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Symposium

Each fall, the Ethics Institute helps host a symposium event, bringing together a diverse range of professionals to explore a relevant and timely topic. The event continues to grow and become more collaborative, reaching partners across campus to shape perspectives, educate our community and explore intersections of important areas of focus. 

For the first time, all four of MSU’s Ethics Centers and Ethics Initiative came together to host the Professional Ethics Symposium on Nov. 11, 2024. The centers partnering to host this event together were the Center for Bioethics and Social Justice, the Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership, the Frank J. Kelley Institute of Ethics and the Legal Profession, and the Ethics Institute. Together, they gathered professionals, faculty, staff, students, and community members to explore the convergence of leadership, ethics, industry, and professionalism in the workplace.

Highlights of the Symposium

  • Keynote Speaker: Dr. Jeffrey Matthews
  • Panel 1: The Intersection of Ethics, Trust, Leadership, and Expectations in Today’s Environment
  • Panel 2: Professional Ethics and Sustainability as a Leader
  • Panel 3: Navigating the Balance Between Transparency, Confidentiality, and Trust in Leadership

Additional information can be found on the Broad College of Business website. 

The Ethics Institute and the Broad College of Business Center for Ethical and Socially Responsible Leadership, with support from the Office of Research and Innovation and the Office of International Studies and Programs, partnered with True Elements to host The Ethics and Water Symposium on Nov. 6, 2023. Together, they explored how C-Suite and Government leaders can tackle water management challenges while creating new opportunities. The symposium was dynamic and multi-faceted, much like water itself.

Highlights of the Symposium

  • Keynote Speaker: Mr. Saroj Kumar Jha, Global Director for the World Bank Group’s Water Global Practice (GP), discussed the human aspect of water from an ethical lens.
  • Following Mr. Jha, scholars from the MSU community delivered flash talks to provide an overview of their research and work in water.
  • After lunch, the symposium explored the role of water in sustainability, featuring a panel of experts.
  • Then, True Elements shared how their organization utilizes state-of-the-art scientific and AI capabilities to translate water’s complex, multi-dimensional and interrelationships into clearly understandable patterns and scores for reliable analysis, forecasting, and informed decision-making.
  • Lastly, the event closed with a panel of MSU experts highlighting how people with vastly different backgrounds can work together to address water challenges.
  • Featured MSU speakers included Teresa K. Woodruff, Thomas Jeitschko, Judith Whipple and Sriram Narayanan. 

The Ethics of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence Conference occurred on Nov. 3, 2022. The featured speaker was JoAnn Stonier from Mastercard, who provided a high-level overview of the ethical issues and challenges she faces in her industry. Scholars from the MSU community also delivered five-minute flash talks to share an overview of their work in big data and artificial intelligence. Flash talks were organized into five thematic panels, with an integrative discussion closing out each panel, which explored various topics ranging from “Bias and Data Sourcing of AI” to “Societal Applications of AI and STEM.”

Highlights of the Conference

  • Keynote Speaker: JoAnn Stonier, who emphasized ethical issues and challenges in data innovation and strategy.
  • Featured MSU speakers included Teresa K. Woodruff, Linda Sheryl Greene, Christopher P. Long and Judith Whipple, who delivered flash talks in thematic areas. 

The inaugural MSU Ethics Symposium, held on Oct. 14, 2021, helped further the goal of establishing an MSU Ethics Institute, where leading-edge research in ethical theory shapes global ethical practice and knowledge of ethical practices inform the further development of theory.

Highlights of the Symposium

  • Featured Speakers: Anita Allen discussed how interdisciplinary outreach, practice and pedagogy come together. Kirk O. Hanson discussed how centers and institutes are created to work collaboratively. Both speakers also focused on the philosophical and practical dimensions of establishing an Institute.
  • Following each keynote speaker was a focus group of faculty members who are interested in the various issues of outreach, research, practice and pedagogy.
  • Featured MSU speakers included Samuel L. Stanley Jr., Teresa K. Woodruff, Linda Sheryl Greene and Christopher P. Long.

Access a recording of the 2021 symposium online.