Franklin and the SDG initiative Geneva

The mission of the SDGMS initiative is to train present and future leaders in best practices under the general umbrella of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals. Activities relating to this project will commence by accepting the first participants in late 2023, with programs in the areas of Business Administration and Management. The initial emphasis will be on individuals from Asia, with possible later extensions to other parts of the world.

"The SDG Management School (SDGMS) is an ambitious project for an ambitious group of educational front runners. We believe that any type of progress, be it social, environmental, economic, or technological requires positive change - and change is driven by education and selfless, courageous leadership."

These are the words spoken by Franklin Chairman, Kim Hildebrant, on Wednesday, 26 October, at the United Nations headquarters in Geneva. This same day Franklin University Switzerland, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR), and the Industrial Policy Studies (IPS), representing aSSIST, signed an agreement to launch a new project, the SDGMS. 

This new school will be inspired by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in education, putting them into practice. It will be the beginning of an innovative and creative education for participants, based on the key strengths and cooperative partnership between the three institutions. 

Mr. Hildebrant continued "The combination of the critical thinking and management leadership experience of Franklin University Switzerland, the technological innovation and business education of aSSIST, and the visionary thought leadership on the SDGs by UNITAR, all represent the solid and strategically designed pillars of the new SDGMS, upon which the three founding partners will build its educational offering."

The inaugural event was hosted by Jonas Haertle, Chief at the Office of the Executive Director at UNITAR, and saw participants attending on and off-line, who witnessed the MoU signing and a traditional ribbon cutting ceremony.