In collaboration with the HHL - Leipzig Graduate School of Management, the Wittenberg Center organized a summer school from the 20th to 26th July 2008. A total of 50 participants, drawn from five continents, among them the doctoral students of the HHL and young leaders and professionals of the Wittenberg Center for Global Ethics´ “Young Leaders Fellowship program”. In Leipzig and Wittenberg, the participants dealt with the principles of ethical value-oriented leadership and issues in business ethics.

Prof. Andreas Suchanek (Chair of Sustainability and Global Ethics, HHL) and Prof. Arnis Vilks (Chair of Microeconomics, HHL) treated the challenges of leadership in the 21st Century as well as the modern conception of ethics in a globalized world. Furthermore, Dr. Annett Baumast (Zurich Cantonal Bank) presented the rationale behind sustainability ratings and the future trends and opportunities of sustainable ratings. Concerning the topic of corruption, Prof. Ingo Pies (Chair of Business Ethics, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg) presented some of its causes and delivered a methodology for preventing corruption both in businesses and society in a global context. Besides, Prof. Manfred Kirchgeorg who holds the Chair of Marketing Management at the HHL, focused on the role of corporations in poverty eradication under the framework of the “Bottom of the Pyramid” (Marketing for the poor).

In the Wittenberg City Hall, the results of the working groups were presented by the participants to a panel of experts from the practice such as ambassadors of Malawi and Mozambique, deputies from the Embassy of Namibia as well as the German director of Transparency International and corporate representatives such as BP and KPMG. To continue the advancement of Entrepreneurial Spirit, Corporate Responsibility and Sustainable Development, the Wittenberg Center plans to execute further events of this kind in the coming years.