The notion of “corporate social responsibility” – which is generally described as “sustainability” nowadays – dates back to the mid-20th century, but it became relevant to companies in recent times only.
The European Union acknowledged this concept in 1993, by publishing the “White Paper on growth, competitiveness, and employment”. The importance of sustainable development was also affirmed during Lisbon’s European Council in 2000, and shortly after it was included in the agenda of the Member States. One of the early adopters was Italy, which has actively implemented the EU’s guidelines on sustainability since 2003.
Meanwhile, the foundations of our School were being established in Milan. ALTIS’ creator, Professor Mario Molteni, was at that time was the Scientific Director of ISVI (Istituto per i Valori d’Impresa), an Italian institute that had focused on CSR since 1993. Having discussed at length with the former Rector of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Professor Lorenzo Ornaghi, they decided to create a Graduate School entirely dedicated to responsible management and entrepreneurship directed at sustainable development.
A few years later, ALTIS, Alta Scuola Impresa e Società (Graduate School Business and Society) was officially recognised by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research and the Università Cattolica. In 2005, ALTIS opened its doors to the public.
