Exploring sustainability <\/h3>\n\n\n
In Brazil, eight Poole graduate students explored sustainability challenges shared by businesses around the world. Visiting various companies, including Yuool<\/a>, Nude<\/a>, Nativa<\/a> and Natura<\/a>, students had the opportunity to learn how Brazilian organizations are tackling global sustainability problems with innovative solutions. <\/p>\n\n\n \u201cSeeing the different ways these companies practice the sustainability principles of people, profit and planet \u2013 and hearing about their passion for being a force for good \u2013 was definitely one of the highlights,\u201d says Rachel Thiel, a Jenkins MBA student who participated in the program. Emerging markets don\u2019t have robust systems or infrastructure in place, so when businesses are successful there and make a difference in areas like sustainability, we ought to pay attention.<\/p><\/div><\/blockquote>\n\n\n \u201cTheir context also pushes them to think differently. They\u2019re innovating in ways businesses in more developed markets haven\u2019t thought of \u2013 and they\u2019re more willing to embrace change. For business leaders of the future like myself who want to challenge the status quo and navigate a rapidly-changing world, there\u2019s so much to learn from them,\u201d she continues.
\u201cBrazil provides a unique vantage point from which to explore these challenges. It\u2019s the largest country in Latin America and the fifth-largest in the world \u2013 and with more than 208 million people, it\u2019s also the fifth most populous,\u201d explains Jessica Yinka Thomas<\/a>, director of the Business Sustainability Collaborative and faculty lead for the program.
\u201cBecause of over a century of mass immigration, it is recognized as one of the most ethnically diverse and multicultural nations in the world. It also has diverse environmental resources, from biospheres like the Amazon to substantial offshore oil reserves. That gives it a complex historical, cultural, political and business context and makes it a rich case study for our course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mba.ncsu.edu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2023\/08\/65274614-70ab-4ab5-93ce-aa60eb68fcf4.jpg\")
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Recognizing the challenges these businesses face within emerging markets, Thiel explains, makes their accomplishments all the more impressive \u2013 which is why she believes studying abroad in locations like Brazil is so valuable.
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\u201cEmerging markets don\u2019t have robust systems or infrastructure in place, so when businesses are successful there and make a difference in areas like sustainability, we ought to pay attention. It means they\u2019re extraordinarily innovative and agile,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n\n\n
Thiel also encourages students to explore additional resources and opportunities to learn about sustainability, such as getting involved in local initiatives or inquiring about the Jenkins MBA program\u2019s upcoming certificate program in sustainability. <\/p>\n\n\n