Business, Policy, Society II

4 Credits · Level: Graduate, Undergraduate

Business, Policy, and Society is Signature Course #4 in the BSBGA program. It is a two-semester, two-course sequence (BGAF 240 &241) that enables BSBGA students to tackle real-life global strategy problems at the intersection of business, government, and civil society. It blends interdisciplinary instruction, project-based learning, open-ended research, analytical problem-solving, and on-location engagement. Over these two semesters we will explore how to analyze and address some of the most chronic and vexing problems at the nexus of business and global affairs – often described as “wicked problems”. We will take an analytical problem-solving approach to such problems, seeking to identify practical solutions for businesses, governments, and social enterprises. The emphasis will be on developing cross-cutting skills and mindsets that are transferrable between the public and private sectors, and vice versa. Amidst the array of problems in search of solutions, we will focus particular attention throughout the year on the global challenge of climate change and sustainable economic development. We will work with noted researchers and activists to understand the origins and implications of climate change; we will explore the practical effects and challenges at local level through an on-location immersion experience; and we will work with practitioners in business, government, and civil society who are seeking to develop practical and sustainable real-world responses to the challenges that it poses. The through-line of the course is that problems like these cannot be solved by leaders of business, government, and civil society retreating into their respective corners and isolating themselves in hermetically sealed silos. Instead we need a new generation of leaders who can move comfortably and purposefully between business, government, and social activism – helping to bridge the divide of culture, motivation, and purpose that often separates them into warring factions. And we need that to happen on a global scale engaging national and multinational enterprises and institutions.