Business environments are increasingly characterized by rapid change, rising uncertainty, and growing sustainability pressures. Preferences evolve, people adapt, and, most importantly, businesses must respond.
In a moment when sustainability is increasingly questioned by consumers, reframed by business, or quietly deprioritized by governments, it matters deeply when education chooses to lead rather than just contribute to the number of ECTS credits.
Earlier this year, the course SDGs as Business Strategy, taught by Professor Filipa Pires de Almeida at Católica Lisbon School of Business & Economics, was awarded the Prémio de Inovação Pedagógica da Universidade Católica Portuguesa 2025. As a former student of this course, this recognition feels not only well-deserved but also a profound representation of what it truly means to learn.
This was not a course about sustainability as an abstract ideal, nor about ticking ESG boxes. It was about strategy, the one that is real and constraint-driven. There, we could understand what it truly means to integrate the Sustainable Development Goals into business decision-making processes. From the very first week, we were not positioned as passive learners, but as critical thinkers. Our task was clear: to evaluate the work of real companies, to face real trade-offs, and to design SDG-aligned strategies that could survive contact with reality.
The pedagogical model combines academic rigor with experiential learning. Using the SDG Compass+ framework, we worked progressively through materiality, prioritization, integration, and impact measurement. Weekly presentations, structured feedback, and constant iteration forced us to sharpen our thinking, defend our assumptions, and translate sustainability ambitions into concrete strategic choices. There was no room for generic narratives, only for grounded, evidence-based reasoning.
What made the course truly distinctive, however, was its connection to the outside world. From business leaders to sustainability practitioners and experts, they regularly joined the classroom, bringing real-world cases, failures, and lessons learned. These interactions made one thing clear for all students: integrating the SDGs into business strategy is not about perfection, but about direction and leadership.
The course also stood out for its interdisciplinary nature. By bridging management, public policy, and sustainable development, it offered a holistic view of how companies not only operate within but also shape broader societal systems. Beyond technical skills, it cultivated critical thinking, empathy, negotiation, and responsible leadership. It challenged us not only to ask what companies should do, but how and why they should do it.
In a global context marked by uncertainty and short-term pressures, this pedagogical approach is not just innovative: it is necessary!! The recognition awarded by the Universidade Católica Portuguesa reinforces an essential message: preparing future leaders to embed sustainability into business strategy is not a “nice to have”. It is a strategic imperative.
For those of us who experienced this course firsthand, the prize is a validation of something we already knew: that rigorous, practice-oriented, values-driven education can shape how future leaders think, decide, and act. And that, ultimately, is where sustainable change begins.
Have a great and impactful week!
Matilde Marques, Intern at the Center for Responsible Business & Leadership