About the Sustainability & Organizations (S&O) Institute
Established in 2009 as a pioneering entity within HEC Paris, S&O is an interdisciplinary institute, fostering a community of researchers, business leaders, organizations and individuals deeply committed to serving a sustainable and just transition.
What is S&O Institute?
As we believe that economic actors are powerhouses to achieve this goal, we advocate for a responsible creation and sharing of decarbonized economic value that serves both human and planetary well-being.
Our purpose is to reinvent business through promoting sustainability and unleashing human potential.
Cutting-edge research, ground-breaking experimentation, transformative pedagogy, critical thinking and multi-stakeholder dialogue are at the core of our holistic approach to drive change.
The mission of our interconnected centers (Purpose, Inclusive Economy, Climate & Earth) and our experimental Impact Company Lab through research and teaching, is to empower current leaders and the new generation to navigate systemic challenges with science-based knowledge, courage and conviction.
An Institute of Excellence for research
Founded in 2009 under the aegis of Rodolphe Durand, the S&O Institute brings together 60 professors, researchers and PhD students from HEC Paris. Our research approach combines a broad range of methods tailored to the studied phenomena. It also incorporates theoretical lenses from various disciplines including economics, sociology, psychology, philosophy, and history, which is then integrated with a management focus. We think, discuss, debate with an interdisciplinary community of academics to promote engaged research throught notably the organization monthly research seminar and the annual S&O research Day. The 10th edition took place on campus on May 2025.
Academic Partnerships
The research is conducted in partnership with other leading academic institutions in Europe and North America.
BUSINESS SCHOOL FOR CLIMATE LEADERSHIP (BS4CL)
Business Schools for Climate Leadership (BS4CL), pioneering research and thought leadership partnership aimed at equipping current and future business leaders with the tools and knowledge necessary to navigate the complex landscape of the climate crisis. The project brings together eight prestigious European business schools (IE Business School, London Business School, IMD, INSEAD, HEC Paris, IESE Business School, University of Oxford Saïd Business School, and University of Cambridge Judge Business School) in a shared mission to generate, disseminate, and amplify evidence-based research, actionable insights, and thought leadership for corporate executives, students, educators, and policymakers who are at the forefront of driving the climate transition.
THE MEDICI SUMMER SCHOOL
Launched in 2009, the Medici Summer School in Management Studies for doctoral students and young researchers is designed to promote doctoral education and research in organization theory and related fields (economic sociology, management studies, strategy) and contribute to the development of enlightened practice in the management of business organizations.
Medici partners
The Summer School is organized and sponsored by MIT Sloan School of Management (Economic Sociology PhD Program), University of Bologna Business School and HEC Paris (Society and Organizations Institute and the HEC Foundation).
THE ALLIANCE FOR RESEARCH ON CORPORATE SUSTAINABILITY (ARCS)
ARCS is a partnership among academic institutions created to provide data and networking opportunities to facilitate research on corporate sustainability. As environmental issues have grown in complexity and scope, there is growing recognition that to gain ground on our most pressing environmental issues will require the proactive engagement and leadership of the business sector. ARCS helps develop greater understanding of the opportunities and limits of policies and strategies to create sustainable businesses by facilitating rigorous academic research.
ARCS was launched in January 2009, by a consortium of institutions at leading universities: Dartmouth College, Duke University, Harvard University, University of Michigan, University of Virginia, and University of Western Ontario.
The G.O.L.D.E.N. Network for Business Sustainability
GOLDEN, "Global Organizational Learning and Development Network" for Sustainability, is an independent, non-governmental, multi-stakeholder initiative. For the first time, GOLDEN and the S&O Center organized the international workshop “Towards a Sustainable Economy” at HEC Paris in May 2015.
Innovative Teaching for Responsible Leadership
At the S&O Institute, we train change-makers and leaders capable of driving responsible and sustainable transformation in a fast-evolving world.
Our mission is to bring cutting-edge research into HEC’s programs and pedagogy, preparing managers to understand today’s major societal and environmental challenges and to play an active role in reshaping business and society.We also reaffirm the importance of hands-on field experience in shaping leaders who are both responsible and open-minded.
The S&O Institute offers a wide range of courses and programs at all degree levels, from Grande Ecole to Executive Education. We develop new learning methods that immerse students in real-world issues. S&O designs programs that reimagine management models by fully integrating sustainability and responsibility. Alongside our flagship Master in Sustainability and Social Innovation (SASI), more than 200 hours of coursework are now included in the Grande École program. Since 2019, over 2,400 L3 students have completed the Parcours Engagement, which includes an experiential seminar in Chamonix, a civic engagement mission, and a field internship.
Cultivating New Ways of Leading
Responsible leadership starts with self-awareness. The Institute is developing seminars and electives to help students explore their values, motivations, and ambitions. We want to help them develop the knowledge, know hows and soft skills that are today required to build innovative ways of doing business, reducing negative externalities and also creating positive impact on people and nature.
Our Partners
The S&O Institute is supported by the HEC Foundation and its action is supported by numerous individual donors and corporate partners.
S&O Team
Purpose Center
Inclusive Economy Center
Climate & Earth Center
Impact Company Lab
