The University of Washington Bothell School of Business has joined the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative. Launched at the 2007 UN Global Compact Leaders Summit in Geneva, the Principles provide an engagement framework for academic institutions to advance corporate sustainability and social responsibility through the incorporation of universal values into curricula and research.

“Our students need a firm understanding of ethical issues in business,” says Phil Palm, assistant director at the UW Bothell School of Business. “A business doesn’t just have to comply with the law, it should think about how to create value in the long run.”

Signatories to PRME commit to the six principles for responsible management education, which includes emphasis on global social responsibility, research, partnerships and sustainability.

“We were already doing many of these things,” Palm says, noting that faculty member Deanna Kennedy is currently a member of a PRME working group.

“PRME helps business students and educators understand the intersection of social responsibility, environmental sustainability and the economy.”