Press release -

Natural choice for Coop Sweden to turn to University of Gävle about sustainable development

“Coop Sweden has always worked for sustainability and we see the University of Gävle as an opportunity to develop further, so for this reason we open our cooperative week here,” says Anders Stake, CEO Coop Mitt.

Program Thursday 22 November(Please note that the conference language is Swedish)

Aihie Osarenkhoe och Anders Stake

“The University of Gävle works with issues on this theme, so coming here was a natural choice for us. Sustainability is sort of in the DNA of the cooperation and we see the University of Gävle as an opportunity to develop further,” Anders Stake says.

“Cooperative philosophy builds on sustainability and as the University’s vision is a sustainable living environment and our specific research focus here is on sustainable business relations, you have really come to the right place,” Aihie Osarenkhoe, professor in business administration at the University of Gävle, points out.

“We find it valuable that Coop and others with a distinct sustainability profile turn to our faculty to develop further and become even better in this area. For example, we have always worked closely with Sandvik regarding sustainability research.”

Teaching sustainability

Jens Eklinder Frick, senior lecturer in business administration at the University, is one of the speakers at the conference. He points out that the word economy comes from Greek and means thrift and household management, so business administration is fundamentally about economising our resources for the survival of the whole of society.

“Business administration at the University of Gävle has had a sustainability focus for a very long time and our research environment, sustainable business relations, drives this research forward,” Jens Eklinder Frick says.

It could be about the role of businesses with a social responsibility in society, circular economies in which resources are recycled, or collaborative, sharing economies like car pools, or about the necessity of knowledge in organisation theory now when we partly have to reconstruct our society, Jens explains.

“Sustainability is present in all of our courses, and business administration is both a part of and drives this development forward.”

Business administration takes its role in society seriously

“As you can see, we work very actively with the importance of sustainability in our programmes and how the subject can contribute to creating a better society for the whole world; this is our focus.”

Jens also tells us that their students experience this focus as central, and that many degree projects include sustainability perspectives.

“I don’t think that anyone would say that sustainability, ecological, social as well as economic, will play a less decisive part in the future, and we who work within business administration will follow this development closely and at times take a leading role, for example regarding circular economies,” Jens Eklinder Frick concludes.


For more information, please contact:
Aihie Osarenkhoe professor in business administration, University of GävlePhone: +46 (0)70-191 45 26Email: aihie.osarenkhoe@hig.se

Jens Eklinder Frick, senior lecturer in business administration, University of Gävle
Phone: 076-898 82 41
E-mail: jens.eklinder.frick@hig.se

Anders Stake, CEO Coop Mitt
Phone: 010-747 53 11
E-mail: anders.stake@coopmitt.se

Text: Douglas Öhrbom
Photo Jens Eklinder Frick: Anna Sällberg
Photo: Aihie Osarenkhoe och Anders Stake: Douglas Öhrbom

Photo of Jens Eklinder Frick

Topics

  • Economy

Categories

  • sharing economies
  • coop sweden
  • a week with cooperation
  • sustainable food production
  • aihie osarenkhoe
  • jens eklinder frick
  • university of gävle
  • sustainable living environment
  • research
  • business administration
  • sustainable business relations
  • circular economies

Education and Research at a Scenic Campus.
The University of Gävle has approximately 17 000 students, more than 50 study programmes and second-cycle programmes, about 1 000 courses in humanities, social and natural sciences and technology.

Research Profiles
Built Environment and Health-promoting Working Life are the general research profiles of the higher education institution. Important parts included are Spatial Planning with a specialisation in Sustainable Built Environment and Musculoskeletal Disorders with the purpose to prevent work-related injuries. In 2010, the higher education institution received permission to carry out third-cycle programmes in the profile area of Built Environment.
The higher education institution has applied for permission to carry out third-cycle programmes in technology, humanities and social sciences.