Summer School social programme and events
Get to know your coursemates and Finland through engaging extracurricular activities and social events organised by the Summer School team.
Responsible Business Conduct
During this course, you will learn the common ground and differences between the frameworks on business and human rights (BHR) and corporate social responsibility (CSR), and what it means to conduct business in a sustainable and responsible way.
Teaching period:
-
Application period:
31.1.2025 – 31.5.2025
Course format:
Campus
Duration:
2 weeks
full-time
Course level:
Undergraduate
Field of study:
Business and Economics
Credits:
2 ECTS
Organiser:
Aalto University
Tuition fees:
1170€
Large-scale events happening worldwide disrupt global supply chains and impact local communities. Companies play a crucial role in fostering sustained, inclusive, and sustainable economic growth by adopting responsible business practices. Such businesses build greater customer trust, improve employee commitment, enhance competitiveness, and drive innovation while improving access to financial resources. By operating responsibly, companies contribute to better living conditions, improved sustainability practices, and a healthier overall environment for citizens.
During this course, you will learn what corporate sustainability due diligence means and explore the step-by-step process companies should follow to identify and assess human rights and environmental impacts in their operations and supply chains.
We will have a look at sector-specific human rights risks and analyse the policies and tools companies are implementing to mitigate them. Finally, we will examine how companies implement grievance mechanisms and communicate their commitments and achievements on corporate sustainability with different stakeholders.
The EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive, effective July 2024, requires large companies to address human rights and environmental impacts in their operations and value chains. This also impacts small and medium enterprises in their networks, driving momentum for sustainable, responsible corporate behavior and stronger protection of human rights and the environment.
14 July – 25 July 2025: Lecture weeks on-site at Aalto University campus
- Daily lectures Monday-Friday between 13-16
- Group work and individual tasks
- The course includes one company visit (more information to be provided later)
- Optional social program in the evenings
| WEEK 1 | Monday 14 July | Tuesday 15 July | Wednesday 16 July | Thursday 17 July | Friday 18 July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning (9-12) | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work |
| Afternoon (13-16) |
Course session |
Course session |
Course session |
Course session |
Course session |
| WEEK 2 | Monday 20 July | Tuesday 21 July | Wednesday 22 July | Thursday 23 July | Friday 24 July |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Morning (9-12) | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work | Individual or group work |
| Afternoon (13-16) |
Course session |
Course session |
Course session |
Course session |
Course session and wrap-up |
After completing the course on responsible business conduct, you will be able to:
- Identify the main concepts of responsible business conduct and describe what it means to conduct business in a sustainable and responsible way.
- Describe the process of corporate sustainability due diligence, identify and assess main human rights and environmental impacts in business operations and supply chains.
- Assess the progress of companies in implementing corporate sustainability due diligence.
- Demonstrate skills to design responsible and sustainable business solutions in response to global challenges and disruptions.
Course workload
Pre-assignment exercise 2h
Contact sessions (lectures, workshops) 27h
Individual or group assignments 22h
Company visit 3h
Total 54h (2 ECTS)
The course is graded as pass/fail.
This course does not require previous experience in the topic.
Participants must have completed a high school or vocational degree or equivalent by the time the course starts. However, they do not have to be a degree student at a university to participate in our courses.
Additionally, all summer school course students must be 18 years or older, as it is the legal age in Finland.
Please include a motivation letter or video in your application. In your motivation letter or video, describe your motivation for taking this course. The recommended length for the motivation letter is 150-250 words and 1-2 minutes for the video.
Tuition fees for Summer School courses
One course: 1170€ (incl. VAT 25,5%)
- The course fee includes academic course sessions and assignments, an official digital Aalto University certificate and support from the Summer School team. The fee does not cover accommodation, daily meals, or transportation during the course
- Unfortunately, Aalto University Summer School does not offer scholarships for participants.
Social program fee
If you need a visa, we recommend applying by April 15th 2025.
- This is to ensure that we have enough time to process your application and that you have time to make the tuition fee payment, book a visa appointment and wait for the application to be processed.
- You can apply and be accepted to the courses after April 15th. In that case, we recommend that you pay at your earliest convenience so that we can deliver your invitation letter to you promptly.
- According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, the processing time for a visa application is 15 days. However, the processing time may be longer if a more detailed application examination is required.
Learn about the Aalto University Summer School cancellation terms. You will receive the full terms before making the payment and confirming the course participation.
Teacher Information
Dr. Daria Nagaivska is an Academy Research Fellow and a Post-doctoral researcher at the unit of Organizational Communication at Aalto University School of Business.
Daria coordinates research and provides consultancy services to UN agencies, investors and private companies on responsible business conduct and women's economic empowerment, including a conflict-affected context. In her work, Daria uses an interdisciplinary and multicultural approach based on her professional experience of working in academia and intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations in Finland, Ukraine, France, Germany, Poland and Switzerland.
In 2024, Daria partnered with UNDP Ukraine to survey companies on aligning with the EU Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive. In 2023, she developed an educational series on “Business and Human Rights” and “Human Rights Due Diligence in Wartime” with support from UNDP and the Government of Japan. From 2022 to 2024, she worked with UN Women on private-sector partnerships and women’s economic empowerment.
Daria graduated with honours from Lyon II University (France) and defended her PhD thesis on the social responsibility of business in 2018.
Summer School Team
Information for Summer School Applicants
Get to know the application guidelines and tuition fees.
Aalto University Summer School
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Travel arrangements for Summer and Winter School students
Learn about the guidelines for visa application and budgeting for your stay during the summer course.
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