By: Charlie Meidino Albajili, Programme Officer for Access to Justice/Business and Human Rights, Jakarta Office
The Raoul Wallenberg Institute (RWI) organised a two-day Regional Workshop on Case-Based Learning (CBL) for Competitiveness through Responsible Business Conduct on 19–20 November 2025 in Jakarta. The workshop gathered representatives from business schools, law faculties, and civil society organisations from Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, and Vietnam to exchange knowledge on how education can contribute to more responsible and sustainable business practices in Southeast Asia.
Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) in the region is evolving amid increasing global expectations for human rights and environmental due diligence. Participants discussed that regulatory developments are advancing but remain uneven across the region, with continued challenges related to standardisation, digitalisation of supply chains, and meaningful stakeholder engagement. At the same time, market requirements are shaping how businesses compete and attract investment, making RBC increasingly relevant to long-term business resilience.
A key message emerging from the workshop was the importance of education in bridging the gap between policy commitments and practice. Participants highlighted that future business, legal, and policy professionals are often not exposed to the real dilemmas and trade-offs that companies face when competing in global markets while navigating environmental and social impacts. Strengthening RBC, therefore, depends not only on regulations but also on how we prepare the next generation of decision-makers.
Against this backdrop, the workshop introduced Case-Based Learning as an interdisciplinary tool that brings real-world dilemmas into the learning process. Partner teams from Cambodia and Indonesia presented their progress in developing RBC-focused case studies: covering the biofuels and organic rice sector in Cambodia and the critical minerals sector in Indonesia. Developing these cases has involved collaboration between business academics, law academics, and civil society organisations. Participants recognised that such collaboration can be challenging due to differing approaches and professional languages, yet also emphasised that it offers a more comprehensive understanding by bringing business, legal, and community perspectives together in a single narrative.
The workshop further demonstrated how a single case can be used across different learning environments: business classrooms, law schools, and governance programmes. Several participants expressed interest in developing simplified “community-edition” cases to support rights-holder groups in analysing risks, mapping stakeholders, and engaging from an informed position. This case-based learning/teaching is a scalable, regional education and capacity-building initiative strengthening sustainability and responsible business practices within the Regional Asia and Pacific agribusiness and emerging green business.
This activity is supported by the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) through RWI’s Regional Asia Pacific Programme (RAPP2). The programme aims to strengthen institutional capacity and collaboration in Southeast Asia to promote responsible business conduct for inclusive and sustainable development.
Read more
Read more about RWI’s Regional Asia Pacific Programme (RAPP2) here
Read more about RWI’s experts:
- Radu Mares -Thematic Leader Business and Human Rights, Associate Professor
- Christian Ranheim – Regional Director, Asia and the Pacific
- Windi A. Imam – Country Director, Indonesia
- Mostafa Sen – Country Director, Cambodia
- Charlie Meidino Albajili – Programme Officer for Access to Justice/Business and Human Rights