The College of Business and Economics (CBE) at Qatar University (QU) has been recognized for its societal impact and commitment to sustainability as part of the sixth edition of the Positive Impact Rating (PIR), launched on 10 June 2025, at the PIR Global Summit 2025 and acknowledged during the UN PRME Global Forum.

The CBE at QU is one of the 86 business schools from 30 countries participating in this year’s edition, which saw a record engagement of 17,167 student responses, a 13% increase from the previous year. The school achieved Level 4 out of 5, making it a transforming institution within the PIR framework.

The PIR is a global, student- and faculty-centered initiative that assesses business schools’ dedication to sustainability and ethical practices. This year’s survey evaluated 86 leading business schools across 30 countries, reflecting students’ recognition of their schools’ contributions to social and environmental impact. With a score of 4 out of 5, the CBE has been classified as a “Transforming School,” highlighting its commitment to energizing, educating, and engaging students with purpose—and to developing competent, socially responsible graduates who strive to make a positive impact in society.

Participants evaluated how the college addresses societal and sustainability challenges and how well it prepares its students to become responsible leaders. The data collection was organized and led by student representatives who distributed the survey to the college students.

By participating in PIR 2025, business schools demonstrate their commitment to transparency and to listening to the voice of their key stakeholders. Prof. Rana Sobh, Dean of the CBE, commented, “This recognition reflects our commitment to developing responsible leaders and creating sustainable impact through business education. At the CBE at QU, we are proud to be shaping the future by embedding ethics, responsibility, and sustainability at the heart of everything we do. This achievement reinforces what we continuously strive for—our motto: “Education with Impact.”

The PIR uses 20 questions grouped into seven dimensions across three overarching areas: Energizing, Educating, and Engaging. These results place schools into one of five levels, three of which are published: Level 3 (Progressing), Level 4 (Transforming), and Level 5 (Pioneering).

Prof. Thomas Dyllick, PIR Founder and Member of the Supervisory Board, stated, “While future students now have an alternative source to select their business school, schools refer to the PIR primarily to measure and communicate their transformational progress. The voice of the student has become a true source of value.”

The PIR was initiated by a coalition of business school experts and international NGOs such as WWF, Oxfam, and UN Global Compact and is supported by student organizations including oikos, AIESEC, and Net Impact. It is also backed by VIVA Idea (Costa Rica), the Institute for Business Sustainability Foundation, and FehrAdvice (Switzerland).

New in 2025, PIR now also offers additional reporting modules to support schools in their PRME, AACSB, and EQUIS accreditation processes, enabling them to use PIR data to report on Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability (ERS) requirements with stakeholder-derived evidence.