Understanding Economic, Social, and Environmental Sustainability Challenges in the Global South

In an increasingly complex world, students of economics, business, and management must learn how to combine financial objectives with social and environmental aims. To that end, institutions, teachers, and curricula have a growing need for multidisciplinary approaches to reinforce education for sustainable development. This study presents a pilot project consisting of an innovative online simulation designed to help students understand the challenges that countries and companies from the Global South are facing to balance economic, social, and environmental objectives under sustainability criteria. This research uses quantitative and qualitative data provided by the students to assess the effectiveness of the methodology. The results indicate the usefulness of the methodology in helping students comprehend economic complexities in the Global South, as well as to assist them in acquiring key cognitive, skill-based, and affective educational outcomes. The combination of three active-learning methodologies (role-play, collaborative-learning, and inquiry-based learning) proved to be of high value to address sustainability-related issues in higher education and help students develop 21st-century skills.