UNITAR-IBU Partnership to Equip Future Business Leaders with SDG Expertise

GENEVA and TORONTO, Dec. 4, 2025 /CNW/ - The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and International Business University (IBU) announce a strategic partnership designed to develop socially conscious, globally competent leaders. This landmark collaboration will embed UNITAR's expert training and sustainability frameworks directly into IBU's academic programs, empowering a new generation of professionals to drive sustainable prosperity.

Through this partnership, UNITAR and IBU will jointly develop training programs, capacity-building workshops and conferences, on key sectors such as adult education, green finance, sustainability, and economic development. The collaboration will also explore opportunities to bridge the digital divide, particularly in underserved communities, aligning with UNITAR's mission to enhance global knowledge and skills for a more sustainable future.

IBU will leverage its Centre for Sustainable Business as the academic and innovation hub for all UNITAR-aligned training, applied projects, and the annual sustainability conference. The Centre will coordinate curriculum integration, faculty engagement, and industry collaboration, ensuring that students apply United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to real-world business challenges. This partnership aligns with the SDGs, particularly in promoting quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), and reducing inequalities (SDG 10). The collaboration aims to drive sustainable economic prosperity across diverse regions by leveraging technology and innovation. The IBU Centre for Sustainable Business will serve as the academic host of the joint sustainability conference, curating SDG-aligned themes, convening international experts, and showcasing student capstone and consulting projects that emerge from the IBU–UNITAR partnership. 

Ms. Mihoko Kumamoto, Director of the Division for Prosperity at UNITAR, emphasized, "This partnership with International Business University represents a powerful convergence of academia and multilateral action. IBU brings academic rigour and a forward-thinking curriculum, and by combining this with UNITAR's global training and adult learning expertise, we stand to scale our collective impact by leaving no one behind. Together, we will empower a new generation of business leaders to drive meaningful change and implement sustainable practices that benefit both industry and society at large."

She added, "Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is a shared responsibility, and the business community is an indispensable partner in this global effort. Our core mission at UNITAR is to develop capacities and equip leaders with the knowledge to tackle the world's most pressing challenges. Empowering businesses to integrate sustainability into their core strategies is therefore not just an objective, but a necessity for building a resilient and equitable future."

Dr. Asima Vezina, President and Vice-Chancellor of International Business University, said, "Sustainability is one of the three core pillars of IBU and is prioritized as part of our commitments to ensure graduates from our business university have the knowledge and skills required to support industry with the integration of sustainable practices and SDG's.  As such, the Centre for Sustainable Business was created to provide our students and future leaders with the interdisciplinary knowledge and practical skills and tools they need to lead the necessary transformation underway globally toward a more sustainable economy."

She added, "Partnering with UNITAR provides a wonderful collaborative opportunity to scale that mission globally by leveraging the expertise of both partners.  In this way we can ensure increased access to environmentally and socially responsible business practices, education and training leaving a positive impact today and in the future."

The MoU underscores both organizations' dedication to empowering a global workforce and ensuring that progress and innovation contribute to sustainable development and the well-being of all communities worldwide.

About UNITAR

The United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) is a dedicated training arm of the United Nations. In 2024, UNITAR trained over 550,000 learners around the world to support their actions for a better future. UNITAR has a global presence, with offices in Geneva, Hiroshima, New York and Bonn and networks around the world. Find out more at https://www.unitar.org/ 

About IBU

International Business University (IBU) is Ontario's first independent, not-for-profit business university, with sustainability embedded in its core curriculum and institutional strategy. With an industry-focused curriculum co-designed with global business leaders, IBU equips students with industry-responsive business knowledge, technological know-how, and leadership skills to succeed in international markets and address modern business challenges. IBU's Centre for Sustainable Business fosters research, teaching, and industry partnerships on green finance, ESG, social entrepreneurship, technological innovation for sustainability, and the implementation of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, serving as the primary platform through which students, faculty, and partners co-create solutions to global sustainability challenges. Find out more at  https://ibu.ca. 

SOURCE International Business University