PCSB Blended Curriculum
Organisational Stream
Leading organisations are embedding sustainability into their core business – mitigating risks, increasing resilience, and enhancing value in the short and long term. PCSB is uniquely designed to encourage students to go beyond the practical application of tools and models, to develop new insights and world views that can help their organisation make sense of sustainability in a systemic way, unleashing the development of profitable opportunities to bring about organisational change.
The content is explored through two workshops, supported by essential reading and practical assignments:
- Workshop 1 builds awareness of key sustainability risks and opportunities and their relevance to business, exploring the strategic business case for responding to them and seeing them as new opportunities for profitability and competitive advantage.
- Workshop 2 focuses on the various organisational levers that can help organisations create value for society and the environment, as well as economic value, and on the ways through which organisations can catalyse change in wider systems (finance, policy, industrial systems, communities).
Crosscutting themes such as innovation, systems thinking and leadership are embedded within and/or interspersed between the main sessions.
“The course is intelligent, insightful and innovative, covering multiple aspects and contexts of sustainability leadership. Once you start the journey, you won't want it to ever end.”
Kishore Ravuri, UN Global Compact Network, Malaysia, PCSB
Indicative themes for Organisational Stream workshops
Workshop 1Understanding the global risks and opportunities, and what needs | Workshop 2Catalysing change within and beyond the organisation | |
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Themes |
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Assignment tasks | Group Project theme scoping Analysis Paper preparation | Group Project research and drafting Strategic Action Plan preparation |
Value Chains Stream
Value Chains are an integral part of strategic planning for many businesses today. Within leading companies there may be many ‘islands’ of good practice, including, for example, responsible sourcing, cleaner production, and developing new ‘green’ products; however, to achieve an interconnected perspective, a systems approach is needed.
PCSB: Value Chains stream is uniquely designed to go beyond themes such as 'sustainable supply chains' and 'green procurement', and empower leaders to bring about systemic, collaborative change across entire value chains.
The content is explored through two workshops, supported by essential reading and practical assignments:
- Workshop 1 builds the awareness of key sustainability risks and opportunities, exploring the strategic business case for building resilient, more sustainable value chains
- Workshop 2 develops an appreciation for the variety of institutional responses to the risks and opportunities identified, and builds capacity to apply ‘best practice’ tools and techniques to achieve sustainable value chains
Cross-cutting themes such as innovation, systems thinking and leadership are embedded within and/or interspersed between the main sessions.
“There are many sustainability courses, but PCSB: Value Chains stream is unique. The Cambridge setting, the faculty's knowledge, the people you meet, the social and personal experience. This programme will remain a highlight in my educational career.”
Sascha Reimann, Postgraduate Certificate, Value Chains stream
Indicative themes for Value Chains stream workshops
Workshop 1Understanding the global risks and opportunities, and what | Workshop 2Catalysing change across the value chain | |
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Workshop themes |
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Assignment tasks | Group Project theme scoping Analysis Paper preparation | Group Project research and drafting Strategic Action Plan preparation |
Finance Stream
Leading organisations are embedding sustainability into their core business – mitigating risks, increasing resilience, and enhancing value in the short and long term. PCSB is uniquely designed to help finance professionals understand how they can support and encourage that change, in a way conducive to systemic change and new opportunities for profitability.
The content is explored through two workshops, supported by essential reading and practical assignments:
- Workshop 1 builds awareness of key sustainability risks and opportunitiesand the relevance to business, exploring the strategic business case for responding as a financial institution.
- Workshop 2 focuses on the opportunities to rethink financial institutions, products and the interactions between financial-business-and public sector organisations to catalyse change in the wider system
Crosscutting themes such as systems thinking, innovation and leadership are embedded within and/or interspersed between the main sessions.
Indicative themes for Finance Stream workshops
Workshop 1Understanding the global risks and opportunities, and what needs | Workshop 2Catalysing change in and beyond the organisation | |
Themes |
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Assignment tasks | Group Project theme scoping Analysis Paper preparation | Group Project research and drafting Strategic Action Plan preparation |
Students are supported throughout their studies by a supervisor who will guide their learning on both individual assignments and group projects. Find out more about some of our most recent supervisors.