IEMI at U. Penn

Last year the University of Pennsylvania decided to start a “Global Initiative” to support faculty programs that enhance international and interdisciplinary teaching, engagement, and research. The Provost’s Office received more than 60 proposals under the initiative, and decided to fund two – and the highest ranking proposal sought to establish an International Environmental Management Institute (IEMI) at the University.

I was part of that proposal team, and we held an initial agenda-setting meeting in mid-March, 2007, with about thirty senior environmental officials from companies such as General Electric, General Motors, Starbucks, Exelon, International Paper, DuPont, BASF, Rohm & Haas, as well as the U.N.’s Global Compact, in attendance. There will be follow-up sessions over the coming months, in order to ascertain IEMI’s feasibility and appropriate role, as well as establishing the required financial foundation for on-going efforts.