Teaching and Learning
Henley’s programmes integrate sustainability and responsible management to develop the next generation of responsible business leaders.
Developing the next generation of responsible leaders
At Henley, we continuously develop our programme offerings and curricula to truly integrate sustainability and responsible management concepts and practices in our teaching and learning.
Across our programmes, we ensure students gain the knowledge, skills, and mindset to lead with purpose and drive meaningful change in business and society.
We have been progressively embedding sustainability content into and across our Executive MBA – Global programme. We firmly believe that management education plays a key role in striving to secure a sustainable and responsible future. Our aim is to equip our EMBA students with the tools to take their learning back into their businesses, to embed sustainable and responsible practices.
Innovative programmes with sustainability at their core
Henley has been at the forefront of designing degree programmes that place sustainability and responsibility at the heart of the learning experience. These include:
Within our flagship Executive MBA – Global (EMBAG), sustainability is fully integrated: every module has been mapped against the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to ensure students engage deeply with sustainability perspectives and practical approaches.
Embedding sustainability across the curriculum
Sustainability and responsibility-related themes are increasingly present across our curriculum – at undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education levels – through dedicated modules, case studies, and applied projects.
This approach allows many of our students to engage with topics such as ethical leadership, sustainable finance, and responsible business practices as part of their studies.
What our students say
James Foy
BSc Business and Management
"Learning about ethics, responsible business and sustainability has been the link between my academic studies, personal development, paid work and volunteering whilst studying at Henley."
Arushi Saxena
MSc Climate Change, Sustainable Business and Green Finance
“My journey at Henley Business School has been transformative, deeply influenced by its emphasis on ethics, responsible business, and sustainability. I’ve learned to think critically about the ripple effects of business decisions. Exploring real-world case studies and sustainable development goals opened my eyes to how businesses can thrive while prioritising people and the planet. These lessons have fuelled my passion for ethical leadership.”
Ying Xie
MSc Entrepreneurship and Innovation
“At Henley, I’ve learned that business isn’t just about strategy or profit—it’s fundamentally about people, purpose, and long-term responsibility. Learning about ethics, sustainability, and responsible leadership encouraged me to reflect not only on what I want to build, but who I want to serve and why."
Omar Alamshan
Flexible Executive MBA
“The emphasis Henley places on responsible leadership has encouraged me to reflect on the long-term impact of decisions, the importance of stakeholder engagement, and the value of acting with integrity even when faced with pressure or ambiguity. This has shaped the way I approach both academic work and real-world challenges, seeking to balance performance with purpose.”
Expanding access and impact
Henley also drives wider participation in higher education and social impact through initiatives such as Project OLIVIA and the Social Enterprise Project – the latter receiving high commendation in the Financial Times Responsible Business Education Awards 2024 in the category of Best responsible teaching resources: innovative materials with a financial sustainability focus.
Alignment with the University of Reading’s “Education for Sustainable Development”
Henley is aligned with the University of Reading’s commitment to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and as such we’re working together toward the following goals:
- Our graduates have a strong understanding of the sustainability challenges we all face and how these apply to their subject discipline
- Graduates are enabled and empowered to become effective in positively contributing to sustainability problem-solving in their lives, professions, and communities
- We are always looking for ways to maximise opportunities for collaboration between our students, staff and community partners. This helps us to apply insightful and innovative research and projects across our campuses and in our local area to meet the challenges that our world is facing.
Supporting responsible leadership through scholarships
To advance our mission, Henley offers a range of Executive MBA Scholarships that champion sustainability and responsibility, including the Business Ethics and Sustainability Executive MBA Scholarship and the Women in Leadership MBA Scholarship.