FOKUS HINTERGRUND Educating the leaders of tomorrow 6 «The business of business is to make business»? That was once upon a time. Nowadays, business is no longer (only) about maximizing monetary profi ts. The Faculty of Business, Economics and Informatics UZH is aware of this change – and actively shaping it. A s part of a public university, we are committ ed to the goal of serving people and society», emphasizes Professor Harald Gall, Dean of the Faculty of Business, Econo- mics and Informatics (WWF). To a� ieve this, the Faculty is in constant ex� ange with its environment and responds to the � allenges and needs of business and society in resear� and tea� ing. The goal, he says, is to actively shape an att ractive and livable (economic) future. In particular, the focus is on the question of what requirements the future will bring – for example, what skills will be in demand in the future. «Our Faculty is constantly taking up this question in resear� and tea� ing and is actively addressing it. Aft er all, our students in turn shape the future with what they learn here», says Dean Gall. He agrees that the term «profi t» has taken on more facets in business – moving away from a purely monetary focus to aspects su� as responsible management, responsible supply � ains or ethical principles in the mining of raw materials. «This insight we want to pass on to our students», Gall explains. He sees it as one of the Faculty’s core tasks to ensure that graduates – the leaders of tomorrow – go into business with the right Text _ Jasmin Rippstein mindset. «Societal impact is at the forefront for us; we want to train critical thinkers», he continues. This, by off ering formats that stimulate critical thinking and by actively managing the topic of «responsibility». As one of four mission statements, the Faculty has therefore defi ned «Responsibility in Business and Society». To a� ieve this, the tea� ing and perception of responsibility plays an important role, Gall states. «As a Faculty, we aspire to be known in business and society for our resear� expertise, while at the same time tea� ing our students to play their role in a globalized economy in a responsible and eff ective manner – always taking into account the economic, social and environmental consequences of their decisi- ons». However, he adds, it is important that not only the individual is � allenged, but that companies are also held accountable – and actively assume responsibility. The latt er is the subject of the Corporate Social Responsi- bility (CSR) resear� area, in whi� the Faculty is widely recognized, thanks to its consideration of the topic in various fi elds. Read on the following pages, how industry partners and experts perceive – and take – responsibility. What is Corporate Social Responsibility? Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) examines the impact of corporate activity on society and the environ- ment and thus the contribution of companies to sustainable develop- ment. In this context, CSR encom- passes a broad spectrum of issues to be considered in corporate manage- ment – including working conditi- ons, human rights, the environment, corruption prevention, fair competi- tion, consumer interests, taxes and transparency. Consistent implemen- tation of CSR makes a significant contribution to sustainable develop- ment and to overcoming social chal- lenges. At the same time, it can have a positive impact on the competi- tiveness of companies. The Federal Council has also recognized this and in 2020 adopted a revised CSR Action Plan 2020-2023. Three factors play a role: ecological criteria, (e.g. the responsible use of resources and the environment), economic factors (e.g. corporate responsibility for its own value chain), and social factors (e.g. working conditions, human rights and support for charitable projects). For more on the CSR Action Plan 2020-2023: bit.ly/csr-actionplan Oec. Juni 2022