Assignatures

The economy is the immediate context in which companies operate. In capitalism, such context is defined by markets and other institutions that shape companies’ decision-making related to products, business models, and strategy, for instance. This course analyzes this economic context as a place of competition and cooperation, and dives into how market strengths and market failures enhance or hinder companies’ drive for a positive social impact.

The world is on a hesitant but inevitable path towards sustainability, but there are different ways to understand what this notion means and how to achieve it. Through a critical thinking process that spans from philosophical to business considerations, this course takes students on reflective path to understand and assess different approaches to sustainability as well as to discuss the type of purpose-driven organization coherent with this notion.

As social beings in search of freedom and belonging, individuals insert themselves in groups governed by formal and informal rules that make such coexistence possible. From both a sociological and political science viewpoint, this course explores the tensions and tradeoffs inherent to the relationship between individuals and society, referred to groups and organizations as well as to humanity’s most sophisticated coexistence mechanism: democracy.

According to the literature on leadership, great leaders know who they are and they make values-based decisions. This is a humanities course that taps into a wide array of knowledge (sociology, history, psychology, economics, etc.) as a means to reflect on larger themes of human significance. Thanks to this process, and to the ensuing dialogue, students are sent on a path towards self-knowledge: they learn about their values, dilemmas and sensibility.  

This course is an introduction to financial accounting reality of a company. The course covers foundational accounting concepts as well as an introduction to financial statements (balance sheet, cash flow and income statement) and their interpretation to allow for sound and sustainable financial decision-making.

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Once the foundations of micro and macroeconomic analysis have been established, the economic analysis is enriched with perspectives from other disciplines, most notably psychology and sociology. Such multidisciplinary analysis that integrates different assumptions for human motivation and behavior allows for a more comprehensive and realistic account of the context in which business operates.

Thinking critically and systemically are essential skills in a world dominated by complexity and abundance of information. A most fertile and useful way to cultivate these abilities is to apply them to the analysis of today’s dominant economic system. As we learn about the logic of capitalism, we learn how to see both the parts and the whole, the agents and their interactions, the strengths and shortcomings, and the ways to rethink the system.

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This course will introduce you to the fundamental principles of algorithmic thinking and computer programming. Students will learn how thinking like a computer scientist can improve our everyday lives and how concepts from computer science can be applied to solve real-world problems related to economic, social or environmental issues. They will learn how to approach such problems systematically. To implement these techniques in practice, students will be introduced to Python, a programming language that is highly established in the industry.

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Statistics and mathematics are essential tools for decision-making in environments where the amount of data and/or level of uncertainty do not allow the information contained to be extracted directly. This course provides some of the theoretical and practical foundations needed for decision-making in the face of uncertainty. This course introduces students to intuition for analyzing, interpreting, and presenting empirical data, to the basics of probability and to making predictions using inferential statistics.

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This course offers a space for slow, respectful and insightful reflection, conversation, and understanding of one another. It provides the tools and to ponder about the complexities of what makes us human. If we stick to prejudices and ideas that do not allow us to have a complex understanding of the world around us, the result is that we do not make the best decisions. Using the Socratic Dialogue methodology we will discuss some of the most important issues that appeal to us all.

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The great themes of human significance stand as threats of continuity in history. The context may be different, but the distribution of power, the search for wellbeing, and the tension between community and individuality, to name just a few, remain ongoing challenges today as they were in the past. Through the analysis of relevant historical episodes, this course seeks lessons and perspective to improve and inform our present and future ways of thinking.

This course provides the basic framework and conceptual tools to plan and execute in a sustainable manner the essential business function of operations. Students will be equipped with the essential knowhow to design processes that transform resources into products and services of social, economic and environmental value. Analytical and problem-solving skills will be applied to conceive production processes that are optimal for society.

This course equips students with the basics of marketing. It will teach them how an organization can create a brand with purpose and what the role of marketing can be in bringing economic but also social value to customers and to society at large. Students will learn how to "do" marketing by learning from various guest speakers and making decisions using a simulator. As they reflect on marketing dilemmas, critical thinking and teamwork will be required.

This course introduces the key concepts and theories of today’s global geopolitics. To portray the structure and key drivers of contemporary world politics, the course draws on related fields like geography, history, philosophy, and others. The ongoing trends in terms of cooperation, competition and conflict  in key regions of the world will be analyzed along with the need -and the difficulty- for a sustainable global governance scheme that involves both States and Non-State actors).

Conceived as a continuation of the algorithmic thinking skills previously acquired, this course draws on statistical and computation techniques to analyze datasets and extract the corresponding business insights for social impact.

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The key financial levers that drive financial performance will be explained in this course, that trains students to understand the main concepts with which finance concerns itself to be both a source of funds and a sound management tool for social impact companies.

This course offers a multifaceted understanding of organizational dynamics and structures to guide organizations to sustained, meaningful impact. To be effective and impactful, technical skills in operations, finance and marketing require knowledge of how to implement them with the help of other people, often in multicultural settings. The concepts and models studied in this course have applications to a variety of organizations beyond just businesses.

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Drawing on the Socratic Dialogue methodology, the course will continue to explore relevant philosophical themes through critical thinking. By looking at what the most important thinkers have said about those topics, we will work on improving our ways of thinking, in order to better understand ourselves, refine our thought process, and appreciate the diversity of opinions that surround us. These exercises will help us improve our capacity to make decisions in complex environments, and thus become better managers and citizens.

Besides delving into the most recent theories and data of what human nature is, this course discusses the observed cultural layers (acquired mindsets and behaviors) that explain what it means to be human. Using tools from anthropology and ethnography, it analyzes critically the assumptions upon which human behavior is explained and often legitimized. The course provides an important piece of the basis to both understand the world and humanize business.

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There’s no better way to understand a business ecosystem than to live it, and this course does just that: it takes you to the center of a key social impact ecosystem like Berlin. Through a mix of lectures and practical challenges, the course provides the opportunity to learn how a different culture approaches life, business and sustainability. It will be a real-life, transformative experience from which students will obtain both business skills and self-knowledge. By the end of it, students will have the confidence to know that they can thrive in an initially foreign environment.

This course offers a critical perspective on the specificities and challenges of low-income, non-developed regions, especially in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The theories that explain the structural problems experienced by the Global South will be discussed in connection with their daily realities. The approach will be multidisciplinary (social, economic and historical perspectives will be combined) and will highlight on the interconnections between global, regional and local obstacles to development.

Engaging in business activities necessitates a fundamental grasp of and adherence to the regulations governing the market and the legal entities operating in it. Labor relations, contracts, and a diverse array of legal aspects must be considered as established by predefined and obligatory legal stipulations – collectively forming the legal framework of business. This course equips students with vital legal acumen to comprehend the regulatory underpinnings that underscore business activities.

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The humanities journey at Bitlasi continues in this course where students are exposed to art pieces from different artistic disciplines. The course aims to be both meaningful and useful. It’s meaningful because it allows students to further their sensibility and self-knowledge through art; and it’s useful because they can draw inspiration from the creative processes and outcomes of artists and thus continue to develop their own capacity for innovation.

Under the assumption that sustainability should be an integral part of strategy, this course offers students the theory and applications of how companies plan to manage resources in a way that helps them achieve their goals. They will learn to design high-level, cross-cutting plans that give organizations a sense of direction on how to compete and cooperate in the market sustainably and with the aim of achieving a positive social impact.

In this project-based course, students learn how digital fabrication tools can help address the Sustainable Development Goal (SDG). The practice and actual use of these will take place in parallel with academic content on the importance of distributed and sustainable production approaches. By the end of the course, students will feel part of maker culture and learn why open-source philosophy can help foster social innovation.

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This course relies on both science and sensibility to understand nature as a dynamic, intelligent system that seeks balance through a constant flow of energy and materials. By learning the basics of environmental science and awareness students will learn to appreciate the biophysical processes that underpin and embellish human life, a prerequisite for becoming change agents of sustainability.

In this course, students learn the factors that have a significant influence on individual and collective performance in work environments. Understanding the role of collaboration, compensation, motivation, purpose and trust, to name just a few, is crucial to help organizations outperform other market participants and create economic as well as social value.

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The knowledge acquired in previous courses on marketing, finance, operations and others are brought together coherently in this course, in which students conceive a social impact idea and lay out a plan to turn their purpose-driven idea into a sustainable business model.

To solve the environmental challenges that put pressure on planet Earth, nature must be factored into economic analysis and policy-making. The fundamentals for such an approach to economics are provided in this course. The analysis leads to discussing the incentives or regulations of markets and agents -including financial ones- that can become systemic solutions to today’s pressing environmental emergency.

There’s no better way to understand a business ecosystem than to live it, and this course does just that: it takes you to the center of a key ecosystem in Shanghai, where disruption and high-tech combine with a strong role played by culture. Through a mix of lectures and practical challenges, the course provides the opportunity to learn how an Asian hub approaches life, business and sustainability. It will be a real-life, transformative experience from which students will obtain both business skills and self-knowledge. By the end of it, students will have the confidence to know that they can thrive and network in a really unfamiliar environment.

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This course provides students with a deep understanding and insight into how intentional organizations measure and manage impact to enable positive social and/or environmental change. It discusses the main tools and frameworks in impact measurement as well as how impact metrics are created and applied. Key trends in impact management -such as how AI is shaping the field- will be analyzed.

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This course aims to prepare students to be (1) ethical and proficient users of AI-based tools to improve work performance, redesign their tasks, and generate insights on new opportunities for their organizations, and (2) managers who understand the transformative impacts of AI for employees, businesses, industry, and society and help their organizations implement AI at different levels of operation. Students will learn through both conceptual frameworks and detailed case studies the strategic opportunities of implementing AI in real-world organizations.

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Nonprofit organizations play a key role in the provision of many crucial goods and services that are often unlikely to be provided by markets, and cannot or will not be provided by the public sector. In order to serve a social mission effectively and ensure their survival, nonprofit organizations must make many of the decisions typically associated with private firms, which often come in conflict with the organizations’ social and environmental values.

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This course trains students to rethink the obtention and use of resources and embrace circularity in business. They will learn the implications of a circular transition in terms of business models, cultural practices, and governance, among other affected business areas. And they will also learn the larger social and economic complexities related to scaling the circular economy paradigm and a sustainable approach to resource management.

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As a decisive factor in organizations, culture requires an intention and a sustained effort. If driven by purpose as opposed to self-interest and profit maximization, the benefits in terms of motivation, relations, reputation and other key components of success are tangible. This course teaches the full process of creating such a culture, one where environmental and social concerns become the organization’s reason for being and acting.  

Technology management has its own specificities and dilemmas. The principles that make any given technology inclusive, leading to shared prosperity, are discussed in this course, that equips students with the awareness and the management skills necessary to balance efficiency and ethical considerations and to embed technology into the broader social impact mission of the organization.

This course provides students with a deep understanding and insight into how intentional organizations measure and manage impact to enable positive social and/or environmental change. It discusses the main tools and frameworks in impact measurement as well as how impact metrics are created and applied. Key trends in impact management -such as how AI is shaping the field- will be analyzed.

Successful organizations must consider the interests and influences of various groups beyond just shareholders, with a comprehensive approach to understand and manage these relationships to achieve sustainable, long-term goals. This course reviews tools and strategies aimed at turning such an inclusive and holistic approach into a means for positive social impact.

This course equips students with a comprehensive understanding of how ethical and social impact technologies are conceived, pursued,  found and turned into market-ready innovation, ready to be leveraged to solve real problems. The course provides both theoretical frameworks and practical toolkits to address complex technological challenges from multiple perspectives, including science-business bridge-building, social tech startups, impact venture capital, or sustainable innovation consultancy.

This course aims to help aspiring social entrepreneurs to develop business ideas by effectively and ethically using AI-powered tools. Students will learn conceptual frameworks for systematically understanding the implications of AI for work, business, and society. They will analyze strategic opportunities and challenges faced by impact start-ups leveraging AI-based business models through technical AI knowledge and detailed case studies.

This course equips students with a holistic understanding of sustainable supply chain management. Students will critically examine the core processes of supply chains, including sourcing, operations, logistics, and end-of-life management. Emphasis will be placed on aligning supply chain practices with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Ultimately, the course aims to empower students to move beyond the paradigm of “doing less harm” and toward regenerative approaches.

If the world is to steer itself towards stakeholderism and sustainability, organizations must rethink the traditional way of governing themselves. Acknowledging that leadership matters, this course discusses ways of making social impact more structurally ingrained in organizations through improvements in their governance and decision-making processes. How can the governance architecture of an organization best reflect the values of sustainability? That is the question discussed in this course.