Grant Provides Opportunity to Create Climate Leaders, Build on International Collaboration

Dominican University’s Brennan School of Business is the recipient of a grant that offers a unique opportunity for students to develop leadership abilities in tackling the challenges of environmental sustainability.

The $25,000 grant is made possible through the U.S. Department of State, Partners of the Americas' 100K Strong competition, which aims to “empower institutions in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico to create impactful student and faculty exchange programs focused on climate action, clean energy and social inclusion,” according to Partners of the Americas.

The grant is entitled “Developing Climate Leaders through Collaborative Team-based Learning,” and was developed by Dr. Anjali Chaudhry, professor of management. It will incorporate collaborative online international learning opportunities between students from Dominican, St. Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and Anáhuac University in Mexico City, Mexico.

In the newly designed management course Developing Next-Generational Leadership Mindset, which will launch in the spring, students from the three schools will learn how specific Chicago-based companies take action to combat climate change through sustainable practices. Over five weeks, students will connect directly with these businesses, as well as with each other, while developing a climate leadership mindset, Chaudhry said.

The students from Canada and Mexico will then visit Chicago for an intense in-person, one-week experience where they will work with DU students, tour partnering organizations and visit local companies that have implemented sustainable initiatives.

“Students need to know what is happening in other parts of the world and what people are doing regarding climate change,” Chaudhry explained. “We need them to come up with local solutions, but also have a global perspective.”

A key objective of the course is to provide students with the confidence and skills necessary to be leaders in combating climate change, she said.

“This is really about developing their leadership mindset,” Chaudhry said. “It’s not just about teaching them to be a successful professional, but how they can they be successful in taking leadership roles.”

Chaudhry has established collaborative online international learning (COIL) opportunities for her students over the past several years, partnering with nine institutions across the world.

A study conducted by Chaudhry and her colleagues found that students involved in COIL have a greater learning experience compared to students in a non-COIL format.

Chaudhry was present when Partners of the Americas announced the recipients of the 100K Strong competition grant on Sept. 26 in Ottawa, Canada. The event was attended by officials from the U.S. Department of State, as well as David L. Cohen, U.S. ambassador to Canada, and Carlos Manuel Joaquin Gonzalez, Mexico's ambassador to Canada.