Sparbanken Skånes Center for Sustainable Enterprising (SSCEN) at Lund University together with Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn award an annual thesis prize to encourage business and engineering students to contribute with valuable knowledge on how to achieve a sustainability transformation. Eligible to apply for the prize are students in business studies and engineering studies who have written a master’s thesis with a focus on sustainability. One thesis written at Lund University School of Economics and Management (LUSEM) and one thesis written at the Faculty of Engineering (LTH) will be awarded.
Need of knowledge fit for actionable change
We live in the times of great uncertainty with several complex and interconnected crises. The authors behind the IPCC and IPBES reports urge us to acknowledge the urgency in solving the challenges related to climate change. In addition, daunting news on severe social injustices reach us daily. There is an acute need to join forces in finding pathways towards an efficient, fair, and inclusive sustainability transformation. To succeed with these endeavors, we need new knowledge fit for actionable change. With this Prize we want to encourage business and engineering students to contribute with their valuable knowledge and inspiration for change.
Thesis prize partner
The SSCEN Sustainability Prize for Master’s Theses in business studies and engineering studies is awarded in cooperation with Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn that have made the financing possible.
Assessment criteria
To be considered for the prize, the thesis should be written for obtaining a master’s degree in business studies at LUSEM or engineering studies at the Faculty of Engineering. The thesis should address topics related to sustainable development such as the transformation and innovation of policies, private and public organisations, value-chains, industries, technologies, and the financial system.
The following aspects are at focus in the assessment process:
- Originality
- Academic quality
- Contribution to the subjects of economic studies and/or engineering studies
- Research relevance and contribution to the research frontier related to sustainability and the ongoing transformation
- Relevance and practical implications to society at large including policy making, industry, organizations, individuals, and the financial system
Nomination Procedure
Everyone has the right to nominate a thesis, students themselves, teachers, supervisors etc. The thesis must be approved during the period 31 August 2022 to 1 September 2023. At the time of nomination, the thesis must be plagiarism controlled and uploaded in full text in the respective department's public thesis database (DiVA or similar). Nominations are eligable before 15 September 2023.
Jury and assessment process
The Advisory Board of Sparbanken Skånes Center for Sustainable Enterprising (SSCEN) acts as jury and will assess the nominated theses. Besides representatives from Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn, Sparbanken Skåne, LTH and LUSEM, the jury includes representatives from industry and the civil society sector.
The Prize
The winners of the SSCEN Sustainability Prize for Master Theses will be announced on the websites of SSCEN, LUSEM, LTH, Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn and Sparbanken Skåne during Autumn 2023. The prize is awarded in the form of two grants of SEK 25.000 each. As part of the award, the authors of the awarded theses will be invited by Sparbanken Skåne to present their findings and discuss their views on how transformation challenges can be solved. The authors of the awarded theses will be invited to a prize ceremony organized by SSCEN and in the presence of Sparbanken Skåne, Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn and SSCENs Advisory Board.
