Impressive 1st Place Result for WHU’s Sustainability Research

In a new study conducted by the Rotterdam School of Management (RSM) that analyzes how intensely business schools focus on the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in their research, WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management has ranked #1 in Germany and #11 worldwide. The Financial Times published the results of this analysis as part of a special report on responsible business education, evidencing how important contributions made by business schools such as WHU can help realize higher levels of sustainability—not only for the economy, but for the environment and the whole of society.

Using machine learning techniques, RSM analyzed numerous works from around the world for their level of relevance to the SDGs and then ranked the associated schools accordingly. Their analysis considers research issued in one of the “50 Journals Used in FT Research Rank” list, which comprises publications regarded in high esteem by top business schools, between 2018 and 2021.

“Sustainability is a topic of considerable importance to WHU, one which is embedded into the school’s curriculum, designed to produce responsible business leaders,” says Professor Markus Rudolf, Dean of WHU. “Our graduates should feel confident in the role they will play in realizing a more sustainable world and making the topic more central to the field of business and to society at large.” Both the administration’s investment in more sustainable technology on campus and the commitment showed by the school’s students and alumni—whether it be to their research or their general studies—are working toward that goal. The WHU community’s awareness of their responsibilities is reflected not only in the faculty’s research, but also in the numerous entrepreneurial activities of and start-ups founded by WHU’s alumni. Many today—including Enpal, a provider of solar panels, Vytal, with its novel multiuse system for food deliveries, and ProteinDistillery, a start-up focused on food technology (and which recently won at the German Sustainability Day event)—are tackling topics relevant to this area through innovative solutions.

WHU had previously been recognized in the 2021 edition of the globally focused Corporate Knights Better World MBA Ranking. For its efforts made in the area of sustainability, the school ranked #1 in Germany and #23 worldwide.