UNITAR-IBU Partnership to Equip Future Business Leaders with SDG Expertise

4 December 2025, Geneva, Switzerland - On 4 December 2025, the United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) and International Business University (IBU), based in Toronto, Canada, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a strategic partnership aimed at developing socially conscious, globally competent leaders. This landmark collaboration will embed UNITAR’s expert training and sustainability frameworks directly into IBU’s academic programmes, empowering a new generation of professionals to drive sustainable prosperity.

Through this partnership, UNITAR and IBU will jointly develop training programmes, capacity-building workshops, and conferences on key sectors such as adult education, green finance, sustainability, and economic development. The collaboration will also explore opportunities to bridge the digital divide, particularly in underserved communities, aligning with UNITAR’s mission to enhance global knowledge and skills for a more sustainable future. 

IBU will leverage its Centre for Sustainable Business as the academic and innovation hub for all UNITAR-aligned training, applied projects, and the annual sustainability conference. The Centre will coordinate curriculum integration, faculty engagement, and industry collaboration, ensuring that students apply United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to real-world business challenges. This partnership aligns with the SDGs, particularly in promoting quality education (SDG 4), decent work and economic growth (SDG 8), industry, innovation, and infrastructure (SDG 9), and reducing inequalities (SDG 10).