The 29^th Annual IAJBS World Forum and 2024 CJBE Annual meeting was hosted this year by the Australian Catholic University at its North Sydney Campus. While the past few years have seen the conference held in extremely hot conditions, delegates in Sydney experienced some of the coldest weather of the year in mid-winter Australia.

The theme of the conference, Our Common Home: The Role of Jesuit Business Education in Creating a Sustainable Future, attracted nearly 50 papers addressing a wide range of issues from across the full range of business disciplines.

The opening session, an interactive workshop on Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum: Educating Future Business Leaders, facilitated by Jacqui Remond, Co-Founder of the Global Laudato Si’ movement, set the scene for the conference. Participants actively engaged in the themes of these key documents with personal reflection activities on how these can be used to help form the next generation of business leaders.

A significant portion of the program was dedicated to advancing work on the Inspirational Paradigm with a Dean’s panel, multiple workshops and seven conference presentations. The combination of information-based sessions, interactive workshops and examples of the IP in practice, provided not only updates, but assistance for those who may be in the earlier stages of trying to implement the IP in their own institutions.

Another popular session was the panel of local Aboriginal leaders who took participants through Closing the Gap, the Australian government’s central platform for alleviating social, health and economic disadvantage amongst the indigenous population.

After an introduction by Pro Vice Chancellor (Indigenous), Kelly Humphrey, who highlighted the extent of the gaps in areas such as life expectancy, education and employment, colleagues from the government and schools’ sectors reviewed progress towards key goals.

Drawing on their own lived experience, the panel provided delegates with a very positive view of achievement and their optimism for a better future, whilst not shying away from acknowledging Australia’s difficult history with respect to relationships with indigenous peoples.

The second day drew together the themes of the conference with a session on practical business ethics featuring both researchers and practitioners before closing with a summary of the IP workshops and annual general meeting.

Finally, the conference ended on a high with the gala dinner held on board a harbour cruise ship, which took delegates past all the iconic sights of Sydney. Some delegates also took advantage of the post conference cultural tour to the Blue Mountains inclusive of a visit to a local zoo to see some of Australia’s most famous wildlife in person.