Systemic Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability (SERS)
The Business School hosts the International Network for Systemic Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability (SERS). We partner with academic institutions worldwide to address global systemic problems through education and research.
The SERS network facilitates partnerships between business schools and other academic groups and institutions.
Together we champion systemic perspectives on Ethics, Responsibility and Sustainability (ERS).
We work across continents to develop education, research and engagement that addresses global ERS challenges.
Our operating principles are:
- open consultation
- participation
- reciprocity
- responsible ownership
- support for diversity of ideas
Global initiatives
We are committed to advancing education and research that support the following global initiatives:
UN Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDGs)
17 global objectives that aim to address pressing challenges, such as poverty, inequality and climate change by 2030
Find out about Newcastle University's wider commitment to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
United Nations Global Compact
This voluntary UN initiative encourages businesses to adopt sustainable and socially responsible practices
Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME)
This UN initiative aims to incorporate sustainable development, ethics, and social responsibility into business education
Our people
Professor Noemi Sinkovics
Professor of Sustainable and Responsible Business
Professor Sinkovics is currently serving as the interim ethics, responsibility, and sustainability (ERS) lead in the School. In her role, she works to ensure that ERS principles are embedded in academic learning and scholarly innovation, supporting the School's commitment to responsible and sustainable business practices.
Professor Sinkovics' research focuses on how businesses can balance their social, environmental, and economic objectives.
Our partner institutions
We work with academic partners from across the world. Together, we champion change and embed responsible leadership into our teaching. This supports our wider goal of creating and developing responsible leaders.
The following institutions are part of the SERS network:
- Adam Smith Business School (University of Glasgow, UK)
- Cardiff Business School (Cardiff University, UK)
- Gordon Institute of Business Science (University of Pretoria, South Africa)
- Grenoble Ecole de Management (France)
- LUISS Business School (LUISS Guido Carli University, Italy)
- Monash Business School (Monash University, Australia)
- Xiamen Schools of Management and Economics (Xiamen University, China)
Current projects and initiatives
We are working on a number of initiatives to support the groups goals.
Network activities
The SERS International Network is involved in many activities and events across the world every year.
Contributions to global ERS events
Network members collaborate to deliver keynote presentations, ERS research and education content. They contribute and present them to wider high-profile global events in the field.
Global student Case competitions
We run competitions with students from network member institutions.
Competitors have a limited time to develop a solution to a business or education-related case study. They work as cross-institutional teams to assess a real-world situation facing a partner industry organisation. Each team must:
- analyse available information
- craft and propose a solution
- justify their recommendations to competition judges
Network research webinars
Academic staff at network member institutions contribute by:
- sharing their expertise
- providing feedback on colleagues’ work-in-progress
- facilitating mentoring of junior researchers and postgraduate research students