MESD'17

The MESD Association is pleased to report that its fifth international research conference MESD’17 was held December 7, 8, and 9, 2017 in Atlanta, Georgia, USA at the Georgia Tech Academy of Medicine Conference Center and the Scheller College of Business on the Atlanta Campus of the Georgia Institute of Technology.  The event had participants and registrants from over 20 countries, and some 85 attendees over the course of the three-day.  The Fifth MESD focused on the unique unfolding role played by the private sector, with particular reference to multinational enterprises, in implementing the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).  Occurring in the immediate wake of the COP23 annual meetings held in Bonn, Germany and a few days prior to the global climate summit   held in France December 12-14, 2017,  MESD’17 selected thirty five papers for presentation in competitive or roundtable  format and two key note addresses to frame this year’s event.

Best  corporate and industry practices presentations by leading global firms were built into the conference featuring, this year,  The Coca-Cola Company, Solvay,  Novelis and Toto, each representing different key industry segments, in various countries of operations and  with significant presence in the United States.  Titled  “What Can MNEs Do to Implement the UN SDGs,”  the conference was hosted by the Georgia Tech Center for International Business Education and Research in alliance with the Ray Anderson Center for Business Sustainability, both of the Scheller College of Business, Georgia Tech, and in partnership with ICN Business School-ARTEM in France,  the CEREFIGE consortium in France, Aalborg Universitet,  Denmark and our colleagues at the University of Delhi.   The event was supported by the Ivan Allen College of  Liberal Arts, the Office of the Vice Provost for International Initiatives, the Trade Advisors of France (Southeast USA Chapter), Aalborg Universitet.