Launch of the European Academy of Business in Society

CSR Europe, The Copenhagen Centre, IBLF, seven leading European business schools (Copenhagen Business Schcool, Cranfield School of Management, Esade, Ashridge, Vlerick Leuven Gent Management School, INSEAD, College of Europoe) and more than 60 major multinational companies (including Shell, Johnson & Johnson, Levi's, Danone, IBM, Nestle, ABB etc.) teamed up in an unique and pioneering alliance and launched their joint project "European Academy of Business in Society".

The Academy's mission is to be a world-class reference point to drive Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) into the mainstream of business practice, theory and education, and to enhance models for sustainable business success.

The Academy sets itself three objectives:

• Education for Tomorrow's Managers: To engage Europe's top 250 universities, business schools, and schools of government to integrate the changing role of business in society into the core of business education
• Interdisciplinary Research: To build Europe's largest network of excellence to deliver interdisciplinary research on CSR and create a global research bank on the role of business in society
• Training for Today's Managers: To become Europe's training gateway to "best-in-class" training practices and learning resources for businesses and corporate academies.

"The greatest critique of MBA training at the moment is that it is out of date. If teaching on CSR doesn't come in a fairly short time, businesses will lose interest - not in the topic but in the business schools" said at the opening Viscount Etienne Davignon - Chair of CSR Europe and Vice-Chair Societe Generale de Belgique.

The European Academy of Business in Society is an integral part of the wider European Business Campaign on Corporate Social Responsibility, which aims to mobilise over half a million business people and other stakeholders on the topic of Corporate Social Responsibility over the next three years.