Indus International School and SUMAS Partner to Bring Business and Sustainability Education to High School Students in India

What Does the Indus International School and SUMAS Partnership Involve?

Indus International School in India has partnered with the Sustainability Management School (SUMAS), based in Switzerland, to deliver the SUMAS Career-related Studies® "Business & Sustainability" programme to its secondary students. The partnership brings a structured, university-linked sustainability curriculum into the final two years of high school for students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme (IBCP). Through the collaboration, Indus students study responsible management alongside their existing International Baccalaureate (IB) studies, working on industry-relevant projects and gaining a recognised pathway toward higher education in sustainable business. The agreement reflects a shared conviction between Indus International School and SUMAS that sustainability is a core management competency, not an optional theme, and that building it early prepares students for careers shaped by climate, social, and governance pressures.

What Is the SUMAS Career-related Studies® Programme?

SUMAS Career-related Studies® "Business & Sustainability" is a programme designed for IBCP students in the last two years of secondary school who already have a clear sense of their professional direction. The programme gives students foundational knowledge in sustainable management and develops the competencies needed to become responsible organisational leaders. It is recognised as an approved career-related study within the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme, the IB pathway that combines academic study with practical, career-focused learning. Rather than treating sustainability as a single lesson, the SUMAS curriculum integrates environmental, social, and economic decision-making into the way students analyse real business situations. The programme is delivered to partner schools internationally through live virtual classrooms, allowing students in India and elsewhere to learn from SUMAS faculty and engage with peers across the SUMAS network.

What Do Indus Students Gain From the Programme?

Indus International School students gain academic, practical, and progression benefits from the SUMAS partnership. The programme blends a rigorous curriculum with experiential learning, so students leave with applied skills rather than theory alone. The main benefits include:

• Foundational knowledge in sustainable business and responsible management, applicable across industries.
• Industry-relevant projects mentored by professionals and SUMAS faculty, building critical thinking and problem-solving.
• Live virtual classrooms that connect students with SUMAS educators and an international peer group.
• Membership of the SUMAS Eco-Club, a network where participating students share projects across partner schools worldwide.
• A fast-track route into a SUMAS Bachelor degree for students who choose to continue in sustainable business.

How Is the Programme Structured?

The SUMAS Career-related Studies® programme is built around two core components that combine applied work with guided online study:

1. Practical, real-world projects guided by industry professionals and SUMAS faculty, where students tackle genuine sustainability challenges.
2. Interactive online learning delivered through live-streamed virtual classrooms accessible to partner schools internationally.

Which Specialisation Pathways Can Students Choose?

Within the programme, students select a specialisation pathway that matches their interests and career intentions. The available SUMAS pathways span several applied fields of sustainable business:

• Green AI
• Sustainable Fashion
• Sustainable Entrepreneurship
• Sustainable Hospitality and Culinary Arts
• Sustainable Tourism and Nature Conservation

Why Does Sustainability Education Matter at the High School Level?

Introducing sustainability education during secondary school matters because it equips students with environmental, social, and economic literacy before they specialise at university. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) leads the global Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) for 2030 framework, to which member states committed in Berlin in 2021, and aims to embed climate change education consistently across subjects by 2030. UNESCO's review of national curriculum frameworks across 110 countries found that the environment and sustainability theme scored an average of 55 on a 0-100 emphasis index, far above climate change at 21, signalling that climate-specific content remains underrepresented in many school systems. By embedding structured sustainable business education at the secondary level, the Indus International School and SUMAS partnership helps close that gap and prepares students to lead in a sustainability-driven economy.

What Does the Partnership Signal for Sustainability Leadership?

The Indus International School and SUMAS partnership signals a wider shift in how schools prepare future leaders. By integrating responsible management into the IB Career-related Programme, Indus International School treats sustainability as a foundational competency rather than an extracurricular interest. Students who complete the SUMAS Career-related Studies® programme leave secondary school already fluent in the environmental, social, and governance dynamics that increasingly shape corporate strategy, regulation, and capital allocation. For students considering university, the fast-track route into a SUMAS Bachelor degree turns this early exposure into a continuous pathway toward sustainable business careers. The collaboration shows how a secondary school and a specialised management institution can work together to build sustainability literacy early, giving young people both the knowledge and the practical confidence to drive responsible change.

How Can Students Continue Into Sustainable Business at SUMAS?

Students who discover a passion for sustainable business through the SUMAS Career-related Studies® programme can continue their studies at university level with SUMAS. The fast-track route from the high school programme leads into SUMAS Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degrees, where students deepen the management, finance, and sustainability skills introduced during secondary school. For Indus International School students and others in the SUMAS network, this creates a clear, joined-up progression from secondary education to a specialised sustainability degree. Whether the interest lies in sustainable finance, responsible fashion, or sustainability management more broadly, SUMAS offers undergraduate pathways designed to turn early exposure into a recognised qualification and a career in responsible business. Prospective students can explore the related SUMAS Bachelor programmes below to see how the high school pathway connects to university study.