Prof. Baumann-Pauly launches the spring semester with a lecture on the challenge of human rights in business

Prof. Dorothée Baumann-Pauly launched the University of Geneva's spring semester with a lecture on the challenge of human rights in business. She presented her work as a business ethics scholar, and argued that the current crisis offers a unique opportunity to innovate and develop sustainable business models. The Professor and Director of the GSEM Geneva Center for Business and Human Rights added that companies that embrace this challenge are set up for long-term business success, and become a force for sustainable development that creates value for business and society.

The lecture was followed by a series of questions and answers that focused on the importance of realizing that human rights issues are not only the responsibility of governments but that they must also be tackled by businesses and investors. The professor gave examples of promising practices within European companies. Finally, she presented the new Master in Responsible Management program that will start in September 2021; offering an option to specialize in Sustainable Business and Human Rights. This new GSEM program aims to train future leaders to understand human rights issues and contribute to the development of responsible companies.

> For more information on the Masters in Responsible Management: https://www.unige.ch/gsem/en/programs/masters/responsible-management

> To watch the lecture: https://www.unige.ch/lejournal/evenements/printemps-2021/le-defi-des-droits-humains-pour-les-entreprises