Greetings
The one who plants seeds envisions the future. That future doesn't just contain delicious fruits. It holds unseen efforts until the harvest,
the joy of obtaining fruits, the happiness of sharing, and it encompasses all relationships and hopes.
In 2018, a small seed called CSES (Center for Social value Enhancement Studies) was founded. The foundation of CSES began with the
contemplation of ways to motivate various economic actors to actively participate in solving social issues while engaging in economic
activities. One such method is believed to be the establishment of a system where the social impact of problem-solving is recognized and
rewarded monetarily in the market.
However, achieving such a society requires more than just research on measurement. We need to envision a market system in which
various stakeholders can participate. If an appropriate market system for recognizing, rewarding, and trading social value is established,
more capital will flow in and economic activities based on social value creation will become more vibrant, leading to an improvement in
people's quality of life.
Therefore, the second fruit envisioned by CSES is creating a platform for various experiments, theoretical developments, and discussions
between researchers and practitioners to increase the feasibility of a market system where social value is recognized.
At this juncture, the role of businesses as primary actors in generating economic value is crucial. Whether the trend progresses from CSR to CSV and even to ESG, activities aimed at creating social value that are not linked to business sustainability may struggle to endure and could face challenges regarding authenticity. This is why CSES pays even more attention to corporates’ social value creation activities.
Globally, there's a movement transcending the dichotomy between economic and social value, termed Impact Finance, Impact Currency, Regenerative Finance, among others. Organizations such as the UN and WEF emphasize partnerships between the public sector and private enterprises for social innovation. Recently, the scale and methods of involvement of globally renowned companies in social innovation have diversified.
Obtaining good fruits is not an easy process. It may not be sufficient with the efforts of CSES alone. We hope that many people will contribute to the efforts of CSES by providing healthy soil, adequate moisture, warm sunlight, and fertile nutrients, which are essential for solving social issues.
CSES aims to be a platform for connecting social entrepreneurs, researchers, and practitioners who strive to solve social problems. When the results of their research and initiatives settle in our society and more social issues are resolved, we hope you will join us in sharing and planting new seeds together.