The 2nd International Summer School at the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Maribor concluded

 »Sustainability in International Business«

 

The Faculty of Economics and Business held the 2nd International Summer School "Sustainability in international business" from 8 to 16 September. The Summer School was attended by 30 students from eight countries, from different study programmes and levels of study. The videoconference part of the Summer School on 8 September, which consisted of an interactive lecture on the meaning of sustainability and areas of its implementation in international business, as well as presentations of examples of good sustainability practices in international companies, was followed on 11 September by a 6-day series of lectures, learning workshops, study visits and social events. The lectures and learning workshops educated students on the external and internal drivers of integrating sustainability into business models, the benefits of such integration for business, society and the natural environment, indicators and approaches to measuring the implementation of sustainability in business activities, global and regional initiatives and mechanisms to support the implementation of sustainability in business, with a focus on the European Union mechanisms, including ESG reporting standards, and the anticipated impacts, challenges and approaches to managing the challenges of such reporting.

Invited lectures by guests from the practice provided students with an insight into how sustainability can be implemented in the business models of international companies from several manufacturing and service industries in different sectors of the economy. 14 companies participated in the summer school with their presentations of best practices, TÜV Austria servis d.o.o., Lidl Slovenija d.o.o. k.d., Alples d.d., Sava Re d.d., Vinakoper d.o.o. and Luka Koper. 16 representatives of the companies presented to the students the strategic and operational aspects of integrating sustainability into their international supply and value chains. Through lectures and communication with the company representatives, students learned about the ways, support mechanisms, measurement approaches, benefits and challenges of integrating sustainability into companies' business models, as well as opportunities for students to work with companies on theses and student internships. The International Summer School was accompanied by a varied programme of social events organised by UM and EPF. The Summer School ended with the awarding of certificates of participation, which awarded 3 ECTS to students.