Following on a tradition of recognizing innovative business professors since 1999, this year the Aspen Institute Business & Society Program is awarding 20 exceptional courses that inspire and equip future business leaders to tackle the issues of our time. The Ideas Worth Teaching Awards honor extraordinary teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate levels that is redefining excellence in business education – and ultimately in business practice.

Jadranka Skorin-Kapov, a Management Professor in the College of Business, developed the course, “Business Ethics: Critical Thinking through Film” to provide the combination of critical thinking, discussion of moral values, and ethical considerations applied in a business setting. The course uses narrative film to depict challenging ethical dilemmas, and has students engaging in critical thinking, evaluation of moral standards, and display of various ethical positions pertaining to contemporary society and business.
The Ideas Worth Teaching Awards were established to celebrate curricula that bring to life the promise of meaningful work in business – showing students the “choice points” available to firms and managers in realms like sustainability or the future of work. This year’s winning courses focus on critical social issues ripped from the headlines – populism, water scarcity and artificial intelligence among them – and illuminate how and why these issues are business issues. Collectively, these courses paint a picture of what is possible in management education
“At a time when business leaders face intense scrutiny about their role in social issues, these award-winning faculty are bravely challenging the ‘norms’ of what is taught in business school—and creating leaders who can navigate a highly uncertain environment,” explains Claire Preisser, Associate Director of Aspen BSP.
The Aspen Institute Business and Society Program (Aspen BSP), founded in 1998, works with business executives and scholars to align business decisions and investments with the long-term health of society—and the planet. Through carefully designed networks, working groups and focused dialogue, the Program identifies and inspires thought leaders and “intrapreneurs” to challenge conventional ideas about capitalism and markets, to test new measures of business success and to connect classroom theory and business practice. The Business and Society Program is most known for the First Movers Fellowship, for dialogue on curbing short-termism in business and capital markets, and for fresh thinking about the Purpose of the corporation. For more information, visit www.aspenbsp.org.
The Aspen Institute is an educational and policy studies organization based in Washington, DC. Its mission is to foster leadership based on enduring values and to provide a nonpartisan venue for dealing with critical issues. The Institute is based in Washington, DC; Aspen, Colorado; and on the Wye River on Maryland’s Eastern Shore. It also has offices in New York City and an international network of partners. For more information, visit www.aspeninstitute.org
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