Course Overview
With unprecedented challenges facing humanity in the 21 century such as the role of Artificial Intelligence (AI); record income inequality in developed economies and the ever-present threat of human-induced climate change, what is the role for businesses in society? What potentially conflicting pressures do they face in their activities and performance? This comes on top of the unprecedented impact of COVID19 - the largest pandemic in a century.
This course examines ethical and societal challenges facing businesses and business managers. It discusses the societal environment within which businesses function, the social, political and legal arrangements and power groups that condition interactions within and outside the marketplace. It also addresses issues of corporate leadership and social responsibility, and how they relate to managers and citizens of the world.
Key takeaways
- Examine the concept of sustainability as core to business strategy.
- Recognize specificities of business-society issues in societies such as post-socialist ones.
- Conceptualize the multi-layered relationship of local, regional and global contexts of business-society relations.
- Develop a practical strategic and operational “toolbox” to implement social responsibility in companies especially from emerging markets.
Course schedule
The Business and Society course is designed to fit your busy schedule. It's split into two convenient weekends in February and March, giving you ample time to prepare and apply what you've learned without disrupting your work commitments.
- February 7, 2026 - 9:15 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- March 21, 2026 - 9:15 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.
- February 8, 2026 - 9:15 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
- March 22, 2026 - 9:15 a.m. - 4:45 p.m.
About Yusaf Akbar
Dr. Yusaf H. Akbar is Associate Professor in Management at the Central European University Business School in Budapest, Hungary.
His consulting and professional references include bTV Bulgaria (a division of Time-Warner), Citibank, Deutsche Telekom Telenor Globul, Siemens, and Toyota. In addition, Yusaf has trained executives all over the world and across sectors: Stockholm School of Economics – FEM Leadership Program, WDI University of Michigan/SSE Riga – Strategic Management Program, Jeronimo Martins Polska (JMP) – Business Development Seminar, InBev Global Leadership Program – Senior Management from InBev’s operations in Central and East Europe and Latin America, ETEX – International Business Strategy Seminar – Top management from Latin America, Europe and Asia, Raiffeisen Banking Academy – Strategy and Leadership Seminar, CIB Banca San Paolo – Controlling and Management, Morgan Stanley – Strategic Management.
He has published in peer-reviewed journals including Journal of Air Transport Management, Cross-Cultural Management, Journal of International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, Journal of World Business, Global Business and Organizational Excellence, Thunderbird International Business Review and World Competition. He has published two books the first entitled EU Enlargement and Central Europe: Regulatory Convergence and the Multinational Enterprise and another volume, Global Antitrust: Trade and Competition Linkages.
Price
Prices include VAT.
- Regular rate - 1500 Euro
- AUBG alumni rate - 940 Euro