York launches public CSR seminar series

Posted on 13 January 2015

The University of York’s Environment Department is to launch a new seminar series on corporate social responsibility (CSR), open to both students and members of the public.

Judith Murdoch, Communication and CSR Director for AAK UK

The CSR Leadership Seminar Series is a course run within the new curriculum of the MSc in Corporate Social Responsibility with Environmental Management.

Running from January to March, a leader from business or civil society will host a weekly seminar, sharing knowledge on the execution of the “Triple Bottom Line” principles of people, planet and profit. The series seeks to shed light on the relationships between ethics, business and society, and help participants acquire new skills for responsible behaviour in business and at home.

Professor Colin Brown, Head of the Environment Department of the University of York, said: “By hearing directly from practitioners about the challenges and rewards of CSR, our students are exposed to real-world experiences that prepare them for careers as future managers implementing the principles of corporate social responsibility.

“Research indicates that the public appreciate the economic contribution of companies to society but also wants to know how they reduce their environmental impact. As a University, our objective is to contribute to a greater knowledge for all; hence the decision to open our seminar series to the public”.

The first free public seminar of the series will feature Judith Murdoch, Communication and CSR Director for AAK UK, the UK’s largest importer and processor of palm oil for the food industry. Entitled ‘Palm Oil, Forests and Cakes’, it will take place on Wednesday 21 January at 1.00pm on the Heslington West campus.

Places are limited and booking is required at https://csr2015.ticketbud.com. The programme of further seminars can be found at http://bit.ly/1A7tPO7.

Further information:

For further information on the CSR Leadership Seminar Series, please contact Victor Tsemo at victor.tsemo@york.ac.uk
Founded in 1992 to design and implement an interdisciplinary programme of research and training in environmental economics and environmental management, the Environment Department at the University of York conducts world-leading research on topics of global environmental importance. For further information, visit http://www.york.ac.uk/environment