Gift of $500,000 supports social responsibility, sustainable innovation

A generous donation of $500,000 from Vancouver-based resource firm Goldcorp Inc. to UVic’s Peter B. Gustavson School of Business will help support new initiatives at the school's Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation (CSSI).

Established in 2011, CSSI is part of Gustavson’s commitment to being an educational and academic leader in the developing field of social and sustainable innovation.

Goldcorp President and CEO Chuck Jeannes announced the donation at an event on campus Feb. 19.

“Our investment in the CSSI aligns with our commitment to operating sustainably, acting responsibly and to growing educational opportunities for young people,” said Jeannes. “We are pleased the Gustavson School is integrating social responsibility and sustainability into academic content and research agendas and believe ongoing strides in this growing field will continue to yield encouraging results.”

“We’re grateful that Goldcorp Inc. saw the potential in the research capabilities of CSSI,” said UVic President David Turpin. “The centre and Gustavson School of Business are helping today’s students and tomorrow’s business leaders learn to think in new ways about addressing complex problems in the changing world of business.”

The donation will allow CSSI, which has already launched several research and education initiatives with a small annual budget, to significantly increase its activities and opportunities for both students and faculty.

CSSI and its work make up one of the four pillars (innovative, integrative, international and sustainable) that underpin the Gustavson School. Sustainability and social responsibility are integrated into the school’s entire curriculum. Almost 30 per cent of the school’s faculty teach and research business topics that include social and environmental issues.

“This donation is important support for the centre, which has already helped us examine our own practices and connected Gustavson students, faculty and staff—as well as the entire UVic campus—with sustainable business expertise and scholarship,” said Dr. Saul Klein, dean of the Gustavson School of Business.

Through research and teaching, Gustavson’s goal is to help students and the wider community become agents of change and role models for adopting sustainable and responsible approaches to business, such as minimizing impact on the global environment, transparent and consultative decision making and responsible stakeholder relations.

More info on CSSI: www.uvic.ca/gustavson/cssi/