Sustainability Education: Preparing Future Leaders for a Better World

Call for Papers – Sustainability Education: Preparing Future Leaders for a Better World

Journal: Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal (SAMPJ)
Publisher: Emerald Publishing
Submission window: 1–31 October 2026

This special issue focuses on sustainability education in management and accounting, exploring how higher education can prepare future leaders, managers, and accountants to embed environmental, social, and governance (ESG) thinking into business strategy and practice. It invites theoretical, empirical, and methodological contributions on how sustainability education shapes dynamic capabilities, teaching innovation, digital tools, and leadership mindsets aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Why this issue matters

• Sustainability is now central to corporate strategy, reporting, and governance, yet sustainability content remains limited in accounting and core management curricula.

• Business schools and accounting programmes are responding by embedding sustainability into undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive education, linked to frameworks such as PRME and SDG‑aligned teaching.

• This SI aims to build evidence on what works in sustainability education: pedagogies, digital tools, faculty structures, and assessment methods that foster responsible, entrepreneurial, and agile leaders.

Core themes and research questions

The special issue welcomes work addressing, but not limited to:

• Sustainability education and dynamic capabilities

  • How sustainability‑oriented curricula build organisational and individual capabilities for adapting, innovating, and competing in a sustainability‑driven world.

• Digital technologies and sustainability education

  • Role of big data, AI, and blockchain in teaching ESG reporting, sustainable finance, and impact measurement.

  • Use of adaptive learning, personalised feedback, and interactive AI tools to enhance engagement and learning outcomes in sustainability courses.

• Curriculum design and learning levels

  • How sustainability should be structured across undergraduate, postgraduate, and executive programmes to maximise impact.

  • Linking sustainability education with lifelong learning, professional re‑skilling, and industry‑specific needs.

• Pedagogy, personalisation, and student engagement

  • Effective teaching methods (e.g., case‑based, project‑based, simulation, experiential learning) for sustainability topics.

  • Personalised learning pathways using adaptive technologies to match students’ backgrounds, career goals, and digital literacy.

• Faculty composition and institutional drivers

  • How interdisciplinary faculty teams (management, accounting, environmental science, social sciences) shape sustainability‑curriculum quality.

  • Influence of accreditation standards, regulatory frameworks, and institutional strategies on sustainability‑education adoption.

• Sustainability, SDGs, and societal impact

  • How sustainability education aligns with specific SDGs and translates into real‑world organisational and societal outcomes.

  • Measuring the long‑term impact of sustainability‑oriented teaching on managerial decision‑making and corporate strategies.

• Entrepreneurship and sustainable business models

  • How sustainability education fosters entrepreneurial mindsets and sustainable business‑model innovation, including links to blockchain and digital platforms.

Guest editors

• Prof. Valentina Beretta, University of Pavia, Italy

• Prof. Davide Calandra, University of Turin, Italy

• Prof. Charles H. Cho, Schulich School of Business, York University, Canada

• Prof. Chiara Demartini, University of Pavia, Italy

• Prof. Paolo Biancone, University of Turin, Italy

Special Issue workshop

A workshop linked to the SI will be held on 27 February 2026 at the University of Turin (School of Management and Economics).

• Abstract deadline: 31 December 2025 (max 500 words; acceptance notification by 12 January 2026).

• Updated abstract or full paper deadline: 15 February 2026 (submitted via email to the lead guest editors).

• Workshop participation is not a prerequisite for submission and does not guarantee acceptance.

Submission details

• Submission platform: ScholarOne Manuscripts for Sustainability Accounting, Management and Policy Journal:
  https://mc.manuscriptcentral.com/sampj

• When submitting, select the special issue title “Sustainability Education: Preparing Future Leaders for a Better World” in the dropdown “Please select the issue you are submitting to”.

• Key deadlines:

  • Submission opens: 1 October 2026

  • Submission closes: 31 October 2026

• Submissions must be original, unpublished, and not under review elsewhere, and should follow the journal’s Author Guidelines:
  https://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/journal/sampj

Papers should clearly connect sustainability education with management and accounting research, and provide actionable insights for educators, curriculum designers, and policy makers.

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