Art-centric initiatives focused on sustainability for undergraduate business students in Kazakhstan

This chapter explores using art-based pedagogy in sustainability-focused courses at KIMEP University in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Students enrolled in Brand Management, Sustainable Marketing, and Ethics, Responsibility, and Sustainability in Business enthusiastically participated in art-based activities and projects centered on the SDGs. Among their activities was a photography competition that showcased various sustainability issues, such as human waste management and reforestation. Undergraduates engaged in small-scale theatrical activities, including pantomime and role-playing. Business majors worked on a semester-long project to create products through upcycling, including a body scrub made from coffee waste and sustainable candles crafted from coconut shells or orange peels. Teams also transformed textiles, leftover fabric, and discarded garments into hairbands and shopping bags, which they decorated and marketed. The students&s; pride in their ability to upcycle waste materials was evident as they reported a more profound understanding of the challenges in implementing sustainability practices. They expressed their empowerment in selling the creations and generating revenue, highlighting the effectiveness of business education in this context.