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Daria Nagaivska is a Postdoctoral researcher at Aalto University School of Business and a consultant for UN agencies. This summer she is teaching the Responsible Business Conduct course at Aalto University Summer School. Her research focuses on responsible business conduct and women's economic empowerment, including in conflict-affected areas. Before moving to Finland, she worked in academia and organisations across Europe. One of her most exciting experiences was in the Eiffel Tower’s marketing department, improving services for corporate clients worldwide.

What does responsible business conduct really mean today? 

Companies and organisations are expected to respect human rights and address both potential and actual human rights and environmental impacts within their operations and supply chains. This goes beyond simply implementing corporate social responsibility initiatives or reporting on charity projects. They must identify, assess, and mitigate human rights risks while evaluating their impact on employees, customers, suppliers, communities, and the environment.

Let’s imagine that a beverage producer is supporting a youth football team to increase brand awareness among potential customers. The local media publishes news about a leak of toxic substances from the production facilities. In response, the company publishes a press release in which it accuses the media of defamation, bribes to the environmental inspection and doubles the budget for advertising. This is an example of irresponsible business conduct. In contrast, good practice is to investigate the cause of the potential leak, initiate a human rights risk assessment and develop a plan to prevent future human rights violations. 

What inspired you to design this summer course? 

Last year brought groundbreaking changes in the field of business and human rights when the EU enforced the Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence Directive (CSDDD). Most of the courses designed in Schools of Business cover the issues of business ethics, sustainable economic growth and corporate social responsibility, but overlook the insights on how human rights due diligence might work, especially in the conflict-affected and high-risk context.

How can businesses make decisions that minimize harm to human rights? How should they select suppliers and evaluate their environmental impact? How can they navigate crises like pandemics, floods, or wars while balancing responsibilities to employees and customers? We will explore these questions and share insights into corporate practices across various industries and countries.

Why do you think Responsible Business Conduct is an essential topic for students to explore in today's business environment?  

The landscape in which companies operate changes very fast, and we can observe the acceleration in regulatory initiatives on human rights due diligence at global, European, and national levels. To effectively run a business, it is necessary to understand what it means to run operations responsibly, and how to design sustainable business solutions in response to global challenges and disruptions. The summer course will cover these topics and also provide insights on how to solve ethical dilemmas emerging in the high-risk areas where companies operate.

How do you envision the skills and insights from this course shaping students' contributions to the future of business? 

During the course, we will focus on assessing human rights and environmental impacts of business activities and designing responsible business practices. These skills are needed to develop innovative strategic responses to rapid economic and technological change. Business leaders with such skills will be able to achieve long-term sustainability for their organisations and contribute to improved living conditions. 

For whom would you recommend this course? 

The course will be essential for future professionals working in the private sector and beyond, including future business owners and managers, specialists on corporate sustainability and human rights due diligence, and future officers of international and intergovernmental organisations working with the private sector.

The application period for Responsible Business Conduct is open 31.1 – 31.5.2025.