ERS Project 2025: Students Tackle Real-World Ethical and Sustainability Challenges

The 2025 ERS (Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability) Project, led by Prof. Hakeem Muhammad Mohsin, concluded with 24 students representing 13 unique nationalities presenting their consultancy reports to corporate stakeholders. This was the third iteration of the ERS Project since the program launched last year. Since then, NUCB Business School students have worked with a broad range of companies and organizations:

• Niterra, a Japanese advanced materials and automotive components company;
• Marubeni, one of Japan's leading general trading companies;
• GISEN, a corporate consulting company specializing in sustainability-focused projects;
• Wood Friends, a furniture and home improvement company emphasizing sustainable practices;
• and Aichi Prefectural Government Overseas Collaboration Division, supporting international business and regional development

This year, teams worked directly with Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, and Yamaha Music, exploring how these organizations navigate ethics, responsibility, and sustainability in a rapidly evolving business environment.

Over the course of the program, students engaged in immersive fieldwork at corporate offices and manufacturing sites in Aichi Prefecture. They conducted interviews, gathered firsthand data, and analyzed real-world challenges, applying ethical frameworks and sustainability principles to develop actionable solutions. With this information, each group was tasked with delivering a comprehensive case study accompanied by multimedia content, including videos, visual data, and interviews, highlighting key findings and recommendations.

The presentations showcased the students’ capacity to act as consultants in analyzing complex ethical and sustainability challenges, proposing practical, data-driven solutions, and engaging corporate stakeholders with insightful recommendations. Prof. Hakeem remarked, “Working with real cases and real constraints pushed the students to examine emerging challenges and offer proposals from an external perspective. It is always encouraging to see the depth and clarity they bring to these discussions.”

This project exemplifies the value of bridging academia and industry. By providing students with opportunities to work on complex, unresolved problems, corporate partners benefit from fresh perspectives, while students gain practical experience and skills that prepare them for leadership roles in global business. We extend our gratitude to Toyota Motor Corporation, Toyota Tsusho Corporation, and all stakeholders who supported this year’s ERS Project, helping to advance sustainable and ethical business practices through collaboration and innovation.