POLIMI Graduate School of Management, known as @polimi, has successfully concluded the BSIS (Business School Impact System) evaluation, affirming its significant role on the global stage in both academic and societal realms.
The BSIS, a tool endorsed by the European Foundation for Management Development (EFMD) – a key accreditation body worldwide – evaluates the influence of business schools on their local regions and society as a whole. This process underscores the School’s dedication to making a positive impact on society through academic pursuits, research endeavors, and collaborations with local enterprises and institutions, all of which have been duly acknowledged and quantified.
The BSIS evaluation serves as a vital instrument for gauging the influence of business schools on their immediate surroundings, offering a comprehensive framework to comprehend the role of academic institutions within their socio-economic milieu.
The assessment scrutinizes the impact of business schools across seven key domains: financial, encompassing both the school’s direct financial resources and the indirect economic activity generated within the region; educational, reflecting the programs’ influence on the local managerial community; business development, which includes fostering new enterprises and supporting existing services; intellectual, represented by the faculty’s scholarly output and their contribution to local cultural enrichment; regional ecosystem involvement, entailing the faculty and participants’ engagement in public life and collaboration with other entities; social, concerning CSR initiatives and sustainable development integrated into teaching and administration; and image, evaluating the school’s local, national, and global reputation and its influence within the impact zone.
The BSIS evaluation has acknowledged the School’s robust competencies across all the assessed areas.
Distinguished by its product portfolio aligned with the nation’s areas of expertise, the School has demonstrated a distinctive approach in amalgamating management, technology, and humanities, thereby fostering an innovative and enriching educational environment.
Furthermore, the assessment underscored the significance of key initiatives spearheaded by the School to champion social innovation and tackle global challenges. Notable among these endeavors are projects such as “Leave Your Mark,” which enables nonprofit organizations to leverage the pro bono services of faculty, alumni, and students, and the “Innova Europe” and “SoM Prize for SDGs” challenges, which respectively acknowledge SDG-focused startups established by students and alumni from premier European business schools, alongside the contributions of alumni in addressing contemporary social issues.
Moreover, the School actively engages in combating climate change and advancing environmental sustainability. Through initiatives like funding projects in countries such as India, Madagascar, and Ecuador, as well as the financial backing received from the Italian Ministry of University and Research for the HumanTech – Humans and Technology initiative, the School has positioned itself as a beacon in the realms of sustainability and innovation.
“We are acutely cognizant of the imperative to nurture a new cohort of well-informed and conscientious leaders. Over the years, we have revolutionized our ethos and launched numerous initiatives that ignite the passion and drive of our students and alumni to forge a brighter future.
It is an ambitious and arduous journey, one that we ardently pursue with resolve and zeal, with the collective effort of every member within our ecosystem.
While we have made significant strides, our aspirations extend further. Leveraging the insights from the BSIS evaluation, we possess a valuable instrument and ally not just to empirically gauge our past accomplishments, but also to chart new trajectories aimed at fostering an equitable and inclusive society” – Vittorio Chiesa, President – POLIMI Graduate School of Management.