AØKK08541U Seminar: Corporate Sustainability(F)

Volume 2026/2027
Education

MSc programme in Economics

The course is a part of the financial line, signified by (F)

The seminar is primarily for students at the MSc of Economics.

Content

This course provides students with an advanced understanding of how corporate structures and governance interact with sustainability dimensions. It examines the role of organizational design, ownership, and governance in shaping environmental and social outcomes. Students will study how corporate characteristics influence issues such as climate impact, gender wage disparities, and employee mental health, as well as how these factors are reflected in reporting and performance metrics.

The course combines theoretical frameworks with empirical research and case-based analysis to explore:
- The purpose of firms in a sustainability context
- ESG integration in corporate strategy and governance
- Regulation and reporting standards (EU Taxonomy, CSRD, TCFD)
- Ownership structures and their impact on sustainability outcomes
- Measuring sustainability performance: metrics and disclosure
- Social dimensions: gender wage gap, diversity, and inclusion
- Employee well-being and mental health in organizational settings
- Environmental strategies: energy use, CO₂ reduction, and waste management
- Emerging trends and innovations in corporate sustainability.

Learning Outcome

After completing the seminar the student is expected to be able to fulfill the learning outcome specified in the  Master curriculum and to be able to:

 

Knowledge:

  • Explain and apply key theories and concepts in corporate sustainability and ESG.

  • Identify and evaluate regulations and standards relevant to corporate sustainability.

Skills:

  • Analyze how organizational structures and governance influence sustainability outcomes.
  • Apply methods and metrics to study ESG performance and social impact.

Competences:

  • Critically examine corporate patterns related to gender wage gaps and employee mental health.
  • Evaluate environmental strategies in relation to organizational characteristics.
  • Discuss future trends and innovations in corporate sustainability.

To be announced

Basic knowledge of corporate governance and sustainability concepts as done in Erhvervsøkonomi 1 årsprøve polit.
Students receive individual guidance from the instructor.
Students prepare a draft assignment, which they present to the teacher and the other students. The students take turns acting as opponents during each other’s presentations. The feedback should especially focus on the written presentation in the draft assignment, with particular emphasis on the introduction.
Exact dates will be available in the seminar’s course room no later than 14 days before the start of the semester

• Kick-off meeting: Week 6 / 36. See exact date in Absalon.

• Additional meetings/introductory teaching/guidance: Optional. See Absalon.

• Deadline for submission of commitment paper/project description:
No later than February 28 / September 30.

• Deadline for uploading seminar paper draft in Absalon: No later than one week before the presentations. See exact date in Absalon.

• Presentations: In the period November 20 – December 11 for the autumn semester and May 1 – 23 for the spring semester.
See exact dates in Absalon.

• Common submission date for all seminars: December 20 at 10:00 for the autumn semester and June 1 at 10:00 for the spring semester.
  • Category
  • Hours
  • Project work
  • 186
  • Seminar
  • 20
  • Total
  • 206
Oral
Individual
Peer feedback (Students give each other feedback)
Credit
7,5 ECTS
Type of assessment
Home assignment
Type of assessment details
Individual or in groups of up to 3.
A seminar paper of 15 standard pages for one person, 22.5 standard pages for 2 and 30 standard pages for 3 students.
See further exam information in the Masters Programme Curriculum.
Examination prerequisites

Attendance in all seminar activities as stated in the Master curriculum.

Reexam: Hand in and have approved a synopsis.

Aid
All aids allowed

Use of AI tools is permitted. You must explain how you have used the tools. When text is solely or mainly generated by an AI tool, the tool used must be quoted as a source.

Marking scale
7-point grading scale
Censorship form
External censorship
Exam period

The seminar paper must be uploaded in Digital Exam.

Common submission date for all seminars: December 20 at 10:00 for the autumn semester and June 1 at 10:00 for the spring semester.

For enrolled students more information about examination, rules, aids etc. is available at the intranet for  Master (UK) and  Master (DK ).

Re-exam

Individual seminar paper of 15 standard pages. See further exam information in the Masters Programme Curriculum.

Deadline and more information is available at  MSc in Economics - KUnet

More information about reexam etc. is available at  Master(UK) and  Master(DK).

Criteria for exam assesment

Students are assessed on the extent to which they master the learning outcome for the seminar and can make use of the knowledge, skills and competencies listed in the learning outcomes in the  Curriculum of the Master programme.