Think tank Aspen Institute have published their biennial findings - Beyond Grey Pinstripes - ranking Business Schools in terms of how well they integrate “issues of social and environmental stewardship”. Its worth a look.

What didn’t surprise me is that Stanford topped the list, again. Word has it that its “Environmental Entrepreneurship” and “Frontiers of Social Innovation” are packed classes. The other business schools in the top ten are the University of Michigan, York University, University of California, Berkeley, University of Notre Dame, Columbia University, Cornell University, Duquesne University, Yale University, and The Hub’s friends in Madrid, Instituto de Empresa.

What did surprise me, and seriously concern me, is how little has changed in terms of research into these areas. Only 5% of business schools that were surveyed publish research related to social and environmental issues, which is only 1% higher than in the last survey in 2005. Don’t we need more map?! Here are two theories that I’ve seen floated as to why:-

1. Lack of acceptance by peer academic journals
2. Research has been done but not published yet (takes years!)

Clearly it is early days, and already there are a lot of efforts, that I whole-heartedly support, to codify and share the innovative work that is being done - proof that a more sustainable future is possible! But I’m also reminded of the urgency and importance of peer learning, that to an extent short-circuits the conventional thought-leadership process, and disseminates new insights and stories from the frontline faster than academics can.