SDA Bocconi School of Management Launches New Circular Fashion Management Course to Help Industry Leaders Build the Next Era of Sustainable Fashion

Created in collaboration with Emeritus, the online program describes the renewed circular fashion value chain model, discusses growth strategies, and reviews a variety of circular business models to help the fashion industry transition responsibly

MILAN , May 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- SDA Bocconi School of Management at Bocconi University is paving the path toward more sustainable fashion with the launch of its new course, Circular Fashion Management: Building Sustainable Value Chains. The online program is being launched in collaboration with Emeritus, the global leader in making world-class professional education accessible and affordable. The overarching goal is to arm fashion industry leaders with the skills they need to navigate the complexities of circular fashion models to better support their organizations and the planet.

The program will provide mid to senior-level managers and C-suite executives in the fashion industry, along with entrepreneurs and small business owners, the knowledge and tools needed to steer their companies toward sustainability. Because circular fashion is a relatively new concept in the industry, this course provides students with a unique opportunity to learn key concepts that will give them a competitive edge as the fashion industry faces rising pressure to be more eco-friendly.

This six-week program, offered fully online in English to students around the world, starts June 8, 2022. Upon successful completion of the program, participants will receive a verified digital certificate of completion from SDA Bocconi School of Management.

While the fashion industry contributes significantly to the global economy, it also has one of the largest environmental footprints. According to Global Fashion Agenda's Fashion Ceo Agenda 2021, "fashion is primarily produced in a linear system of 'take, make, dispose', with 73% of the world's clothing eventually ending up in landfills." Although many companies have begun to rethink their models to enable the re-use and recycling of textiles at scale, challenges including scalability, affordability, and profitability make sustainable fashion difficult to implement. However, in order to ensure the planet's resources are not being depleted faster than they're being replenished, business models are changing. For circular models to work, stakeholders at all points of the value chain need to commit and have the knowledge to execute a sustainable system.

"For the fashion industry to make the necessary transition from existing linear business models to circular fashion, executives need to be informed of what's at stake and how to drive real movement toward sustainability," says Francesca Romana Rinaldi, faculty director and lecturer at the Department of Sustainability at SDA Bocconi School of Management. "This course is critical for present and future industry leaders who want to make a true impact."

The program includes six weekly modules – centered on polls, interactive activities, peer discussions, case studies, and roleplay simulations. The course will be led by Rinaldi, and students will also learn directly from over 40 industry experts during live sessions.

At the end of the program, students will understand how to apply sustainable practices to a fashion organization's business model. This includes identifying relevant platforms and technologies; comparing opportunities, challenges, and trade-offs; developing leadership skills to spearhead a smooth transition to circular fashion and communicating with consumers and stakeholders.

"Sustainability is more than a buzzword in the fashion industry," says Lisa Rohrer, head of university partnerships at Emeritus. "We're proud to collaborate with the SDA Bocconi School of Management on a trend-setting course that gives fashion executives and entrepreneurs the perspective and know-how to drive real change in their organizations and prioritize the planet."

About SDA Bocconi School of Management
SDA Bocconi School of Management has been a leading institution in management training for 50 years.

The School's mission is to help individuals, organizations, and institutions grow by promoting managerial culture, knowledge, and innovation. MBA programs, executive and specialized masters, executive programs, custom programs, applied research, research labs, and knowledge centers all contribute to this — a wide offering aimed at professionals from all over the world and from all sectors of the economy.

SDA Bocconi is among the leading business schools in Europe and is among the few to have gained the triple accreditation (EQUIS, AMBA, and AACSB), which puts it in the elite of business schools worldwide. Choosing to study at SDA Bocconi in Milan means choosing a stimulating environment in Italy's entrepreneurial, industrial, and financial capital — a gateway to Europe with a wealth of connections and opportunities.

Milan is also a synonym for culture, fashion, design, and the art of living. It pilots urban development in Europe, and the new SDA Bocconi campus's cutting-edge architecture, with its flexible lines and clear, see-through surfaces, is definitely part of it. Enshrined at the heart of the city, designed with environmental sustainability in mind, and conceived to become a crossroads for excellence, it is the place to be for research and education to stay open to an ever-changing world.

SDA Bocconi has also launched the pan-Asian hub with the opening of SDA Bocconi Asia Center, which aims to enhance the School's global presence.

About Emeritus
Emeritus is committed to teaching the skills of the future by making high-quality education accessible and affordable to individuals, companies, and governments around the world. It does this by collaborating with more than 60 top-tier universities across the United States, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, India, and China. Emeritus' short courses, degree programs, professional certificates, and senior executive programs help individuals learn new skills and transform their lives, companies, and organizations. Its unique model of state-of-the-art technology, curriculum innovation, and hands-on instruction from senior faculty, mentors, and coaches has educated more than 250,000 individuals across 80+ countries. Founded in 2015, Emeritus, part of Eruditus Group, has more than 2,000 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. For more information, please visit https://emeritus.org/.

SOURCE SDA Bocconi School of Management at Bocconi University