15 Years of UN PRME: MCI Drives Responsible Management and Sustainability

Five Years of the Center for Responsible Management & Social Impact | Sustainability and SDGs Firmly Embedded in Teaching, Research, and Institutional Development

MCI | The Entrepreneurial School® celebrates 15 years of commitment to the UN Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME). Since 2011, MCI has been a founding member and signatory of this United Nations-supported international initiative, demonstrating its commitment to higher education that prioritizes responsible management, sustainability, and positive societal impact. With its latest PRME Sharing Information on Progress (SIP) Report, MCI once again documents its activities and achievements.

Another important milestone was the establishment of the MCI Center for Responsible Management & Social Impact in 2021. For the past five years, the Center has brought together and connected initiatives in responsible management, sustainability, and social impact, supporting their continued development across teaching, research, and university management.

SDGs as a Shared Framework

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an important framework for these efforts. Over the past several years, numerous initiatives have been implemented, ranging from the stronger integration of the SDGs into teaching and the MCI Sustainability Week to student engagement opportunities and research and development projects focused on sustainable transformation and responsible action.

“The past five years have shown that responsibility takes shape when people act together, learn from one another, and bring different perspectives together. This is exactly what we aim to foster at MCI: creating spaces for collaboration in teaching, research, institutional development, and alongside our partners,” explains Regina Obexer, Head of the MCI Center for Responsible Management & Social Impact.

Collaboration and networking play a central role in these efforts. MCI works closely with universities, businesses, public institutions, and civil society organizations. It is actively involved in the international PRME network, the Austrian Alliance of Sustainable Universities (Bündnis Nachhaltige Hochschulen), and the European University Alliance Ulysseus, among others.

Andreas Altmann, Rector of MCI, emphasizes: “Responsible management and alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals are important elements of MCI’s strategic development. Our goal is to empower students to consider economic, environmental, and societal challenges holistically and make responsible decisions.”

MCI’s commitment has received multiple awards and recognitions, including the PRME Faculty Recognition Award for Excellence in SDG Integration, the BMDA Significant Impact Award, and recognition as a “Transforming School” in the Positive Impact Rating 2025.

With 15 years of PRME engagement, five years of the Center for Responsible Management & Social Impact, and the publication of its latest SIP Report, MCI is also looking ahead. Its vision is to continuously advance responsible management in collaboration with students, faculty, staff, and partners while making a tangible contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.