The Positive Impact Rating (PIR) was developed by experts from business schools and NGOs (WWF, Oxfam, UN Global Compact). PIR collaborates with international student associations and partners in the Global Business School Network (GBSN) and Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). PIR is supported by the Institute for Business Sustainability Foundation (Switzerland) and VIVA Idea (Costa Rica).

For the fourth year in a row, more than 12,000 students worldwide rated their business school in the areas of energizing, educating, and engaging. The survey is organized by students for students and has seven categories – leadership and culture, study programs, learning methods, student support, the institution as a role model, and public engagement. A total of 71 business schools from 25 countries, including the SML, participated in this year's survey.

What do students want?

The results of the 2023 Positive Impact Rating were divided into two areas and offer insights into what students want from their business schools.

Start

• Comprehensively integrating sustainability issues into the curriculum.
• Addressing relevant practical problems and their solutions.
• Involving stakeholders from business and society in the study process.
• Innovating learning methods.
• Ensuring that lecturers are open to and committed to the issues of "sustainability and community engagement."

Stop

• On-campus waste (plastics, lighting, heating, food).
• Ignorance towards students.
• Downplaying diversity and fairness.
• Greenwashing and unethical partnerships.
• Overloading students.

These comprehensive findings are summarized in the report "Accelerating the Societal Impact of Business Schools" and can be downloaded.