Global PhD Course: Organizing the Climate Transition

Business Schools for Climate Leadership

*Applications are now open for the 2025 PhD Course! Apply by December 10th at this link!*

This global PhD course is designed to prepare the next generation of scholars to generate impactful, in-depth knowledge about and approaches to the challenges that organizations are currently facing as they navigate the climate transition.

Upon completion of this course, PhD students will be well-equipped to contribute to the field of climate transition, strategy and organization studies, addressing climate change challenges with innovative research.

BS4CL & the Global PhD Course.

Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL) is a unique partnership between eight of Europe’s leading business schools to help present and future leaders combat the climate crisis facing the planet. The schools, which came together to launch their alliance at COP26 in Glasgow, are Cambridge Judge Business School, HEC Paris, IE Business School, IESE Business School, the International Institute for Management Development (IMD), INSEAD, London Business School, and Saïd Business School (University of Oxford).

This course is one of the initiatives promoted by the BS4CL schools, open to PhD students from any graduate program.

Course aims.

Interdisciplinary Learning

This PhD course is a collaborative effort led by expert faculty from within the BS4CL network and other leading scholars in the field of climate transition and management studies. It offers students a unique opportunity to learn from a diverse range of perspectives exploring various facets of the climate transition.

Current Research Insights

Students are introduced to existing research findings, frameworks and methods in the rapidly evolving field of Organization Theory and Strategy in relation to climate, which we label “Organizing the Climate Transition”.

Identifying Research Gaps

Guided by faculty, students critically assess existing literature, identify research gaps, and formulate research questions that contribute to addressing the complex organizational challenges presented by climate change.

Impactful Scholarship

Students experience how researchers can become engaged scholars and undertake impactful theorizing in order to help organizations achieve the climate transition.

Networking with Peers and Experts

Students connect with fellow students from across the globe and establish meaningful connections with leading scholars, creating a professional network that can support research and stimulate more rigorous, relevant and collaborative work.

FAQ.

Who can participate?

The course is open to doctoral students enrolled in management, organization theory, or strategy-related research-oriented PhD program at a business school. We encourage broad participation, irrespective of global location, thanks to the entirely online nature of the course.

Does the course cost anything to students or to the schools that offer it?

No. The Core Session Faculty has generously volunteered to provide this course without any charge to participating schools or students.

If the course is not currently available at my institution, how can I take it?

We request that a faculty member at a local institution step in as the local course coordinator. This ensures that all students receive the necessary training to derive maximum benefit from the course. If your school doesn't have a local course coordinator yet, please reach out to a faculty member at your institution and ask them to contact us to express interest in becoming the local faculty coordinator for your institution.

Is there a specified enrollment deadline for the course, and when will applicants be notified of their acceptance status?

The deadline for sign-up is December 10th. You can expect to receive confirmation of your acceptance by December 20th.

Is there an obligation to attend all sessions of the course?

Yes. All students, regardless of whether they are receiving course credit at their local institution, are expected to attend every session.

Spring 2025 Syllabus

The Syllabus for Spring 2025 can be found here.

I am a PhD student in Finance, not in Management. Is there an offering for me?

Yes. A separate companion course, “Financial Economics of Climate and Sustainability” will be offered online on Tuesdays from February 4th through April 29th 2025. For more information, see this description. This is a separate offering, so check with their organizers for details.

What is the role of the local faculty coordinators?

If you are auditing the course, the local faculty coordinator's role is just to confirm your status as an enrolled PhD student. For those taking the course for credit, the local faculty coordinator's responsibilities include coordinating applicable arrangements. While we encourage students to explore options for obtaining course credits at their institution, explicit support in this regard is not provided. Your local faculty coordinator will be responsible for setting any necessary assessments and ensuring the completion of the required credit hours.

Join us in this exciting and critical journey to advance our understanding of climate transition and make a lasting impact on the business and management world!

For questions and additional information, contact: Tirza Gapp (Cambridge) tteg2@jbs.cam.ac.uk, or Lorenzo Lesana (IESE) LLesana@iese.edu

To register, use the button below.

Registration