Lang chosen for Champions Cohort by responsible management education initiative PRME

Students and faculty already know that the Gordon S. Lang School of Business and Economics has sustainability and responsible practices baked into the culture.

But it’s nice when an outside organization also sees how hard the school works to live these values.

That’s why it’s gratifying to be recognized by the international Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative as a member of the 2026-27 PRME Champions Cohort, one of only three Canadian business schools to make the cut. PRME embraces seven principles that reflect aim to raise the profile of sustainability in the classroom and support the United Nations Sustainability and Development Goals. Today PRME has over 800 members worldwide.

In fact, the University of Guelph’s business school was one of the earlier signatories to support PRME in 2012, not long after the organization’s founding in 2007. Rumina Dhalla, an Organization Studies and Sustainable Commerce professor, recalls that the school first became PRME Champions in 2013-14 and has been an active part of the North American chapter since. “For us it was such an authentic move, because we were already interested and engaged in increasing our sustainability related activities,” says Dhalla, who is also Founding Director of the school’s Institute for Sustainable Commerce (ISCG).

From hosting the North American Chapter meeting in Guelph to attending and presenting at PRME Global Forums, Lang continues to collaborate regularly with other PRME schools. Until recently Dhalla was the North American Chapter’s vice chair.

At Lang, sustainability is clearly modelled and infused through everything from the showcase annual Sustainability conference, to course offerings like Sustainable Value Creation (BUS 6600), Governance for Sustainability (BUS 6500) to Sustainability Accounting and Accountability (ACT 4020). Several faculty members have been recognized with awards in sustainability, and research is active on sustainability topics from immigrant entrepreneurship to sustainable tourism. With a mandate to support and advance research and curriculum innovations related to business sustainability, corporate social responsibility and circular economy, ISCG also provides grants to researchers, runs research forums and brings collaboration together.

“The Lang School has a deep and globally minded focus on instilling our students with the idea they should leave the world a better place than they found it,” says Dean Sara Mann. “We are so proud of our status as a champion of responsible management education and will continue to find opportunities to highlight this mission.”

While sustainability is clearly a competitive advantage, Dhalla says she thinks of the initiative as reflecting a higher-level goal. “For us, it just makes sense, because that's who we are. We're really focusing more and more collaboration, cooperation rather than competition.”