EMDM-ROMST

PROJECT SUMMARY

Responsible organizations’ management for sustainable transitions application has been developed by UVSQ and its partners in alignment with the strategic priority of the European Green Deal by mobilizing industry for a clean and circular economy, and public, NGOs and citizens stakeholders for a social and ethical economic activity. This Erasmus Mundus Design Measures (EMDM) program aims to begin procedures for launching a joint, innovative, and ambitious international Master’s program in Responsible organizations’ management for sustainable transitions attracting excellent students from all around the world and developing their competencies as future entrepreneurs and leaders of responsible organizations.

Eight higher education institutions from EU and non-EU countries and one thematic well-established association, with complementary expertise and skills, will be working together, driven by a common goal of working together to develop a high-level master's program in the field of responsible management of public and private organizations in the context of major social, ecological, and digital transformations.

Background and general objectives

The ROMST project was developed in cooperation with 8 European academic partners (members and candidate members of the European Union) and one thematic association to jointly develop an integrated, high-quality master’s program to train managers and entrepreneurs opening in and to support the ecological, social, and digital transitions underway. The partners have complementary expertise and skills and are all motivated by the desire to raise awareness and train future managers capable of sustainably managing their companies and the transitions they take part in. UVSQ, University of Paris Saclay and University of Sofia have significant expertise in the field of responsible organization management. University of Hamburg, BTU, UVSQ and University of Paris Saclay have substantial resources in supporting technological transitions. Polytechnic Institute of Bragança, UVSQ and BTU have experience in the field of responsible entrepreneurship and environmental preservation. EUMMAS develop an important activity concerning diversity and inclusion topics, while University of Alcala and UVSQ has expertise in management of social transitions.

The program will stress a holistic approach to management in intertwining ecological, social, and technological changes based on EU values and ethics.

This project responds to the strategic priorities of the European Green Deal by targeting companies and organizations. We are convinced that companies and organizations can improve not only their ecological impact management but also their engagement in social and digital ethical transformations. Our project is also in line with the 17 UN objectives for sustainable development implying that organizations should manage their ecological and social impact holistically. Our project primarily targets Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, and 17, and more indirectly, Goals 2, 3, 6, 7, 14, 15, and 16.Indeed the project supports the EU French and position during COP 29. In addition, the need in the labor market for experts in the field of management of social, and digital ecological transitions is very important.

In France, all universities are encouraged to develop lectures that enhance students’ awareness of sustainable development according to the focus of each scientific discipline. While other European countries may not mandate universities to raise student awareness about current transformative issues, their approach appears more proactive. Virtually, all higher education institutions in the world follow the same path. However, this sensitivity is often limited to informational modules on climate change issues, presented in a quantitative and normative manner or through the specific disciplinary lens of training programs. There are also some specialized master's programs in economics. Economic approaches offer a vision and actions at the level of states and government agencies but are not always attuned to bottom-up approaches and practices, as well as their modes of management. We propose an innovative comprehensive and ethical approach to managing current transitions (ecological, social, and digital) by all types of organizations (other than States) that are still underdeveloped in the existing programs. Indeed, the habitual focus on the macro stance does not allow understanding from the point of view of companies, public organizations, NGOs, or firms in the social and solidarity sector in order to enable them to undertake a wide range of actions and partnerships.

Our program stands out from existing training programs by adopting

• A holistic approach that addresses the multidimensional nature of current transitions (not just one type as a major focus) and the differentiated relationships undertaken by various stakeholders.
• A dialogical approach between top-down (not only top-down, as a major focus) and bottom-up practices;
• An ethical and reflective approach to the development of responsible projects and organizations (not just developing policies, but also their implementation);
• An approach that considers the bidirectional relationships between organizations and society in their cultural, social, technological, political, economic, and ecological dimensions.
• A European approach to responsible management that develops European values, standards, and policies related to managing current transitions.
• A resolutely action-oriented vision that makes academic research actionable in practice through active pedagogy, student projects, and collaborations between academic and non-academic partners.