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INCAE and VIVA Idea join forces to create the VIVA Idea Schmidheiny Chair in Sustainability

10 October 2019
susan.fernandez


On October 4, the Rector of INCAE, Enrique Bolaños and the Executive Director of Viva Idea, Shannon Music, signed a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of the Chair in Sustainability VIVA Idea Schmidheiny, at the Walter Kissling Gam Campus, in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

The main objective of the Chair is to serve as an institutional platform to strengthen the capacities of future business leaders on Sustainability issues. In addition, it will be a space to innovate pedagogical methodologies on sustainability issues, contribute with other business schools in solving the greatest environmental and social challenges in their surroundings; promote and support other business schools in terms of measurement; report its impact and share the living legacy of Stephan Schmidheiny; and also the knowledge of their Latin American organizations.

Some activities that are part of the Chair include: a National Entrepreneurship and Innovation program, an Associative Innovation and Entrepreneurship Program, and the Global Steering Group for Impact Investing (GSG). Likewise, INCAE will be preparing a study on the subject of Sustainability and research projects, teaching; as well as activities related to the Social Progress Index. For his part, Roberto Artavia Loría, President of VIVA Idea and of the Board of Directors of INCAE, will give talks and courses on the subject of Sustainability.

INCAE Business School was born with the mission of actively promoting the integral development of the countries where it serves, training leaders of key sectors through the improvement of practices, attitudes and values, through research and teaching of concepts, managerial techniques, strengthening analytical capacity economic, social and political phenomena, as well as the promotion of dialogue and collaboration between people, sectors and countries.

Since its inception, issues related to Sustainable Development in the region and responsible Leadership have been an integral part of INCAE's business model and philosophy. For this reason, it has developed Programs, Research Centers, Chairs and a specialty in the Master's program focused on this topic.

For its part, LIVE Idea is a center for thought and action, which seeks to contribute to solving the main sustainability challenges in Latin America. This work is achieved through research, capacity building and knowledge management, to achieve a more prosperous, equitable and sustainable Latin America.

This institution is part of an ecosystem of organizations founded by Stephan Schmidheiny, who has more than thirty-five years of working on issues related to Sustainability in Latin America and in the world. This ecosystem is also made up of: AVINA, FUNDES, MARVIVA and MASISA. It is based on the knowledge generated during all these years that VIVA Idea has been able to contribute with the creation of case studies, systematizations, documentaries, pedagogical content, etc.

Therefore, it is in the interest of both parties, both INCAE Business School and VIVA Idea, to participate and collaborate jointly and actively in promoting activities that strengthen responsible leaderships in the region, particularly through pedagogical innovation in the field of Sustainability.