SLGP7111

This course is founded upon the premise that social innovation and social entrepreneurship play an important role in the building of a sustainable society. The course argues that social innovation should not be merely understood as the introduction of a new product or service which addresses social and environmental needs. The focus should instead be placed on empowerment, capacity building and the creation of new forms of partnerships and collaborations. Efforts should be targeted at enabling empathy, incubating competencies, building social capital and reimaging allocation of resources to facilitate the development and implementation of innovative solutions and strategies. Social entrepreneurship, being both a construct and an approach that promises value creation for the society, signals the imperative for a new form of institution and organizational structure to identify and deliver social goals. 

The course investigates how system innovation helps social systems adapt and be transformed, leveraging innovative ideas for greater societal impact. Different incubation models for innovation and an array of social innovation examples will be discussed, along with topics such as practices and principles of social entrepreneurship, blended value and creative problem solving. A thematic module of organizational certifications and accreditations, such as B Corp Certification, is covered to provide students with insights on assessing social venture’s sustainability performance.

Assessment: 100% coursework