Inaugural speech Chair in Management Education for Sustainability
Sustainable Transformation
Inaugural speech Chair in Management Education for Sustainability
A famous quote by philosopher and scholar of organization science Donald Schön reads:
“In the varied topography of professional practice, there is a high, hard ground overlooking a swamp. On the high ground, manageable problems lend themselves to solutions through the use of research based theory and technique. In the swampy lowlands, problems are messy and confusing and incapable of technical solution. The irony of this situation is that the problems of the high ground tend to be relatively unimportant to individuals or society at large, however great their technical interest may be, while in the swamp lie the problems of greatest human concern.”
This quote exemplifies a formidable challenge for all institutions of management education that want to be of value to society in a way that recognizes the interplay of ecological, social, cultural, and economic realities. It shows us that society’s most pressing problems and the required solutions are not necessarily in line with most current beliefs held about how current and future professionals learn most effectively and what they should learn. Obviously, not addressing this irony would seriously impact management education’s aspirations to contribute to making a real difference.
Functioning as a catalyst for societal progress (and thus contribute to the Sustainable Development Goals) requires more than just teaching about the business case for sustainability, implementing changes in the existing curriculum, and engaging students of all ages and experience levels in local or overseas community projects. The challenge for management education is way more far-reaching and profound.
Antwerp Management School and Breda University of Applied Sciences are proud to announce the appointment of Dr. Lars Moratis and Dr.Ir. Frans Melissen as Chair in Management Education for Sustainability and invite you to attend their inauguration.
In their inaugural speech, professors Lars Moratis and Frans Melissen will present their perspectives on the failure of sustainable business, propose a new approach to sustainability leadership, and discuss the implications for management education. In doing so, they will touch on and weave together myriad topics and contemporary developments in business and society (discourse) and the consequences for management education, including the importance of engaging in critical studies and the need to develop sustainability intelligence. They will outline their ideas on what they call muddy management education and swampy learning environments, challenge providers of management education to align their curricula with society’s needs, and present their research program and educational activities for the coming years.
As a world’s first, this inaugural speech will be fashioned as an inaugural movie that will provide a visual representation of the main ideas that the Chair will develop in the coming years.
Practical information
Date: 15 December, 2020 @ 3PM
The inauguration will take place fully online.
This event is free of charge.
Registration is obligatory.
You can register here.
Meet the chair holders
Prof. Dr. Lars Moratis
Dr. Lars Moratis is an expert in the field of sustainable business with broad experience within both academia and business. Besides being co-Chair in Management Education for Sustainability, a position he shares with Dr.ir. Frans Melissen, he is a professor of sustainable business and management education for sustainability at Breda University of Applied Sciences. He has taught in academic universities and universities of professional education in Belgium and the Netherlands and has explored new ways of learning in his role as a management educator. Being an advocate of applied research and academic entrepreneurship, he is a founder of the then SDG Ambassadors program at Antwerp Management School and, together with Dr.ir. Frans Melissen, creator of the concept of ‘sustainability intelligence’. Next to being the author of books on management education, sustainable business models and sustainability management, his publications include academic and practitioner-oriented articles on these topics as well as on the Sustainable Development Goals, the credibility of corporate sustainability claims and the psychology of sustainability. In addition, he regularly publishes in national and regional newspapers.
Prof. Dr.Ir. Frans Melissen
Dr. ir Frans Melissen is an expert in the field of sustainable experience design with broad experience in academia in various roles, including curriculum development and management. Besides being co-Chair in Management Education for Sustainability, a position he shares with Dr. Lars Moratis, he is a professor of sustainable experience design and management education for sustainability at Breda University of Applied Sciences. He has taught and developed courses in relation to sustainability at academic universities and universities of applied sciences. He is the initiator and coordinator of the highly successful minor Sustainability, Social Responsibility and Professional Identity – open to students from all academies of BUas and other universities. Together with Dr. Lars Moratis, he is the co-inventor of the concept of ‘sustainability intelligence’. He is the author of a number of sustainability-related academic and practitioner-oriented papers, as well a number of (text)books, including Sustainable Customer Experience Design together with Bert Smit and published by Routledge. He also regularly publishes opinion pieces in national newspapers and delivers (keynote) speeches at academic and practitioner-oriented conferences and dedicated meetings.
More information
For more information, contact Lars Moratis (lars.moratis@ams.ac.be) or Frans Melissen (melissen.f@buas.nl).
About The Chair in Management Education for Sustainability
The Chair in Management Education for Sustainability is a joint initiative by Antwerp Management School and Breda University of Applied Sciences and is supported by Achmea, AgroFair, Antwerp World Diamond Centre, Aquafin, AXA, bol.com, CELTH, D&B The Facility Group, Damen, DNS Belgium, DHL, Indaver, PwC, VITO, and ZNA.
More info about the chair can be found here