Bringing Together the World – for Better Business, Society, and Planet

· by · in Community News. ·

Seven CoBS Schools, 67 students, and eight teams compete in the first module of the CoBS Advanced International Certificate to create a winning company in terms of outstanding business and sustainability performance

Over three days, the new Pierre Nanterme building at ESSEC Business School played host to the “war room” for a global Business & Sustainability simulation competition. The competition brought together 67 MBA and master’s level students from 7 leading business schools, members of the Council on Business & Society (CoBS) alliance:  ESSEC, School of Management Fudan University, IIM Bangalore, Monash Business School, Smith School of Business Queen’s University, Stellenbosch Business School, Warwick Business School.

The Business & Sustainability Simulation features as the first module of three that make up the CoBS Advanced International Certificate in Responsible Business Practices (AICRBP). The challenge that aligns with the CoBS member school ADN nurtures the conscious and responsible business leaders of tomorrow by pitting student teams against each other as market competitors but with a sustainability and CSR mindset.

The challenge

Based on the competition sponsor Capsim capstone simulation, students build and develop their companies specialised in sensors with an aim to reach maximum market share and value while facing the growing corporate reality of integrating CSR and sustainability variables to ensure benefit to employees, society and planet.

In this competition, and increasingly in the real world, Sustainability is not an afterthought. It is the heart of the matter, the core of corporate strategy.

ESSEC Prof. Adrian Zicari, Academic Director of the CoBS.

What cost and what ROI is achieved when setting up sustainability training for employees? What effect will implementing circular economy have on budgets, investor appeal and cleaner operations? How will consumers react to green innovation and potential product price increases? Does promoting team diversity and inclusion lead to greater innovation and more effective decision-making? What impact on will opting for sustainable and ethical supply chains have on results, performance, brand image and ESG rating? These are just a few of the many questions and decisions – some of them complex dilemmas – that increasingly face today’s companies.

The competition results

This year’s business and sustainability competition came to a close with the results ceremony, the winning team being announced as School of Management Fudan University (China), with Smith School of Business, Queen’s University (Canada) as runners up, in what was a very closely fought competition indeed. Special thanks to all the schools’ CoBS Representatives for their commitment and coordination, and for ESSEC Business School for hosting the simulation in their superb Pierre Nanterme building.

Next stop? June and the second part of the CoBS AICRBP – a suite of online modules capturing expertise on global CSR and sustainability issues with a unique local and regional perspective from the faculty of the CoBS member schools. Watch this space!

Student speak!

“Thank you for the wonderful opportunity to be a part of the COBS competition. The simulation is extensive and we learned so much from the entire experience.” Ddevh Sharrma, Monash Business School student.

“It was a fantastic experience, and we truly appreciated the thoughtfulness and effort that went into organizing such a global and impactful event. Our team from the Smith School of Business was honoured to participate and proud to have achieved the runner-up position among leading institutions from around the world.” Sai Srikar Desina, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University student.

“Thank you so much for organizing such a wonderful and well-executed competition. It was a great experience, and I truly appreciate all the effort that went into making it a success. The OpenAI chatbot idea impressed me the most. I’m really grateful for the opportunity to participate and learn.” Aditya Jain, Warwick Business School student.

“It’s really an unforgettable experience for us to take part in such an amazing competition, which helps us gain a lot of business and sustainability insights.” Xiaoli Yu, School of Management Fudan University student. 

“Thank you for organizing the CoBS Sustainability Capstone Simulation. This initiative was both meaningful and impactful, offering us the unique opportunity to apply our academic knowledge in a high-stakes, practical setting. The experience deepened our understanding of sustainability’s role in strategic decision-making and has significantly strengthened our confidence to address complex, real-world challenges. The discussion with Inigo following Round 5 was among the most insightful academic conversations I have had. It reflected not only your expertise but also your deep commitment to shaping the next generation of responsible leaders. Your guidance and the simulation itself have left a lasting impression on all of us.” Shamili Priya Bokkasam, Smith School of Business, Queen’s University student.

Learn more about the Council on Business & Society

The Council on Business & Society (The CoBS), visionary in its conception and purpose, was created in 2011, and is dedicated to promoting responsible leadership and tackling issues at the crossroads of business and society including sustainability, diversity, ethical leadership and the place responsible business has to play in contributing to the common good.  

Member schools of the Council on Business & Society.

The schools of the Council on Business & Society (CoBS)

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