Building Culture Through Dialogue and Shared Ownership

NUBS has a long-standing foundation in responsible management education, having been a PRME Signatory since 2010 and now PRME Champion (2026–2027). The School’s challenge has been to move ethics, responsibility and sustainability (ERS) beyond pockets of excellence and individual champions, while recognising that cultural change cannot be assumed or imposed. As Professor Stewart Robinson, Dean, notes: “The enthusiasts are already here. But we cannot stop there. To make progress, we need to understand what the non-enthusiasts think and feel.”

The newly established Associate Dean ERS works closely with Associate Deans for Education, Research, Global, and Engagement and Place, Professional Services leaders, and EDI Directors. This alignment helps synchronise initiatives, embed ERS in strategy, governance and across Professional Services teams.

In practice, this has included establishing a School-level shared interest group with 55+ members, creating an ERS factsheet now used in new staff onboarding, and providing regular updates in faculty meetings and newsletters. The most recent initiative was a two-day Responsible Futures Skills Lab, which brought together colleagues from other business schools, PRME and academic associations, journal editors, but also scholars from climate science and modelling to broaden the conversation.

NUBS culture is grounded in dialogue, patience, academic freedom, and respect for differences. Continuity is supported through strategic recruitment that strengthens the work and carries it forward. Students benefit from this culture within the curriculum and through staff-supported co- and extracurricular opportunities.

“I see myself as the glue, a facilitator and an amplifier helping colleagues, students and partners turn shared values into coordinated action.” Professor Noemi Sinkovics, Associate Dean ERS