Top Sustainability Managers

MASTER OF SCIENCE IN TRANSFORMATIVE SUSTAINABILITY. A NEW MSC IN COLLABORATION WITH MILAN POLYTECHNIC IS STARTING IN THE UPCOMING ACADEMIC YEAR UNDER THE CODIRECTION OF FRANCESCO PERRINI. IT WILL TRAIN MANAGER/TECHNOLOGISTS WHO FOCUS ON SUSTAINABLE TRANSITIONS

This program did not exist before, at least not with the same combination of subjects. "There are other Master programs in Europe that focus on sustainability, but they are either stronger in terms of management courses or in terms of technology. Ours will train 'manager/technologists' who are in great demand today by employers." Francesco Perrini, Full Professor at the Bocconi Department of Management and Technology, is Co-Director of the Master of Science in Transformative Sustainability. It is the second in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano and the latest in the University's educational offer of graduate programs: "The interuniversity MSc proposed by Bocconi and Politecnico aims to offer an integrated and innovative perspective on sustainability, in line with the needs of the market that increasingly demands multidisciplinary skills," explains Perrini. “The program ranges from subjects in technology and science related to sustainability (technologies for the environment, energy, mobility and circularity) to social sciences (management, finance, economics, quantitative subjects and law) necessary to manage a 'just' sustainable transition."

Sustainable transformation that today is one of the crucial challenges for businesses, given that the European Union's plans aim to encourage sustainability and create a climate-neutral, competitive and inclusive economy. As for the program, says Perrini, "each of the two universities will of course be responsible for the part in its competence area. We will therefore focus in particular on management and economics, while Politecnico will focus on enabling technology aspects related in particular to several areas: energy, the environment, chemistry, mobility and biology. There will also be courses on data analytics and innovation processes. But in the classroom, we will also discuss ethics, diversity and inclusion."
The new MSc will mainly train two types of professional figures: "On the one hand a sort of ‘sustainability executive,’" continues Francesco Perrini. "These are managers who make technological innovation the core of sustainability but at the same time have all the skills of a modern manager. On the other hand business analysts able to understand key technologies, who work for example in consulting."

The program, which will be launched with the upcoming academic year, will initially be open to 50 students: "We expect young people from the various Bocconi Bachelor of Science programs, as well as with backgrounds in engineering and other areas. This Master of Science will allow sustainability to be implanted into the DNA of our students."

by Davide Ripamonti
Translated by Jenna Walker