Masterclasses
& Seminars 2003

2003 Business Seminar descriptions

Bus301: Does Sustainability Pay?
Bus302: What is Corporate Social Responsibility
Bus303: Intuition and Spirituality in Business
Bus304: Walk About
Bus305: Sustainability Models for Businesses
Bus306: Green and Ethical Accounting
Bus307: IT and the Changing Workplace

ICIS business seminars are courses specifically designed for organisations. They revolve around the various aspects of the triple bottom line, which consists of the human, environmental and economic aspects of sustainable development, and their interaction. Researchers, consultants and organisational experts who are particularly knowledgeable about the selected topics are put together in one forum, enabling participants to see and treat issues from multiple angles in an intensive, dynamic learning environment.
ICIS Business Seminars are designed for organisations, managers and leaders, decision-makers, strategists and employees, who wish to know more about the opportunities and issues presented by sustainability parameters within their professional fields.

2003 Master Class descriptions

The ICIS Masterclass is based on the Menuhin model, of a small group of professionals being taught by an eminent expert in a particular field. However, the ICIS concept is unique in that the class will comprise of a variety of professional backgrounds, led by a 'master' who is an internationally known expert. This fosters an interdisciplinary, international atmosphere, where you are encouraged to think creatively, and in new ways.
The Masterclasses will provide participants with the latest theories, methodologies, tools and skills to understand and implement sustainability parameters in their daily work and business practices. The classes will also include new approaches to creativity, and will comprise of a mix of lectures, discussion and debate, practical work, excursions and group work.

The ICIS Business Seminar Programme 2002-2003:

Bus301 
April 10-13
Does Sustainability Pay?

The seminar addresses opportunities and challenges, myths and facts related to sustainability parameters in business. Is sustainability hype or is it a real need? Can we make a difference? How will future legislation affect the business sector? Are consumers getting more aware and more demanding in this respect? Is sustainability a future marketing device/sales argument? Does sustainability pay?

Presenters will discuss both sides of the coin, the positives and the negatives, facts and myths, profit and spirit. There are solid and irrefutable arguments for integrating sustainability parameters in one¹s strategic planning, based both on case stories, WSSD negotiations and results (Johannesburg, Summer 2002), research findings from renowned consulting firms around the world, and current and future EU legislation. Although the challenge of incorporating social and environmental responsibility seamlessly into a company¹s organisational system can require sometimes major changes and resources, and may seem daunting at first, it also opens up a great unexplored territory of new opportunities such as: cost-cutting, visionary management, differentiation, re-design, customer loyalty, employee satisfaction/motivation, image-building, and renewal of one¹s competitive edge.

The seminar will take a close look at what sustainability is and entails; the triple bottom line and strategies for its implementation in organisations; research findings; EU regulations; case stories and prognoses for the future demands placed on organisations. This Business Seminar is geared toward managers, business leaders, decision-makers and consultants in the private and public sectors, who wish to explore the issues and possibilities inherent in sustainability at the corporate level, including increasing regulatory and consumer requirements, challenges, risks and risk-management, as well as opportunities.

The subjects will be broached via lectures, debate, and dialogue, as well as group work and individual assignments to gain a deeper insight in the subject matter.

What do you gain? After this seminar you will have a more complete picture of sustainability, what it means, and how the increasing demand for sustainable development can affect your company. You will be provided with examples of how to turn new regulations into avenues for opportunity for your business, and to pre-empt development in the area of sustainability.

• Oliver Dudok van Heel, SustainAbility, UK
  
• UNEP FI, Belgium
  
• Dorte Kardel, Danrisk A/S, DK
  
  

Bus302 
April 24-27
What is Corporate Social Responsibility

The EU's Green Book defines Corporate Social responsibility (CSR) as a situation where the organisation voluntarily includes social and environmental considerations in its business activities and in its interaction with stakeholders (customers, investors, suppliers, employees, partners, end-users etc.)
Many see CSR and environmental responsibility as key to the organisational strategies of the future, which result in long-term added value and cost cutting.
The seminar will look at the concept of corporate social and environmental responibility, and work out what the various ethical, social and environmental considerations mean for an organisation's activities internally (work environment) and externally (external interface). The seminar will throw light on the business aspects of these implications, and look at the risks and opportunities they carry with them. It is geared toward organisational decision-makers and consultants who are interested in keeping a finger on the market's pulse, and who wish to pre-empt development.
The seminar deals with the implications of environmental and corporate social responsibility on organisations and people. It looks at the behaviour of corporations worldwide, examines the present situation and maps out possibilities for the future. The goal is to define the future role of businesses, the nature of their responsibility towards their stakeholders (employees, suppliers, customers, local and global environment).
What do you gain? Participants will gather knowledge about CSR, who does it, why they do it, and how they do it. They will be better equipped to evaluate the extent to which CSR is necessary in the context of their firm, how to start integrating it and what tools to use for its implementation.

Lecturers:

• David Gee European Environment Agency, DK
  
• Joachim Spangenberg. Vice President, Sustainable Europe Research Institute
• Oliver Dudok van Heel, Senior Advisor, SustainAbility, UK
• Kim Christiansen, Civil Engineer, Environmental Consultant, 20 LCA, DK
  
• Karen Blincoe, Director ICIS

Bus303 
May 14-18
Intuition and Spirituality

This Business Seminar examines the changes taking place in personal leadership and business practice, the premise being that our daily work is no longer separate from our inner lives and equally that sustainability encompasses the inner level as well as the outer. Lectures will deal with integration of the spiritual dimension of our lives into our daily activities. As we spend a large portion of our lives at work, this time needs to be spiritually, as well as materially, rewarding.
Some of the questions which will be addressed will be: How to be human and still fulfil what the job requires? How to be human and still be the boss?
What do you gain? The three-day module will teach meditation, accessing intuition, and how to use stress to your advantage. There will be an opportunity for visioning, dialogue and quiet time to check out your own values and how to model them in the work place.

• Mary Aver, MsC., lecturer at the Cranfield School of management. Consultant and adviser in intuition and spiritual practices for business and financial developers. Psychotherapist and healer.

Bus304 
May 25 - June 1
Walk About
Mountain hikes for managers and decision-makers
De-stress Management, Vision Development and Personal Clarity

"As a manager, it's no great feat to work 15 hours a day, 364 days a year, and feel all alone with your assignments: All it requires is that you haven't thought things through properly."
One week of hiking and dialogue in nature in a place where you can't be disturbed by emails, telephones, meetings and other intruding demands in a time zone, where the single goal is to experience, to enjoy, to develop physically and reflect together with colleagues from your own firm or other like-minded people in similar management positions.
A mountain guide and professional course facilitators are at your service to make this week a time for thinking in-depth, which you and your company can enjoy the fruits of for a long time to come. What do you gain?
You experience a new and inspiring platform for vision development, personal clarity and strengthening your decision-making abilities. De-stressing and better physical condition. Facilitato/consultant Peter Nørring (Danmark) Psychoanalyst, director PN-DEVELOPMENT, a consultancy and advisory firm, established 1979. Leadership and management consultant. HR developer i.e. WalkAbout and VDT/The dynamic statusreport for businesses.

• Mikael Jensen, Lecture, Mountain Guide, ski instructor (Alpe d'Huez, Frankrig) and geographer. Has completed several hundred mountainwalks in both France, Corsica and Sardinia.
• Martin Woolley, Professor, the Goldsmith University, UK

Bus305 
June 4-7
Sustainability Models for Businesses

Governments increasingly put forward new laws and regulations to promote sustainable development at the business level, and stakeholder demands for more ethical and social behaviour on the part of businesses and their activities are multiplying fast. To meet these mounting requirements, initiatives have been taken nationally and internationally both by companies themselves and by experts and researchers to tackle social and environmental issues. The goal has been to develop business models, guidelines, networks and partnerships to help business implement the new challenges. This seminar presents an overview of various models which businesses can choose from to start implementing sustainability parameters in the business sector, and integrating sustainable development in their strategic thinking.
The lecturers will present and discuss the final report from The World Summit in Johannesburg in South Africa, the recent national and EU legislations and the pros and cons of The Natural Step and The Ecological Footprint models. Networks and Partnerships including The Nordic Partnership and Forum for the Future will be introduced and discussed.
We will look at relevant case stories for inspiration, or to look at what should be avoided. The seminar is specifically aimed at decision-makers and strategists in small and medium-sized companies. The seminar is the first in a series to address the need for action towards sustainable development specifically aimed at businesses, with the priorities of small- and medium-sized firms in mind. The monthly three-day modules will discuss and work in-depth with the various initiatives.

What do you gain? You will develop a substantiated new knowledge base about sustainability in the business context: a clearer idea of where you stand, whether you wish/are able to tackle sustainability parameters within your company, which parameters to start implementing, and how to go about it.

• Dorte Kardel, Head, Danrisk A/S. Editor, Magnus: Risk management, Environmental Management. Legislation.
• Oliver Dudok van Heel, Senior Advisor, SustainAbility, UK
• Kim Christiansen, Head, LifeCycle Management, 20-LCA, DK

Bus306 
Green and Ethical Accounting
June 26-29

The newest Danish legislation on green accounting places an unprecedented focus on environmental and social responsibility reporting, affecting both management reports and complementary reports on environmental, ethical, and social parameters, knowledge accounting, etc. A previous law to this effect was passed by the Danish parliament in 1996 and since then approximately 1200 companies have annually developed, experimented with and worked on the green accounting concept.
The seminar analyses the new regulations from a political/legal point of view, but also seen with the eyes of businesses and accounting firms. We will look at appropriate methods, frameworks and relevant case studies. Participants will work in groups and individually to identify their own company¹s situation and needs. The seminar will present and discuss both green accounting and social and ethical accounting practices.
The seminar is designed for managers, consultants and other individuals who work with accounting. Teachers are national and international experts on the subject.

What do you gain? You will acquire a better overview over current legislation, its implementation consequences, and the available methods for generating accounts that match the criteria you need or want to meet.

• Lecturers to be confirmed.

Bus307 
IT and the Changing Workplace
August 28-31

Information technology has revolutionised our way of working. The workplace is changing. We want to fully exploit IT yet equally focus on family values and increase the value of working time, i.e. more flexibility, less stress, more time. Design can play an important role in simultaneously influencing the future potential of IT and the nature of the environments within which it is deployed. Too often, however, the development of information technology occurs with little reference to the human aspects of the working environment and its broader social and cultural contexts.
The master class will look at and discuss the past, present and future workspace and its technologies. The home office, the smart office, the mobile office, the flexible office. What are the needs for the development of human workspaces and technologies in terms of surroundings and functions? Many interpretations and concepts for the future workplace have been developed recently. The master class will look at these concepts, examine some in detail, and experiment with future scenarios.

• Claude Berube, Canada, Professor, Product Designer/consultant in Design Technology And Smart Design.
• Michael Kongsted, Partner i IBT-Scandinavia A/S. Effective Planning. Cand. Merc. The Copenhagen Business School.
• Birgitte Winkel, Consultant: Conflict-solving and Mediation, DK. To be confirmed.

MC301 
Design and Corporate Social Responsibility
May 8-10

Corporate Social Responsibility is the buzz word in the business sector. The term includes the ethical, social and environmental considerations which companies know must be part of their responsibilities if they want to secure markets in the future. Where is the design profession in this context? Do designers voluntarily take these issues into regard in the design process when solving design problems and develop new ideas? If not should professional design associations include this as as part of their code of practice for designers to adhere to as members of the association? Canada is leading in this field. The seminar will examine the designer¹s code of practice both from the professional association as well as from a personal point of view.
Through lectures by design associations, designers and academics the issue of ethics will be in focus, - as well as the environmental considerations - and subsequently discussed and developed through groupwork by the participants.

What do you gain? Designers will leave the course with a clear idea and understanding of CSR and the responsibilities, pitfalls and possibilities this change of direction in business activities will affect the designer and the design profession at large.

• David Berman, Communication Designer, Canada
• Joachim Spangenberg, SERI, Germany
• Karen Blincoe, Director ICIS
• Mette Morsing, HH

MC302 
Teaching Sustainability
September 26-28

This seminar practises the reciprocity model where each participant both gives and receives input. Each lecturer has one session to present his/her model of teaching sustainability and get feedback in the form of new ideas and support from the group. The goal is to communicate and exchange models and experiences - to discuss problems and barriers, look at opportunities and create a supportive network of likeminded professionals for future networking.
There will be several discussion and learning forums. There will be inputs from lecturers around the world i.e. the Ecosa Institute, USA, RMIT, Australia, The University of Aalborg, The Goldsmith University, The Danish Design College.
The seminar will include lectures of interest and inspiration by experts from The European Environment Agency, The Secretariat for Environmental Certification, Danish Technical University on LCA Models.

What do you gain? This is a unique opportunity to gather inspiration for subject matter and teaching techniques from other lecturers in the field. You can benefit from feedback on your input, and from the targeted networking opportunities which this course offers.

What do you gain? Designers will leave the course with a clear idea and understanding of CSR and the responsibilities, pitfalls and possibilities this change of direction in business activities will affect the designer and the design profession at large.

• The lecturers are the participants!

MC303 
Sustainable Architecture
August 27-30

In the Nordic countries, sustainable development within the area of architecture has been approached from two angles which are inherently different: ecological architecture has been developed by passionate individuals and grassroots people who have themselves taken an active part in the development of their local environment, while environmental planning regulations have been developed and implemented by planners and other institutional professionals, and have taken the form of and overall plan or strategy for the areas in question. The environmental input has therefore been based on very different ideas about what sustainable development is.
The master class will examine these issues, illustrated by case stories and discuss the various nuances expressed in the architectural translations of the concept of sustainability. As part of the master class there will be an excursion to an ecological village.

What will you gain? An insight into the principles of natural building and sustainable planning, two perspectives which are not yet integrated into mainstream architecture, but are making steady progress. You will find support for staying at the forefront of your profession in this particular area, by discussing current trends and developments, and receiving useful tools and references to implement facets of sustainability in building design.

What do you gain? Designers will leave the course with a clear idea and understanding of CSR and the responsibilities, pitfalls and possibilities this change of direction in business activities will affect the designer and the design profession at large.

• Klas Tham
• Chris Butters
• Claus Bech Danielsen
• Vibeke Grupe Larsen

MC304 
Intuition, Sustainability and Spirituality
August 6-10

This master class will examine the spiritual dimension of sustainability and show how to integrate this into personal leadership and business practice. The premise is that our daily work is no longer separate from our inner lives and equally that sustainability encompasses the inner level as well as the outer. The master class will explore the spiritual dimension in our work. As we spend a large portion of our lives at work, this time needs to be spiritually, as well as materially, rewarding. Some of the questions which will be addressed in this context will be: How to be human and still fulfill what the job requires? How to be human and still be the boss? We will work with intuition and experience its value in creativity and problemsolving.

What do you gain? The module will teach meditation, accessing intuition, and how to use stress to your advantage. There will be an opportunity for visioning, dialogue and quiet time to check out your own values and how to model them in the work place. Lecturers Lecturers:

• Mary Aver, MsC, UK. Consultant and advisor in intuition and spiritual practices for business and financial developers. Psychotherapist and healer. Lecturer at The Cranfield School of Management.
• Karen Blincoe, Director of ICIS. Designer, educator and environmentalist. DK

MC305 
Nature and Design
August 13-17

... the most revolutionary inventions originate from nature! Whether the product is furniture, systems design, animations or art, nature provides an unending source of inspiration and revolutionary discoveries. And yet it is rare that we acknowledge this untapped resource which for most of us is easily accessible.
The masters in this class work with, in and around nature. The understanding and respect for the source of their work is inspirational. The delegates will journey with them and get access to their thinking through lectures, individual and group work. They will work with materials in the environment and explore the potential of ideas for both 2-,3-, and 4-Ddesign projects. The master class incorporates an Œopen space¹ practice for each participant to develop the insights into working methodologies.

What you will gain: Learning from nature - tuning-in exercises. Inspiration from vision quests, poetry and science - How to generate ideas from the natural habitat. Plan of action for implementation in the work place Parametres of sustainability Lecturers

• William Mcdonough
• Fumi Masada
• And others to be confirmed

MC306 
Future Cities: Bioclimatic Skyscrapers
August 27-31

A three-day master class with Ken Yeang, architect and pioneer in development of cities, skyscrapers, and sustainability. Over half the population of the world lives in cities, and this tendency is increasing. Approximately 60 million people are becoming city dwellers each day. How can cities accommodate this mass of humanity without causing extreme social and environmental damage?
The master class looks at how the present design and planning of the city relate to the challenges of this time: sustainability, globalisation, welfare, consumerism, information technology.

What do you gain? You will be inspired to look at city design in a new light, and to investigate new values and strategies for planning which can become the foundation for the design and development of our future cities.

• Ken Yeang, Architect, Professor, Bioclimatic Skyscrapers, Malaysia
• Claus Bech Danielsen, Senior Researcher, Sustainable Architecture, SBI, DK

MC307 
Design Sense(s)
September 11-14

The master class will look at how we use the senses and how we can maximise the information the senses provide us with in our work and daily lives. The master class will through talks, discussion, exercises and experiential work enhance participants¹ understanding and use of the five senses.
The goal is to focus and develop the creative and communicative ability in order to access knowledge and make more sense of information. To develop the creative potential and work by developing communication and presentation skills. The sensory section of the master class will look at the marketing of products using subliminal tools like the variety of scents on food and clothes. The voice section will explore the effects and skills of communication through the spoken word. Enhance the participants presentation skills. The visual communication will explore perception, the power of the visual message and how we react to visual stimuli.

What do you gain? A unique perspective on communication bringing all the receiver¹s senses into play. New, more powerful, effective and holistic tools for communicating and presenting your message.

• Joel Leonard, Scent Expert. Joel Leonard Scent design
• Stewart Pearce. Head of Voice at the ŒDrama Centre London¹ and Shakespeare Theatre, London.

MC308 
Radically rethinking Design
October 12-19

The experience design lab - radically rethinking design for the 21st century ? Or how to design happiness?
A proposal for an ICIS MC class developed by design producer Niels Peter Flint:
Π..Can we leapfrog into the future? We know that lots of things are going to happen ? Could we just assume that we will solve our various great challenges like energy and over-population and develop visions based on a new and positive approach to the future? We have reached a level in our technological development where even the most advanced computernerds are asking for considerate debate about what we are going to do with all the new technologies we are developing AND what are we going to use it for in our daily lives.
Noone knows what the future will bring, but we are facing challenges that some claim mankind have not been confronted with before. We could also look at it another way. We are facing a potential reality where we can create the perfect world, where everyone is happy and living the perfect life. We will be able in few decades to design ultimate happiness for everyone whether we like it or not. We will be able to live in totally controlled and happy environments where it might even be impossible to be sad or depressed.

What do you gain? This MC is NOT about how to design happiness and yet it is!!! Its meant to be a process for us to start becoming aware and think in holistic terms. Its a way of making humans take up the challenges, innovate and design new radical solutions or experiences to the world community . This is NOT just about design. Its a way of letting us create new ways of working and allowing our creative minds to go bananas but with a stringent sense of responsibility to the outcome. Its a way of making evolution happen as it probably is meant to happenŠŠ.

• Niels Peter Flint, Design Producer and guests