Fast Facts

  • Workshop Date & Time: 28 June 2025, 09:00-12:00 EST
  • Workshop Theme: Teaching the UN SDGs in the IB Course Context
  • Extended Registration Deadline: 13 June 2025 (Formerly 23 May)
  • PDW Chair: Karen Lynden, University of North Carolina Wilmington, lyndenk@uncw.edu

What is the Purpose of This Workshop?

This workshop is designed for educators seeking to integrate the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into the International Business (IB) curriculum. Participants from diverse discipline backgrounds and experience levels, including professors, instructors, lecturers, administrators, research and teaching assistants, and doctoral candidates, are welcome.

In this high-impact workshop, participants will:

  1. Gain a comprehensive understanding of the UN SDGs and their relevance to IB education.
  2. Engage in hands-on activities, such as developing lesson plans and course activities, including scenario-driven problem-solving exercises and methods to measure business impact on the UN SDGs.
  3. Share ideas with AIB professors worldwide on integrating UN SDG topics into the IB curriculum.

Support materials and resources will be provided during the session and shared digitally afterward. Participants will receive a certificate of completion.

How is This Event Structured?

The professional development workshop is structured to include the following programming:

Part 1: Triple-Lens Approach and Overview of Select Classroom Activities

Facilitator: Maria Alejandra Gonzalez-Perez, Universidad EAFIT, Colombia

The first part of the workshop introduces a practical “Triple-Lens Approach” for teaching SDGs in IB courses. This approach is designed to be easily implemented, enabling instructors to balance critical analysis with actionable implementation. It examines sustainable development through three complementary perspectives, empowering IB teachers to guide meaningful discussions even within the time constraints of a single session. To demonstrate immediate classroom application, the session presents two ready-to-implement activities: (1) the Global Perspectives Matrix and (2) the SDG Impact Assessment. These tools enable instructors to create engaging, practical learning experiences that connect SDGs to business realities while encouraging critical thinking.

Part 2: Grand Challenges: Solution-Oriented Activities

Facilitator: Maria Ilieva, University of Leeds, United Kingdom

The second part of the session focuses on raising students’ awareness of grand challenges and encouraging them to find solutions through company sustainability initiatives (social, environmental, and economic). Participants will be introduced to additional resources and activities with facilitation suggestions; with special emphasis on using mini-case studies (video/text) to address real company events. These activities offer strategies to increase student engagement by asking them to find solutions to real life problems from different perspectives: UN representatives and company managers. Designed with flexibility in mind, these activities are created to align with a diverse range of IB-related course learning outcomes, and stimulate thought provoking, and solution-oriented discussion in class.

Part 3: Integrating Environmental Lifecycle Assessment into IB Teaching

Facilitator: Prof. Noemi Sinkovics, Newcastle University, United Kingdom

This session offers an introductory-level overview of how Environmental Product Lifecycle Assessment (LCA) can be integrated into International Business (IB) teaching. Designed for educators new to LCA, the session will demystify core concepts and show how they connect to global business topics. Participants will explore simple, classroom-ready exercises that help students grasp the basics of LCA while also building a stronger foundation for evidence-based research projects. Through hands-on activities and discussion, attendees will leave with practical ideas for incorporating environmental thinking into their courses—no prior LCA experience required.

Session Co-Chairs and Support Facilitators:
Miguel Cordova, Tecnológico de Monterrey, Mexico
Karen Lynden, University of North Carolina Wilmington, United States

How Can I Register for this Workshop?

Pre-registration for this workshop is required by 13 June. All participants are expected to have valid AIB membership and to have registered for the AIB 2025 Conference.