Stanford Graduate School of Business created the Center for Social Innovation (CSI) to invest its intellectual resources in a society confronted by profound needs and complex problems. Building on the Business School’s three-decade commitment to public and nonprofit management, CSI promotes solutions through a unique combination of interdisciplinary research, teaching that extends beyond the classroom, and efforts to engage with those who lead social change. The Center dissolves traditional sector boundaries, bringing together nonprofit leaders, corporate executives, government officials, and philanthropists to discuss, debate, analyze, and take action to strengthen our communities. More than 40 scholars from across Stanford University contribute to CSI programs.
How The Center Works: An Integrated Approach
Through research, teaching and engagement, CSI works with socially concerned leaders and their organizations to confront difficult challenges. The Center leverages Stanford’s knowledge, expertise and networks, bringing community leaders together with its faculty, alumni and students to illuminate and address social problems. The Center undertakes an integrated set of activities designed to enhance the leadership, management, and organizational capacity of individuals and organizations who strive to create social and environmental value.
CSI supports three integrated activities: research, teaching, and engagement.
research activities include support for a broad portfolio of work ranging from basic inquiry to more applied investigations into practical challenges and issues.
teaching activities include curricular and extra-curricular offerings for MBA and other professional degree programs, as well as undergraduate, graduate and executive education. In addition to the Stanford efforts, CSI also supports faculty in developing and disseminating innovative teaching materials and curricula to other educational institutions.
the Center organizes conferences, workshops, volunteer consulting, action research projects, and a host of other initiatives to engage with socially concerned leaders. These activities are all designed to connect CSI-affiliated Stanford faculty, alumni, and students with practitioners and communities in the service of integrating theory and practice. By bringing the university in direct contact with the outside world, Stanford community members make more direct and immediate contributions to solving social problems.
