“Opening Minds to Impact the World”, that is the baseline of Antwerp Management School (AMS). To live up to this ambition, AMS has been on a consistent journey to demonstrate strategic insight and connect this to innovative change and bold action in research and education as well as campus and organizational management. At all times, AMS policy is grounded in its own and the University of Antwerp principles of sustainable development and societal engagement.

Research - Multiple Chairs on themes such as Sustainable Transformation and Crea¬ting Sustainable Careers not only enhance knowledge creation through a lens of sustainability, they also lead to tangible projects. The Chairs collaborate with local organizations and businesses to implement insights in real life, thus fostering awareness of the need for sustainable development and generating practical solutions.
Education - The flagship educational program of AMS is the interdisciplinary Global Leadership Skills (GLS) program. This unique, yearlong program equips students with a critical, global and sustainable mindset and develops them to become the responsible leaders of the future. While the advanced master students contribute to the SDGs through an Action Learning Project, the executive MBA students run mandatory community projects and apply acquired business skills to serve the community. AMS staff voluntarily mentor the students’ projects while companies commit to co-creating solutions on SDG-related challenges with the students.

Campus & Organizational Management - Driving sustainable change is also demonstrated in an innovative, human-centered organization design, geared towards unleashing the agility, talents and ambitions of the AMS governing structures, faculty and staff in line with the AMS vision. Also, a brand new, low-energy campus was realized, including pioneering work in establishing circular contracts for e.g. audiovisual infrastructure and furniture. The new organization and campus allow faculty and students to interact seamlessly and stimulates collaboration with all stakeholders.

This integrated approach of sustainable development and societal engagement throughout research, education and organization & campus management, cultivates the ONE Sustainable Antwerp Management School culture and offers a stimulating, positive environment for both students and staff. A recent staff survey shows that no less than 96% of the staff say “My job makes sense!”, a result to be particularly proud of as it clearly demonstrates the AMS culture and the school’s societal commitment in close interaction with all its stakeholders.