MIBAS Debates on CSR

“MIBAS Debates on CSR“ is a valuable tradition of the MIBAS program that brings students and industry experts together to discuss sustainability in a relaxed atmosphere. It is a panel event organised by a team of MIBAS students under the leadership of Prof. Dr. Alexander Bassen, the Program Director of “M.Sc. Innovation, Business and Sustainability (MIBAS)”. Since the first introduction in 2014 by Prof. Dr. Daniel Geiger, the former Program Director, MIBAS Debates has become an important annual gathering of the MIBAS program.

Connecting the knowledge of sustainability with real-world practices is the central spirit of the MIBAS Debates. The panel discussions invite students to critically reflect on various aspects of sustainability with stakeholders from the industry, politics, civil society, science, and academia. Through the exchange with practitioners, students will gain first-hand insights into the daily challenges of sustainability professionals. This way, MIBAS students can prepare themselves for their future role in the sustainability field

Speakers of MIBAS Debates are leading experts invited from diverse backgrounds, ranging from textile, energy, banking, transportation to agriculture and more. These industry pioneers bring various perspectives into the panel discussions with unique contributions to sustainability in their fields of action. MIBAS Debates opens a stage for professionals to share their experiences of success and challenges in sustainability with MIBAS students and network with other panelists. Speakers will also benefit from this mutual exchange as they gain fresh input from participants during the debates.

Topics of MIBAS Debates connect the concepts in class with the expertise of speakers to spark fruitful conversations. Some examples from previous years’ Debates include: How do companies like Unilever assure traceability in the sourcing process of palm oil to preserve biodiversity (2014)? How do social enterprises like Viva con Agua use innovative business models to end hunger in the world while earning enough profits (2015)? What impact does the “Energy Transition” goal of the German government have on the strategies of traditional coal companies like RWE (2017)? How to decarbonize emissions in the transportation sector if a country's economy depends largely on its car industry (2018)? What can we do to reduce waste and consumption in face of rapid population growth (2019)? An overview of all topics from the past can be found on the menu.

To encourage a lively discussion, MIBAS Debates take place in a laid-back "living room atmosphere" where participants feel comfortable and free to interact with each other. The combination of a relaxing setting with intensive debates on sustainability makes “MIBAS Debates on CSR” a hallmark of the MIBAS program that empowers students of M.S. Innovation, Business and Sustainability to turn knowledge into practices.