The IAJU Task Force on Jesuit Business Education is one of two new Task Forces that have emerged since the 2018 IAJU Assembly at the University of Deusto. On Friday, August 5, Rev. Nicky Santos, S.J. of Creighton University (USA), presented the background, work and future directions of the Task Force to the 2022 IAJU Assembly.
The Task Force on Jesuit Business Education emerged with the goal of creating a new paradigm for Jesuit business education. Its steering committee was composed of members from six continents who drafted a white paper on “shifting our nomenclature from new to inspirational.”
The white paper provided a state of affairs, “hungers,” and a new educational paradigm. The state of affairs identified the twofold responsibilities of business schools as:
- Generate new knowledge that informs and transforms the way business is conducted; and
- Help raise awareness of and provide a framework for reflection on the role that each student plays in being part of the solutions.
Hungers include experiential learning, integrated knowledge, moral compass, community, a global paradigm, an adult spirituality, and dignified work and meaningful impact.
The proposed paradigm aspires to new business curricula through the use of the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm. It strives to identify a vision of the essential skills needed for this new kind of leadership and outline the role of key stakeholders in it. Ultimately, business is seen as a vocation that can form people who serve the greater glory of God.
To learn more about the Task Force’s innovative work, including Inspirational Paradigm grants, the MBA scorecard, the proposed Examen process, and growing partnerships, please visit the Task Force’s page on the IAJU website.