PRME Recognizes Student Organizations for their Student Agency in Promoting Sustainability and Responsible Management Worldwide

Today PRME, an initiative of the United Nations Global Compact, awarded the Sustainability Club from the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Zayed University (UAE) as the Global Winner of the 2024 PRME Global Students Sustainability Awards with a USD 2,000 monetary prize to be applied to their local initiatives. In addition, seven student organizations from Egypt, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Italy, Peru, Canada, and India were awarded as Regional Winners in recognition of their commitment and action to promote sustainable development in their localities, focused on social, economic, and environmental progress, as well as fostering good governance and responsible management.

The PRME Global Students(PGS) Sustainability Awards honor and recognize the excellence of impactful sustainability-oriented student organizations from PRME Signatory Members that align their work with the Seven Principles for Responsible Management Education and advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). PGS received 119 submissions from 46 countries. Many of the submissions showcased examples of activities that highlight the student organization’s innovative approach to student agency and how it has incorporated the SDGs and responsible management concepts into its goals and actions while driving change in the university ecosystem, serving local and regional communities, and impacting other stakeholders.

Submissions were divided into eight different regions (Latin America, North America, Africa, Europe, Eurasia, the Middle East, South and Central Asia, and East and Southeast Asia + Oceania) and quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated by specific regional Judging Committees composed of PGS Regional Leaders (students) and PRME Chapter members (faculty) from PRME Signatory Members in the regions, including 36 judges from 20 countries. To ensure a fair and transparent evaluation process, submissions were judged based on a rubric with five elements of evaluation criteria:

1. Advance the SDGs and the Seven Principles for Responsible Management Education

2. Build on Creative Approaches,

3. Broad impact on the university ecosystem and local/regional communities

4. Promote Student Development

5. Global Cooperation

After this collaborative process, the Regional Judging Committees chose the following Regional Winners based on how these student organizations demonstrated creativity, thoughtfulness, excellence, impact, and a strong emphasis on advancing sustainable development and responsible management.

REGIONAL WINNERS:

• Africa | Youth for Sustainable Development | British University in Egypt (Egypt)

• East and Southeast Asia + Oceania | Business Management Society | Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University (Philippines)

• Eurasia | STEAM Battles | KIMEP University (Kazakhstan)

• Europe | University for SDGs | Ca' Foscari University of Venice (Italy)

• Latin America | Use of Technology for the Development of People and Environmental Care (UTDPEC) | Universidad Privada del Norte (Peru)

• Middle East | Sustainability Club | College of Interdisciplinary Studies, Zayed University (UAE)

• North America | SPARK Foundation | Beedie School of Business, Simon Fraser University (Canada)

• South & Central Asia | Transforming Rural Youth (TRY) | Woxsen University (India)

All eight Regional Winners moved to the Global Finals in which they appointed student representatives from their organizations to comprise a competition team and compete virtually in the Conscious Capitalism Competition organized by Marketplace Simulations. The Marketplace Simulations team introduced the competition rules, prepared the teams to compete, and ran the global competition. The three top-performing teams, Transforming Rural Youth (India), Spark Foundation (Canada), and the Sustainability Club (UAE), were invited to a final panel of judges comprised of PRME Secretariat and Marketplace Simulations representatives. The student representatives from each top-three team pitched their projects to summarize and defend their simulation strategy, decisions, and performance in terms of positive societal impact. Competitors also described the lessons learned while playing the competition and which constructive takeaways they would bring back to their real-life student organizations.

The Sustainability Club from the College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Zayed University (UAE) was awarded the Global Winner of the 2024 PRME Global Students Sustainability Awards live during the 2024 PRME Global Forum. On the stage, the student representative of the Sustainability Club, Sofía Alessandra Gattini Castillo, celebrated the receipt of the award by saying: "It was so fun to go through the competition, and through the process, becoming a better leader. Marketplace made me feel passionate about owning this simulated company and excited about incorporating sustainability into the business.” she also expressed thanks to the entire club and Professor Jeremy Williams from Zayed University.

PRME sincerely thanks the students for their time and efforts in participating in the competition. We are especially grateful to our partners at Marketplace Simulations for making this award and experience possible.

Special thanks to all the 39 judges from 20 countries:

• Adebolanle Joy Ajike; Student, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UAE)

• Adrianna Timmons; Student, Saint Mary's University (Canada)

• Aldrei Louis Ocampo; Student, University of Wollongong in Dubai (UAE)

• Alex Hope; Faculty, Northumbria University (UK)

• Andrea Theresia; Student, Institut Teknologi Bandung (Indonesia)

• Anna-Theresia Krein; Faculty, Ostfalia Hochschule für angewandte Wissenschaften (Germany)

• Bindu Agrawal ; Consultant, Marketplace Simulations (India)

• Bruno Maymone; Student, Universidad de Sao Paulo (Brazil)

• Chunshan Li; Student, University of Tasmania (Australia)

• Diego Rafael Oviedo Espinosa; Student, Tecnologico Monterrey (Mexico)

• Ernest Cadotte; Author and CEO, Marketplace Simulations (USA)

• Ethan Yang; Student, University of Victoria (Canada)

• Eva Burgnard; Student, ESSCA School of Management (France)

• Fara Azmat; Faculty, Deakin University (Australia)

• Flavia Cruz Palma; Student, Universidad ESAN (Peru)

• Ghadeer Badr; Faculty, Future University (Egypt)

• Gleriani Torres Ferreira; Faculty, Fundação Instituto de Administração (Brazil)

• Grethel Nevarez; Faculty, CETYS University (Mexico)

• Hadia Fakhreldin; Faculty, The British University in Egypt (Egypt)

• Harsh Mehta; Student, (SP Jain Institute of Management and Research (India)

• Irshad Ahmad; Faculty, The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (UAE)

• Jessica Jaye Ranieses; Faculty, Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University (Philippines)
  

• Karen Neville; Faculty, University College Cork (Ireland)

• Katherine Koestler; Student, St Joseph's Univerisity (USA)

• Lara Angela Oana; Student, Deakin University (Australia)

• Lazar Tomasevic; Student, ZHAW School of Management and Law (Switzerland)

• Matthew Kendall; Student, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University (Canada)

• Mohamed Saeudy; Faculty, University of Bedfordshire (England)

• Mumbi Maria Wachira; Faculty, Strathmore University (Kenya)

• Munouwarrah Abdurahman; Student, TSiBA (South Africa)

• Nada Nahia Naufal; Faculty, American University of Beirut (Lebanon)

• Nelson Guillen Jr; Faculty, Ramon V. del Rosario College of Business, De La Salle University (Philippines)

• Paulo Speroni; Manager of Strategy, Governance and Innovation, PRME Secretariat (Brazil)

• Pearl Margarette Manaig; Student, De La Salle University - Dasmarinas (Philippines)

• Peter Valez; Student, Dominican University (USA)

• Priya Sharma; Faculty, Monash University (Malaysia)

• Salma Nagy Fathy; Student, The American University of Ras Al Khaimah (UAE)

• Samita Wambui Mwanicky; Student, Strathmore University (Kenya)

• Shashank Jain; Student, Goa Institute of Management (India)

• Sreerupa Sengupta; Faculty, Goa Institute of Management (India)