Lára Jóhannsdóttir, professor of environment and natural resources studies at the University of Iceland, was recently appointed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Economy in Spain to participate in an expert committee on corporate social responsibility in Spain. The Spanish government established the committee to prepare a report outlining Spain's position on social responsibility in the international context. Furthermore,, the committee will submit proposals to lay the foundation for Spain's new corporate social responsibility policy.
The committee's first meeting took place in Madrid this week, marking the beginning of extensive work that will begin properly this autumn and conclude at the end of the year.
Spanish authorities seek Lára’s expertise as a specialist in corporate social responsibility; her field in both research and teaching. Undoubtedly, it is Lára's research output and the quality of her work, along with her international publications, that have led to her being sought after for this role.
In recent years, the University of Iceland has earned trust and respect on the international stage as a comprehensive and powerful research university, and this challenging project of Lára's demonstrates that the university's scholars are at the forefront internationally in their fields.
This also demonstrates that the university has gained trust in the international discourse, supporting governments in tackling various challenges, ranging from environmental change, natural disasters, and rapid technological transformations to various projects related to people's wellbeing.
"Before I entered academia at the University of Iceland, I had 14 years of experience in the insurance sector, where I worked on quality, environmental, and safety issues, and I also served on the board of a pension fund for eight years. Therefore, both practical and academic knowledge and experience will be useful for this undertaking. Based on my research, I have developed a theoretical framework for strategic planning and implementation in this field and expanded definitions of stakeholders, which will hopefully be useful for this work," says Lára when asked why she was chosen for this project.
Following the meeting this week, a special presentation event was held where Yolanda Díaz, the Second Deputy Prime Minister of Spain and Minister of Labour and Social Economy, along with Jesús Cruz Villalón, professor of labour law and social security at the University of Seville in Spain, introduced the project along with two other members of the committee.