Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham’s Department of Management in association with the Centre for Sustainable and Responsible Organizations (CSaRO), Deakin University, organized an International Symposium on Corporate Social Responsibility (IS-CSR) from December 12-13, 2013 with Sustainability, Governance and Effective Outcomes as the central theme. The symposium aimed to foster thought leadership in the highly dynamic and challenging areas of CSR and Sustainability.

The two day symposium was inaugurated by Ashok Pavadia, Joint Secretary, Department of Public Enterprises. “The concept of CSR is widely debated but actually understood only by a few and practiced by even less. It is through conferences and forums like the IS-CSR that helps people understand CSR better and so is a very welcome effort,” he noted. He also highlighted the need for a different approach for developing countries as opposed to the practices followed in developed nations.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, under the Chancellorship of Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi (Amma) has been a pioneer in inculcating CSR activities such as Amala Bharatam, Green Friends, Serve an Hour, Live in Labs right at the school and institution level.

Subramanian of Deakin University highlighted that a distinguishing feature of the IS-CSR would be the funding of the research projects by academia and industry. Academic papers will also be submitted and selected papers will be invited to form part of a book on CSR Thought Leadership in India – Processes and Project Outcomes. The funding was announced to the tune of INR Rs. 15 lakhs for the research projects.

The event also attracted the best minds such as Dr. Wayne Visser, Director of Kaleidoscope Futures & Founder of CSR International, Dr. Bhaskar Chatterjee, Director General and CEO, Indian Institute of Corporate Affairs, IICA, Dr. Svetha Venkatesh, Chair in Complex Pattern Analysis, Deakin University, Dr. Prabhat Kumar, CMD, Bhavini, Chad Kymal, Founder, Omnex INC, Dr. Bimal Arora, CRB and Bibhuti Pradhan, IOCL.

SEE ALSO

Article: CSR: Academic Researchers – Your Time has Come! (Pg: 30) in the magazine for CSR and Sustainability Leaders, CSR & COMPETITIVENESS (Year 1, Issue 7, January 2014).

December 15, 2013

Department of Management