632) 856 5000 or visit www.enderuncolleges.com.
About Enderun Colleges
Enderun Colleges is a four-year undergraduate college that offers bachelor’s degree and non-degree courses in the fields of international hospitality management, business administration, entrepreneurship, economics and sustainability. Enderun is affiliated with Les Roches International School of Hotel Management in Switzerland, Alain Ducasse Education in France, Thunderbird Online in the USA and Yeungnam University in South Korea. Enderun works with a network of 280 industry partners in over 25 countries for its internship programs.
