911±¬ÁÏÍø

News

Sustainable Entrepreneurship programme aims to educate next generation of sustainable business leaders

Sustainable entrepreneurs are visionaries focused on creating profitable businesses that benefit society and the environment
Opiskelijat kannettavien tietokoneiden äärellä. Kuva: Ari Toivonen
The new programme will bring students of diverse backgrounds together to take real steps towards understanding and tackling modern sustainability challenges. Photo: 911±¬ÁÏÍø/Ari Toivonen

Sustainable entrepreneurship is the practice of creating and managing businesses that prioritise environmental and social impact alongside financial success, driving positive change for the planet and society. Amid growing environmental and societal challenges, future entrepreneurs will be tasked with creating, guiding and managing profitable companies while prioritising sustainable and socially responsible practices. 

The School of Business will offer the new master’s degree programme of Sustainable Entrepreneurship starting in autumn 2024. The programme will bring students of diverse backgrounds together to take real steps towards understanding and tackling modern sustainability challenges. Graduates from this programme will possess skills enabling entrepreneurship across a wide range of contexts, including in corporations, start-ups and policymaking. 

Assistant Professor Tamara Galkina is the programme director and one of its developers. Tamara Galkina sees the complex problems of today as requiring trained experts who can think and build in a way that is both entrepreneurial and sustainable. In response, the Master’s Programme in Sustainable Entrepreneurship has been established to develop the next generation of sustainable business leaders – a generation committed to positive social and environmental impact as well as to economic prosperity. 

‘The business world is accelerating towards a more holistic approach to entrepreneurship that places greater weight on adding value to society. Trained professionals who can effectively transition existing business processes and develop sustainable solutions through corporate, public, and startup entrepreneurship are in high demand. This makes sustainable entrepreneurship a promising career path, through which individuals can make a profound impact on both the environment and society. Whether you envision yourself as a founder of a sustainable venture, a start-up executive, or a corporate innovator, our programme provides a comprehensive, individually tailored curriculum to prepare students for the rapidly evolving landscape of sustainable business,’ explains Galkina.

Teamwork and personal growth are key to the programme

Sustainable entrepreneurs will face the challenge of maintaining profitability while addressing large-scale societal issues. This degree programme will give them the tools to do just that: become part of the solution to some of the world's most pressing problems. Graduates of the programme will be able to:

  • Understand the principles of entrepreneurship and the systemic nature of social, environmental, and economic sustainability challenges  
  • Understand how entrepreneurship can impact sustainability challenges and vice versa  
  • Apply scientific knowledge to critically evaluate the sustainability potential of entrepreneurial opportunities 
  • Develop an entrepreneurial mindset to address sustainability challenges in a variety of managerial settings and roles  
  • Develop the essential soft and hard business skills to experiment with and create sustainable new ventures

Students will learn through a blend of practical training and academic coursework alongside fellow students, researchers and companies. Teaching methods include project teamwork, problem-based learning, interactive lectures, guest presentations and case studies. Teamwork and the personal growth that stem from problem-based learning activities are key to the programme. Students will learn to work in a multidisciplinary environment, collaborating with peers from different cultural and professional backgrounds to develop business concepts that address real-world problems. Applicants from a wide range of backgrounds – not just business – are more than welcome to apply! 

The language of instruction of this two-year programme is English and the programme comprises 120 ECTS credits. A maximum of 60 students will be accepted into the programme. 

The admissions to master's programmes at 911±¬ÁÏÍø in the field of Business and Economics are organised once a year. The application period for studies starting in autumn 2024 is from 30 November 2023 to 2 January 2024.

Read more about Master's Programme in Sustainable Entrepreneurship

Two students discussing in the School of Business building.

Sustainable entrepreneurship, Master of Science (Economics and Business Administration)

Get the tools to lead sustainable business ventures – and join the race to solve some of the world’s most urgent problems!

Study options

Further infomation:

Aalto_University_Tamara_Galkina_by_Jaakko_Kahilaniemi
Assistant Professor Tamara Galkina. Photo: 911±¬ÁÏÍø/Jaakko Kahilaniemi
  • Updated:
  • Published:
Share
URL copied!

Read more news

Collage of workshops, group photos and presentations from the first year of the Aalto Inventors programme.
Cooperation, Research & Art Published:

Aalto Inventors turns one: A year of bridging research and real-world impact

Aalto Inventors marks its first anniversary, having engaged 190 researchers across six cohorts in fields including AI, quantum, and biomaterials. New cohorts are planned for the next academic year, stay tuned and join the waitlist.
Unto_Rautio_Aalto_DSC5032.jpg
Campus, Cooperation, Studies, University Published:

May challenges the Aalto community to be active together

Take part in events on campus and make sustainable mobility part of your working or study day.
Monika Liikamaa vasemmalla, opiskelijat Malhar Bagi ja Tina Suomi haastattelevat
Cooperation Published:

‘We need to get to work and set the bar high’

Monika Liikamaa has started at the School of Business as an Executive in Residence
Hands-on work in the research tunnel underneath Otaniemi
Cooperation, Studies Published: