For far too long, we have imagined the university as a place separate from the world: a space for study, research, and reflection, protected from the noise of society. That image has always contained some truth, and it still does. Universities need long-term thinking, critical reflection, and intellectual freedom. But in a world shaped by the climate crisis, social fragmentation, technological acceleration, geopolitical instability, and growing distrust in institutions, that image is no longer enough.
The university must become a bridge.
A bridge between knowledge and decision-making. Between research and business. Between science and public policy. Between economics and ecology. Between generations that are already leading and generations preparing to lead. Between academic rigor and the practical urgency of the challenges ahead.
This mission is particularly relevant for a business school. Schools of management and economics educate many of the professionals who, in the coming years, will occupy decision-making roles in companies, financial markets, public institutions, social organizations, and emerging innovation ecosystems. As a result, teaching management today is not simply about teaching efficiency, growth, competitiveness, or economic value creation. It is also about developing individuals who can understand impacts, manage dilemmas, integrate scientific knowledge, listen to communities, respect planetary boundaries, and lead responsibly.
The central question is no longer simply: what skills should future leaders possess? The more demanding question is: what kind of future are we preparing through the way we teach, conduct research, evaluate performance, allocate resources, and engage with society?
At Católica-Lisbon SBE, this question has become increasingly central. This year, we completed a Business School Impact System (BSIS) assessment process, which helped us examine the School’s impact in a broader, more systematic, and more transparent way. Yet what truly matters goes beyond any evaluation framework: a business school only fulfills its mission when it places knowledge at the service of positive societal transformation.
This commitment has increasingly taken shape across multiple dimensions. Católica-Lisbon SBE’s engagement with the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) reinforces a responsibility that we consider fundamental: educating managers and leaders capable of integrating sustainability, ethics, impact, and purpose into the decisions they make. These are not peripheral topics. They are central dimensions of contemporary management.
This evolution is visible in the way we have developed and strengthened courses, programs, and learning experiences across different stages of education: undergraduate degrees, master’s programs, executive education, executive master’s programs, and lifelong learning initiatives. We address topics such as corporate sustainability, ESG, sustainable finance, responsible governance, the energy transition, social innovation, impact, artificial intelligence, responsible leadership, entrepreneurship, and new business models. The goal is not simply to add “one more course” to the curriculum. It is to prepare students and executives to understand that these topics are fundamentally about strategy, competitiveness, and organizational legitimacy.
Mafalda Sarmento, Head of Sustainability and Impact at Católica-Lisbon SBE