Research centres and collaborations

Research at the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business involves production of scholarly work around current issues in business, particularly focusing on our areas of expertise in entrepreneurship, international business, service management and social responsibility/sustainability. We pride ourselves on connecting across functional areas within business, with different academic areas on campus and promote partnerships with external organizations.

Some University of Victoria-wide research centres and initiatives that share our interests and perspectives that we work together with to tackle big questions include:

Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation (CSSI)

The goal of Gustavson’s CSSI is to help the school, our students and the greater community become change agents and role models for a sustainable and responsible approach to business. We focus on education, research and operations, guided by our own strategic plan and by the United Nations Global Compact Principles for Responsible Management Education. From ethics to eco-preneurship, from shared value, to sharing economies, we open doors to resources that help students, faculty, staff and the business community integrate all kinds of sustainability into their studies, careers, and lives.

A key element of good research is measurement, and Gustavson’s Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation takes that role seriously. That doesn’t mean we stick to numbers and charts, though!

Each year, we compile the stories that illustrate how we’ve been acting on our strategic plan to integrate sustainability ever more deeply in our educational programs, to boost the research capacity of our faculty and students, and to shrink our carbon footprint.

We record those stories in “CSSI: Everybody’s Business” and we invite you to see what we’ve done – and get a hint of what we’re aiming for over the next year!

View the Centre for Social and Sustainable Innovation.

Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives (CAPI)

CAPI was established in 1987 as an important element of the University of Victoria’s plan to expand and strengthen its links with universities and other institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, especially with China, Japan, Southeast Asia, Korea and the island states of Oceania. The CAPI Jarislowsky East-Asia Japan Chair was founded in 2010 through a $1 million donation to the Gustavson School of business by entrepreneur and philanthropist, Stephen A. Jarislowsky. The purpose of the Jarislowsky CAP East Asia (Japan) Chair is to educate students so they graduate with a thorough knowledge, understanding and appreciation of Asian cultures and give them the skills they need to work and perform effectively in these cultures.

View the Centre for Asia-Pacific Initiatives.

National Consortium for Indigenous Economic Development (NCIED)

NCIED was established by the Peter B. Gustavson School of Business and the Faculty of Law to harness community-based education to drive innovative economic change. The NCIED will focus on seven key areas including entrepreneurship, the development of appropriate structures for Indigenous economic activity, and the conditions for effective collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous enterprises.

View the National Consortium for Indigenous Economic Development.

View the NCIED Ten Year Review

Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions (PICS)

PICS is a dynamic knowledge network that brings together leading researchers from British Columbia and around the world to study the impacts of climate change and to develop positive approaches to mitigation and adaptation. PICS is hosted and led by the University of Victoria in collaboration with BC’s three other research-intensive universities – Simon Fraser University, the University of British Columbia, and the University of Northern British Columbia.

View the Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions.

Gustavson Brand Trust Index (GBTI)

The Gustavson Brand Trust Index (GBTI) measures Canadian consumers’ opinions about corporate and product brands across various categories.

The GBTI evaluates responses from Canadians to assess consumer levels of brand trust and what causes them to recommend a brand to their friends and family. The team behind the GBTI found that Canadian consumers closely link brand trust with consumer advocacy. The responses are indexed to provide rankings for the brands nationally, by category, gender, age, region and income.

The Gustavson Brand Trust Index measures opinions of over 7200 Canadian consumers on 313 national brands, across 26 different product categories.

View the Gustavson Brand Trust Index.