International student essay competition "If i were a business leader … for advancing the sustainable development goals (SDGS)"


INTERNATIONAL STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION

"IF I WERE A BUSINESS LEADER … FOR ADVANCING THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS (SDGS)"

organized under Project 15-2018 "The Role of Leadership for Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals", funded by the state subsidy for scientific work intrinsic to D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics Svishtov, Bulgaria.

Thematic Strands:
1. Choosing the most urgent SDG(s) at local level
These essays should address the most urgent SDG(s) in the local economic and social environment (in the opinion of the essay author) where chances to implement change and advance the choses SDG(s) seem most realistic. The essays could be focused on a single SDG or several inter-related SDGs that could be addressed simultaneously.
2. Choosing the most urgent SDG(s) at global level
These essays should address the most urgent SDG(s) at the global level (in the opinion of the essay author), where chances to initiate and implement change and advance the chosen SDG(s) seem most realistic. The essays could be focused on a single SDG or several inter-related SDGs that could be addressed simultaneously.
3. Developing an appropriate business mission
These essays should propose necessary changes in the mission statements that are prevailing in their local business environment and/or specific industries and business sectors at the global level
4. Developing new business models
These essays could focus on leadership action in proposing new business models (for the existing or emerging businesses) that would facilitate the advancement of the SDGs
5. Internal shared values and mobilization of human factor
These essays should identify key internally shared values needed to advance the SDGs through business and management practice, and elaborate on how this could be achieved through the leader’s transformational action in a concrete economic, social and cultural environment.
6. External dialogue, mobilization and partnerships
These essays should identify key external stakeholders in the specific context and suggest ways and means (including leader’s action) to facilitate a dialogue and establishment of appropriate partnerships to advance the SDGs.
7. Employing technology
These essays should elaborate on how business leaders in their specific environment could either mitigate the negative impact of the currently used technologies or employ new (environmentally friendly and socially responsible) technologies.
8. Relying on key competences gained
These essays should focus on the key competences of a responsible business leader that the author has gained in his education so far, while also providing information on good educational approaches and practices that enabled the development of these competences.
9. Developing new competences
These essays should focus on the key competences of a responsible business leader that the author believes were not sufficiently covered in the author’s education so far.
10. Suggesting changes in the educational approaches and practices
These essays should propose changes in the educational approaches and practices to facilitate the development of responsible leadership. The changes could be related to any (or a combination) of the following: educational content, educational process, faculty and students, organizational and institutional arrangements.

 

Participation in the competition:

The international competition is open to students studying in the Bachelor and Master degrees in economics, management and administration and related fields. Competition guidelines:

  1. Length of the essay – up to 3600 characters or 2 standard pages (A4, TNR14 pt, 1.5 lines).
  2. The deadline for submitting essays at sdg_sv_essay@uni-svishtov.bg is 30 December 2018.
  3. Each author can participate with one essay only. Authors should indicate their names and surnames, university, major, course, faculty number and address for feedback.
  4. The essays will be judged by a jury of faculty from the D. A. Tsenov Academy of Economics – Svishtov and from international universities involved in the project.

The authors if selected will receive certificates of participation and their essays will be published on CD with an ISBN. Official languages: Bulgarian, English, Russian and Spanish.