The CEMS Alliance partners with the Estoril Conferences initiative worldwide to engage with the purpose generation

NOVA SBE, the CEMS member school in Portugal hosted the 7th edition of the Estoril Conferences- a global conference designed to give the change makers of tomorrow a platform to speak, to initiate an intergenerational dialogue and to open a window to a future of hope. The CEMS community actively participated to the events: four CEMS member schools hosted parallel sessions around the world, CEMS Master's students moderated a good number of panel sessions and CEMS member school Deans from University of Cape Town Graduate School of Business, Stockholm School of Economics and Universidad de Los Andes, united in a panel discussion about The Future of Business Schools. The conference had an audience of 2000 in person participants + 2000 online on both days of the event and was picked up by +180 news medias.
Highlights of Estoril Conference

Respecting the motto “Rebalancing Our World: A Call to The Purpose Generation”, the two-day program on September 1 and 2, brought together +100 global thinkers, innovators, activists, and agitators with the intention to transform knowledge into action. The CEMS Global Alliance contributed as a strategic partner in this brilliant mission and engaged CEMS member schools worldwide who organized parallel joint-events in their respective campuses. To stress on the urgent need to act on global challenges, Universidad de Los Andes (Colombia) organized a week- long training session covering the Estoril Conferences' program, London School of Economics (United Kingdom), Ivey Business School (Canada) and Aalto University (Finland) dedicated a day and panel sessions on “Purpose & Economy” and “Climate & Action”. Additionally, other schools collaborated to reverberate the message and expand engagement within their local and global communities. These include: SGH Warsaw School of Economics (Poland), Rotterdam School of Management (Netherlands), and Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden).

In the light of the pressing world issues, Estoril Conferences and the CEMS Alliance invited the CEMS Student community to participate in a video engagement competition. The winning team showcased their video, titled “where is reality” on the mainstage in NOVA SBE campus among the global attendees of the Estoril Conferences. Chiming into the discussion for planet, for people and for peace CEMS students took on the roles of moderators to guide important conversations including a Q&A session conducted by Adriana Pomante and Carlo Alberto Frassinetto, with Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament.

“We are looking forward to extending our network through a collaboration with Estoril Conferences to promote an open and impactful dialogue on global challenges and to engage with the changemakers of tomorrow”, highlighted by Greg Whitwell, CEMS Chair and Dean of the University of Sydney Business School.

The CEMS Alliance was wholly engaged throughout this event. Leading a global, multi-university CEMS Business Project called #SpeedUpSustainability, CEMS Corporate Partner McKinsey & Company, involved CEMS students at the conference in their initiative to identify levers to push sustainability commitments in small and medium-sized enterprises. Inspirational representatives from Corporate Partners EDP & Santander also contributed to the dialogue addressing the journey to “net-zero”. Finally, the CEMS Strategic Board and Student Board held their annual meetings at Nova SBE, in connection with the Estoril Conferences.

The Estoril Conferences invited countries, generations, and different backgrounds to work together and to rebalance our world through deep and inclusive dialogue paired with action. The CEMS Alliance is proud to have been a strategic partner in this mission to strengthen intergenerational dialogue, call the purpose generation to action and to commit to a future of hope.

NOVA Deans & Students pictures