At the UN Global Compact Leaders' Summit in September 2013, a new 'global architecture' for corporate sustainability was launched and the 'Post - 2015 Business Engagement Architecture' consultation report published. This initiative identifies the private sector as having a pivotal role in delivering sustainable development and a more just society. It links sustainable development priorities with long-term business goals in terms of growth, social equity, environmental protection and risk management. It also make a call to academia to be involved as partners in this debate, and specifically invites Business Schools to work with businesses in 'collaborative platforms to develop curricula and research programmes that provide current and future business leaders with the necessary mind-sets, skills and knowledge to lead companies to more sustainable outcomes' (p.17). This Seminar Series proposal is a direct response by a group of researchers from UK and Irish business schools, together with a representative from a major professional body, to this call. All of the co-investigators are part of existing academic, professional, and policy networks including: the UN Global Compact UK Network; the UN Women Network; the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW); Business in the Community; the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) Regional Chapter for UK and Ireland; the PRME Working Group on Gender Equality; the Centre of Social and Environmental Accounting Research; and the British Academy of Management Sustainable and Responsible Business Special Interest Group. Together we bring together a new network of researchers. This proposal answers the invitation to engage with business and policy contained in the 'Architecture' document and it is structured in such a way that will stimulate research with business stakeholders in the priority areas identified in the document as falling within poverty reduction, education, gender equality, health, food, water and energy, social stability, infrastructure, technology, and governance. Each seminar will take as its theme one of these areas identified in the 'Architecture' document, and aligned with the interests of at least one of the Investigators in this bid. It is intended that each seminar, from seminar 3 onwards, will also include a paper which will be the result of direct research undertaken with UNGC member companies to enhance relevance and potential impact, and demonstrate the advantages in this respect, of the co-production of knowledge. The ICAEW has agreed to publish for each seminar, a briefing document, and following each seminar, a monograph and a practitioner summary for dissemination. Academic journal articles are also anticipated from each seminar, and a book to offer the combined contributions and debates is also planned. The theme of each seminar will be circulated well in advance of the date of delivery to as wide a range of stakeholders as can be identified but including the networks associated with the investigators in this proposal. At least two academic research papers will be prepared in advance and a response sought from business/practice. A debate will follow. In the afternoon, selected papers from PhD students who have been invited to submit papers for presentation will be made with replies from respondents, both academic and practitioner. This is designed to further new research capacity in the topic areas and enable the development of PhD students and ECRs. A further paper presentation will be made and following a panel debate a reflective summary will be given on relevance and future directions for research. There is also an international dimension to the series, with the inclusion of a seminar in Ireland, drawing on Irish networks and businesses, and a seminar at Kedge Business School, France, building on an existing 'Research Chair' engaging UN Compact companies in Europe investigating new business models.