Written by Katie Lee (UKI PRME Intern)
As the UKI PRME Chapter commemorates a decade of promoting responsible management education, we are taking the time reflect on the chapter’s impact over the last 10 years and explore how we can continue the pursuit of responsible management education. You can find these posts on our 10th Anniversary Blog
Carole Parkes, our former UKI Chapter Chair from 2014 to 2017 and Emerita Professor of Responsible Management & and Leadership at the University of Winchester, has been at the forefront of the PRME movement since its foundation. At the PRME 10th Anniversary Global Forum, she was presented with a PRME Pioneer Award ‘for her leadership and commitment to the development of PRME’ and appointed a Global PRME Special Advisor.
In this blog, we delve into her insights on the chapters development and her vision for the future of PRME.
Carole at the PRME 10th Anniversary Global Forum in New York in July 2017
Carole described the challenges of pursuing responsible management education before the inception of PRME and its six principles in 2007. She described how "in the early 2000s, it was quite an uphill struggle”, although “I was lucky, we had a Dean that was supportive, when in so many places it wasn't really part of the agenda.” Carole worked to develop and embed social responsibility and sustainability into the business school at Aston University, including ensuring these topics were a compulsory part of the MBA programme.
Carole offered her lessons for the future of PRME and the UKI Chapter. She has worked collaboratively with other PRME chapters across the globe over the past 17 years and has seen how other chapters have ensures ensured business schoolses more engage more actively engage with business esschools. "I think that's a lesson for us," she reflected, "to strengthen the Global Compact and PRME relationship in the UK and leverage it for the greater good."
Since PRME’s inception, Carole has observed how sustainability has “become more desirable”, and the need to ensure PRME participation is “not a mere tick the box" activity. Carole emphasised the commitment to real change as priority for ensuring UKI PRME continues to push forward responsible management education. Carole highlights the importance of ensuring that institutions joining PRME are genuinely committed to making tangible changes in their curriculum and organizations.
Looking ahead, Carole also identifies inclusivity as a continuing challenge for PRME. She believes “PRME needs to be thoughtful about how we genuinely engage with South Asia, South America, South and Sub Saharan Africa,” where remarkable initiatives are already underway. She wants to find know “how do we get all the schools around the world to want to be part of PRME.”
We extend our gratitude to Carole Parkes for generously sharing her valuable insights and experiences. Her unwavering dedication and passion have played a pivotal role in driving the growth and success of PRME in the UK and Ireland. As PRME embarks on its next decade, Carole's wisdom serves as a guide forward in the pursuit of responsible management education.
Stay tuned for more content on the UKI PRME 10th Anniversary Blog as we delve deeper into the themes of reflection, refreshing, and re-envisioning. Sign up to our Newsletter and follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up to date with the chapter.
The PRME Chapter UK and Ireland is one of 16 Regional Chapters of the global United Nations PRME movement (established 2007). All Chapters are joined in a collective mission to transform management education and develop the responsible decision-makers of tomorrow to advance sustainable development. Globally, PRME has over 800 Higher Education Institutions as signatories.
Established in 2013, the UKI Chapter currently has 62 institutional members and is led by a ten person Steering Committee elected by the membership. The Chapter seeks to nurture a mutually supportive community of committed responsible management educators and researchers. Members benefit from a Chapter-wide event programme, an annual conference and doctoral colloquium, a growing set of Local Networks each with its own event schedule, and three annual, Chapter wide competitions focused on Innovative Pedagogies, Responsible Management Research and Student Writing. Full details of Chapter activities can be found here.