Fall 2023
Business and Labor Rights in Global Supply Chains, Haas School of Business
UGBA 192T - Special Topics in Corporate Social Responsibility (Thursdays, 2-4 PM)
Listen to a podcast about the class
Business and Human Rights Masters Course
Taking place over four weekends between September and December, this annual Masters-level course explores the links between human rights violations and corporate activity, and the importance of international standards in strengthening respect and protection of human rights. Focus will be on what corporate human rights due diligence means in practice for businesses.
The course is hosted by the Department of Comparative Politics, University of Bergen, the Rafto Foundation for Human Rights, and the Institute for Human Rights and Business.
University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership, Postgraduate programs
CISL is a globally influential institute developing leadership and solutions for a sustainable economy. They work with business, government and finance to achieve net zero, protect and restore nature, and build inclusive and resilient societies. For over three decades CISL has been at the forefront of sustainability education, delivering programmes for executives and mid-career professionals looking to embed sustainability into their careers and their organisations. They have a deep understanding of the changing global context and access to a wealth of world-leading research into sustainable business.
More than just sustainability training, CISL’s education courses draw upon leading academics, practitioners and innovators to help inform business strategy and drive transformational change. Participants leave with the knowledge and skills to shape strategic interventions that will deliver impact and long-term value for their organisations.
WHAT STUDENTS ARE SAYING…
“UGBA 192T was one of the most interesting Haas electives I have taken so far - what I enjoyed the most about the class besides the amazing guest speakers was the degree of freedom we were given in regards to choosing a topic for our midterm paper and final presentation, which allowed me to learn about and work on something I am truly interested in. - student UGBA 192T, 2023
Professor Saxena did a fantastic job bringing in some amazing speakers and guest lecturers into the course. They came from industry and offered great perspectives on how to link the theory we learned in class to the business world. -student EWMBA 292T, 2022
Professor Saxena created a classroom environment that encouraged students to participate and remain engaged. She made it clear that the emphasis of the course was on learning and engagement rather than arbitrary assignments.- student UGBA 192T, 2022
I wanted to thank you for being a wonderful teacher. Your class was very interesting, and I appreciate how much effort you put into finding engaging guest speakers and making the class interactive. You were always very understanding and kind, and made me feel very comfortable in your class.- student UGBA 192T, 2021
Just wanted to take this opportunity to thank you for teaching a wonderful course. I found your teaching style and class content to be highly engaging and I really enjoyed the case discussions...I will be sure to advocate this course to as many students as possible – there is tremendous value in having this course be part of the core MBA curriculum!- student EWMBA 292T, 2021
I want to thank you for an amazing and insightful 8 weeks of class. This was one of my favorite classes throughout my time at Cal, because it really opened my eyes to issues that I didn’t even know existed. I think in business, we always hear these buzzwords, of how companies have their CSR and sustainability initiative going on. This class really helped me put this into context, and encouraged me to think outside the box to really seek out solutions! Thank you for creating this class and making it so much fun! As students, we tend to only focus on our struggles during the pandemic. But I think professors like you also deserve credit for making the most out of what we have, despite our circumstances! Thank you again, Professor Saxena! It was a pleasure to have taken your class.- student UGBA 192T, 2020
I wanted to make sure I thanked you for such an educational and eye opening semester. I truly loved your class and thought the material helped me engage with the world and see labor issues through a new lens. I worked hard to excel in your class especially given the unprecedented shift that has been this entire semester. Throughout the semester we had the chance to discuss policy, economics, and human rights. I found your perspective enlightening and interesting…-student UGBA 192T, 2020
Thank you for facilitating this insightful and thought-provoking course during these strange and unsettling times. It was such a great experience to gain new insights and knowledge about human labor rights in global supply chains throughout the past 8 weeks.- student UGBA 192T, 2020
This reading, along with many others, has totally changed the way I think about global supply chains. Coming into the class, I had this preconceived notion that ANY work is good work, especially for garment workers in developing countries who’d appreciate any source of income...this class has helped me realize that, although these are horrible violations of human rights, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. It’s up to us to 1) acknowledge that these issues persist, and 2) think outside the box for solutions to this.- student UGBA 192T, 2020”