Global Responsibility Week 2025: Enabling Sustainability Conversations Across Borders

This year’s theme focused on fostering meaningful conversations around sustainability, with a particular emphasis on the ‘Just Transition’ and the balance between economic, social, and environmental priorities. Key questions explored included:

• How can we foster and engage in sustainability conversations that support a ‘Just Transition’?
• How do we communicate the scale, complexity, and urgency of sustainability challenges across sectors, generations, and disciplines?
• What roles do digital and physical spaces play in shaping sustainability dialogue?
• Who sets the agenda for sustainability conversations - and how?
• How can leaders effectively model values, behaviours, and strategies that drive sustainable transformation?

The event attracted nearly 100 applications, with 17 sessions ultimately selected and delivered by contributors from Australia, Brazil, France, Spain, Sweden, India, Thailand, Ireland, South Africa, and the UK. These sessions offered a multidisciplinary lens on sustainability, leadership, and purpose, sparking vibrant discussions among MSc and MBA students.

Student feedback highlighted the event’s impact:

“Global Responsibility Week 2025 left me genuinely inspired, reflective, and grateful. NBS reminds us what higher education should be: actively bridging systems, collaborating with governments, communities, and industries.”

“This week we experienced one of the most dynamic and insightful journeys filled with global learnings, fresh perspectives, and sustainable inspiration. We learned, unlearned, and relearned how to create meaningful change - because taking sustainable action has never been more important or more possible.”

Visiting academics also praised the week’s collaborative spirit and intellectual depth. One participant shared:

“It’s been an intense week - full of meaningful exchanges, exploration of key topics such as sustainability, leadership, and purpose… and above all, genuine human connections. I’m taking home not only new ideas and potential collaborations, but also new colleagues and friends from across the globe.”

Several international research collaborations are now in development as a direct result of the week’s activities.

The week concluded with a Climate Mini Assembly, hosted by the RSB Lab and facilitated by the Nottingham Climate Assembly. Held at Nottingham Contemporary, the event brought together visiting academics, business leaders, public sector representatives, and students to address the question: “How might business contribute to delivering net zero by 2028?”

Keynote speakers from Nottingham City Council, E.ON, and Nottingham Contemporary offered thought-provoking insights to spark discussion.

The event also featured WISPERS, an RSB Lab project exploring how arts-based interpretations can generate inclusive conversations around sustainability research. Students and colleagues from the Nottingham School of Art & Design (NSAD) presented powerful artistic reflections inspired by academic work from the RSB Lab.

Global Responsibility Week 2025 was a celebration of collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking. As NBS continues to explore the role of deliberation and the arts in empowering climate action, the momentum from this week will carry forward into future initiatives.

Special thanks to the organising committee, the RSB Lab, Pam Catori, Helen McElroy, Katja Hock and her students at NSAD, the Nottingham Climate Assembly, Nottingham Contemporary, and photographers Kayla, Dani, and Maia for capturing the week’s highlights.