Business & Society Series

Students enrolled in the 2024 Business & Society course "Artificial Intelligence'' visit Capitol Hill with professor Thomas Debass — Students enrolled in the 2024 Business & Society course "Artificial Intelligence" visit Capitol Hill with professor Thomas Debass.

The Business & Society Series offers GW graduate students an in-depth exploration of the complex political, economic, and cultural landscapes in which businesses operate. These courses focus on the dynamic relationships between businesses and a wide range of institutions including government agencies, multilateral organizations, multinational corporations, macroeconomic institutions, and non-governmental organizations (NGOs). Leveraging the vast resources of the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, these courses provide students with the opportunity to engage directly with influential organizations and key stakeholders. Through onsite visits, guest lectures, and interactive workshops, students learn how businesses navigate critical social, economic, and regulatory challenges.

These 3-credit open enrollment courses (SMPP 6218) are taught by faculty from various departments within the GW School of Business, ensuring that students benefit from a wide range of expertise and perspectives. The interdisciplinary approach is designed to foster a deeper understanding of global business practices. Learning goes beyond the classroom, with students engaging in panel discussions with top industry experts and site visits to government agencies, NGOs, multinational corporations, and multilateral organizations.

Past business visits include the Aerospace Corporation, Amazon HQ2, the Brookings Institution, the Council on Foreign Relations, Deloitte, the Federal Reserve Bank, the Federal Trade Commission, the Inter-American Development Bank, the Red Cross, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation, the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and the World Bank.

2025 Business & Society Series Courses

Long-Term Investment for Sustainable Development with Prof. Jesse Corradi (March '25)
The Art and Practice of Business-Government Relations: Advocacy in the Events Industry with Prof. Stuart Levy (May '25)
Artificial Intelligence with Prof. Thomas Debass (June '25)

Previous Course Topics

June 2024 - Artificial Intelligence
March 2024 - Blended Finance
July 2023 - Strategic Foresight
March 2023 - Impact Investing
March 2022 - Impact Investing
Summer 2021 - Startup Resilience
Summer 2021 - Privatization, Nationalization and Public Private Partnerships
March 2021 - Impact Investing
March 2021 - Strategic Foresight
June 2020 - Strategic Foresight
March 2020 - Engaging through Think Tanks and Business
January 2020 - Corporate Fraud and Corruption
January 2020 - Cryptocurrency
Summer 2019 - Privatization, Nationalization and Public-Private Partnership
March 2019 - Fintech
January 2019 - Corporate Fraud & Corruption
March 2018 - Engaging Through Think-Tanks and Business Organizations
January 2018 - Autonomous Vehicles
March 2017 - Developing Norms to Create Shared Value
January 2017 - Crowdfunding for Development
March 2016 - Business, Government and Society
January 2016 - Crowdfunding for Development
March 2015 - Business, Society and Government
January 2015 - Business and Institutional Relationships
March 2014 - Market and Nonmarket Environments
January 2014 - Business, Government and Society