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Awardee(s)
Kevin Kelly
PODIEM
Nicholas Read
Ulster University Business School, United Kingdom
Dr. Marc Duffy
Ulster University Business School, United Kingdom
How has your work advanced the SDGs and responsible management education?
The Sustainable Leadership Programme responds to a clear regional need for enhanced green skills, SDG Skills, and sustainable leadership capacity in Northern Ireland, identified through consultation with government and industry stakeholders.
The programme was developed as a partnership between Ulster University Business School, the Department for the Economy (DfE), and PODIEM, combining governmental policy priorities with private sector expertise and academic design. This multi sector approach is central to the programme’s contribution to Responsible Management Education (RME), ensuring that curriculum, delivery, and assessment reflect both organisational realities and wider economic objectives. The Case Study document highlights how DfE funding and PODIEM’s industry engagement were foundational to the programme’s inception and delivery.
The programme provides a structured higher education pathway for business leaders who typically have limited access to academically rigorous yet practically focused sustainability education. Participants undertake a live sustainable transformation project within their organisation, supported by academic teaching, peer exchange, and practitioner insight. This combination directly addresses PRME’s call for pedagogical approaches that integrate theory, practice, and societal relevance.
How has your work promoted student skill development?
The use of employer focused scenarios and the requirement to produce implementation ready artefacts ensure alignment with genuine organisational challenges contributes to practical skill development of students.
The course creates leaders who are ready to make changes in their organisations, using the materials developed in the programme.
How might this be a useful model for others?
The Sustainable Leadership Programme exemplifies responsible management education by aligning academic design with regional economic priorities, using cross sector partnerships to ensure practical relevance, and demonstrating measurable learner impact.
The programme offers a transferable model for higher education institutions seeking to strengthen their contribution to the SDGs through applied, partnership-driven sustainability leadership education. Those interested in developing courses are advised to investigate regional skills gaps, funding opportunities and local needs.
Additional Documents