SVKM’s NMIMS signs an agreement with Societe Generale to foster research on Sustainable Development Goals and Impact-based financing models

The partnership will support scholars to pursue research in the area through

 PhD Research sponsorship program

Mumbai, 6^th August 2021: SVKM’s NMIMS, one of India’s leading education institutions with a 40-year legacy of academic excellence, has signed an agreement with Societe Generale, a leading European banking and financial services company, to jointly conduct research in the area of impact-based finance solutions. As a part of PhD Research Sponsorship program, scholars from NMIMS’ School of Business Management (SBM) will receive support from Societe Generale to research on developing blended finance as a tool to support various social enterprises. Societe Generale will bring its expertise in delivering sustainable solutions.

The objectives of this industry-academia collaboration will be to study the value chains providing access to healthcare, water, energy, and professional training.

After a rigorous selection process, Swati Sisodia from SBM, NMIMS has been selected as the first PhD scholar to work on the research project with Societe Generale. The project will focus on long-term revenue-generating solutions to help the country achieve the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Speaking on the collaboration, Dr Ramesh Bhat, Vice Chancellor, SVKM’s NMIMS, said, “The ongoing pandemic has reiterated the viability and importance of environmental, social and governance (ESG) agenda for corporates. By including projects in corporate social responsibility and sustainable development in our course curriculum since inception, NMIMS is ensuring focus on sustainability and social responsibility. Through the partnership with Societe Generale, we have taken a step to further strengthen our PhD program and offer our scholars an opportunity to make a distinctive contribution to society. We will continue to meet society’s toughest challenges, strengthening links between industry and academics, and using our research strength to make a difference.”

Toby Lawson, Chief Executive and Chief Country Officer, Societe Generale India further added, “We are honoured to be associated with one of the top-ranked academic institutions to design impact-based financial solutions as the economy recovers from the ongoing pandemic. Together we will explore how blended finance can help support various social enterprises and thus be used to make a bigger positive impact. Societe Generale is recognised for its ability to deliver sustainable solutions to its clients, whether corporates or financial institutions, and we’re delighted to partner with NMIMS, a leading university, to build together the solutions of tomorrow.”

For over a decade, NMIMS School of Business Management (SBM) has been offering an internationally recognised doctoral program with specialisation in the areas such as finance, strategy, economics, general business environment and marketing. Through partnerships with industry leaders such as Societe Generale, the scope of research is being expanded to include ESG, sustainable finance and climate change to raise sensitised managers who can run sustainable organisations of the future.

About SVKM’s NMIMS University

Established in 1981, NMIMS is today recognized as a globally reputed university with strong industry linkages. It offers multiple disciplines across 8 campuses that consist of 17 specialized schools, more than 17000 students, and about 750 full-time faculty members, 10 faculty members with Fulbright Scholarship and Humboldt International Scholarship for post-doctoral researchers. It is known for its consistent academic quality and research-focused approach towards holistic education. SVKM’s NMIMS has been granted Category-I Deemed University status by Graded Autonomy Regulation 2018 by MHRD/UGC and NMIMS Mumbai Campus is NAAC accredited with a CGPA of 3.59.

School of Business Management is one of India’s leading business schools with a legacy of world-renowned faculty and excellent placement program. NMIMS which began as a business school 40 years ago, is known for its trailblazing curriculum. The school has consistently ranked among the top 10 B-Schools in the country since 1998, in various such published surveys. 

Website: https://nmims.edu/ 

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About Societe Generale

Societe Generale is one of the leading European financial services groups. Based on a diversified and integrated banking model, the Group combines financial strength and proven expertise in innovation with a strategy of sustainable growth. Committed to the positive transformations of the world’s societies and economies, Societe Generale and its teams seek to build, day after day, together with its clients, a better and sustainable future through responsible and innovative financial solutions.

Active in the real economy for over 150 years, with a solid position in Europe and connected to the rest of the world, Societe Generale has over 133,000 members of staff in 61 countries and supports on a daily basis 30 million individual clients, businesses and institutional investors around the world by offering a wide range of advisory services and tailored financial solutions. The Group is built on three complementary core businesses:

·         French Retail Banking which encompasses the Societe Generale, Crédit du Nord and Boursorama brands. Each offers a full range of financial services with omnichannel products at the cutting edge of digital innovation;

·         International Retail Banking, Insurance and Financial Services to Corporates, with networks in Africa, Russia, Central and Eastern Europe and specialised businesses that are leaders in their markets; 

·         Global Banking and Investor Solutions, which offers recognised expertise, key international locations and integrated solutions.

Societe Generale is included in the principal socially responsible investment indices: DJSI (World and Europe), FTSE4Good (Global and Europe), Euronext Vigeo (World, Europe and Eurozone), four of the STOXX ESG Leaders indices, and the MSCI Low Carbon Leaders Index.