MS-ESM Students Tackle Sustainability Projects Through Partnerships With Earth Commons Greece
The Master of Science in Environment and Sustainability Management (MS-ESM) program at Georgetown University recently strengthened its global reach through the Earth Commons Institute for Environment and Sustainability’s (ECo) international partnerships in Greece. In the spring, the program collaborated with three major Greek companies – OTE Group, the Public Power Corporation, and HELLENiQ Energy – on projects that provided real-world experience for students and valuable insights for the companies.
These partnerships are part of the MS-ESM program’s goal to foster international connections and address global sustainability issues, which are facilitated through university initiatives and institutes such as the Business of Sustainability Initiative at Georgetown’s McDonough School of Business and Earth Commons Institute – a hub dedicated to advancing environmental research, education, and sustainability initiatives.
The Earth Commons Institute recently launched activities at its first international hub in Greece to address environmental challenges in one of the world’s most climate-vulnerable regions. By connecting students with industry leaders, Earth Commons Greece (ECo Greece) supports innovative projects while equipping students with practical skills in sustainability management.
Over the course of four months, 13 MS-ESM students collaborated with three major technology, electric power, and integrated energy companies in Greece as consultants delivering capstone projects focused on specific sustainability challenges within each organization. One student group worked with OTE Group, a leading Greek telecommunications company, where students explored the role of information and communications technology (ICT) in climate adaptation and mitigation for Greece’s agriculture sector.
“We addressed how the ICT sector could support farmers in managing climate risks while aligning with European Union and national climate legislation,” said Elizabeth Mpis (MS-ESM’24).
The students proposed an innovative partnership between OTE and an emerging agricultural technology startup, introducing a leasing model to make the solution accessible to farms of various sizes.
“Working with OTE was incredibly fulfilling and insightful,” said Mpis. “It was fascinating to see how a major Greek telecommunications company integrates sustainability into its core operations and offers B2B services to help clients reduce their carbon footprint.”
Representatives from OTE Group said they appreciated partnering with students from diverse backgrounds.
“We had a great experience working with Georgetown University students,” said Kyriaki Sareli, sustainability senior specialist at OTE Group.“The team’s diverse perspectives added significant value to our collaboration, and their professionalism and dedication stood out throughout the project. This partnership has positively impacted our company by delivering fresh insights and actionable outcomes that align with our business needs.”
Another group worked with HELLENiQ Energy, an integrated energy company focused on advancing the energy transition and providing low-carbon energy solutions to tackle emissions reduction targets.
The MS-ESM team supported the company’s goal of reaching net-zero emissions by analyzing the preliminary framework from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for the oil and gas sector. The students provided a detailed set of recommendations for HELLENiQ Energy to submit to SBTi as feedback, contributing to the framework’s development for industry-wide use. Additionally, they created a custom calculator to help the company set preliminary year-by-year emission reduction targets, offering HELLENiQ a practical tool for tracking their progress toward net-zero emissions.
“Being able to apply what I learned in an actual company gives me perspective on how difficult things are and how there’s not a linear path,” said Lucia Szyman Mulero (MS-ESM’24), one of the team members for the HELLENiQ Energy project. “Every job is challenging and getting where you need to go requires adaptability.”
Szyman Mulero described the experience as a valuable opportunity to bridge theory and practice, learning firsthand that real-world sustainability work requires resilience to pivot when challenges arise.
The team’s final product also proved valuable to the company, as noted by the executives of HELLENiQ Energy, who worked closely with the student team throughout the duration of the project.
“The students provided high-quality research work, and the cooperation throughout this capstone project was very productive and professional, similar to what we’d expect from a well-educated team of business consultants,” said Antonios Mountouris, manager of group health, safety, environment, and sustainable development at HELLENiQ. “It was really impressive that the students fully understood the whole concept of the research question and, without any special guidance, delivered a high-quality report.”
Through these projects, students gained hands-on experience with tools and frameworks used for sustainability goals and strengthened their problem-solving, teamwork, and communication skills to address the multifaceted challenges of sustainability in real-world settings. The opportunity to manage project timelines and present findings to industry professionals further developed their leadership and professional capabilities.
“One of the biggest skills I gained was people management – learning how to encourage collaboration within a team, find common ground, and handle challenging situations,” said Szyman Mulero. “When you’re working with a group for three or four months, it’s essential to have those skills to ensure the project is productive and successful.”
As the MS-ESM program continues to foster partnerships that benefit students and industries addressing critical environmental challenges worldwide, students emphasized the importance of fully engaging in these transformative experiences.
“Building strong relationships with the partner organization is essential, as their insights can significantly enhance the quality and impact of the work,” said Mpis. “Additionally, it’s important to focus on balancing technical and business aspects in deliverables to ensure solutions are practical, actionable, and aligned with local and global sustainability goals.”