A Comprehensive Sustainability Policy at the School of Economics and Business, Universidad de Chile

Abstract

The training of professionals with ethical, social and sustainable values has become a relevant focus of higher education institutions, because of different events that transcend the acceptable limits of fair and respectful social interaction with the environment. This paper presents the experience of the social-environmental sustainability office, EcoFEN, of the School of Economics and Business at University of Chile, which addresses the challenge of achieving a Sustainable Campus by 2025. The work has been done systematically during the period of 2007–2015, focusing the efforts on a policy of comprehensive sustainability, which has 4 lines of action: research, teaching, extension and management. In terms of teaching, the policy promotes the incorporation of curricular activities with a focus on sustainability; at a management level, it encourages changes in consumption practices of the institution; and at the extension level, it encourages various activities with the university community and sustainable entrepreneurs. One of the future challenges of the School is to formalize a permanent line of research in sustainability. This paper might be useful for other campuses seeking to develop their own formative environment that promotes sustainable and ethical training of professionals.

You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.

—R. Buckminster