Carnegie Mellon Qatar hosts 4th Conference on International Corporate Responsibility

Sponsored by Carnegie Bosch Institute and Carnegie Mellon Qatar, the conference centers on the theme of globalizing business decisions that are sensitive to political, economic and cultural difference.

As part of an effort to be truly international, the ICR is held on a different continent every two years.

"So far, we've met in Pittsburgh, Amsterdam and Hong Kong. We looked to the Gulf Region for our 2008 meeting, partly because of its dynamic business environment and a distinctive cultural viewpoint that can enrich the global discussion of corporate responsibility," says John Hooker, Carnegie Mellon faculty member and ICR organizer.

ICR 2008 is bringing together a small but diverse group of scholars, business people and other interested persons to exchange views on corporate responsibility.

Approximately 18 invited speakers from different cultural and professional backgrounds will present and discuss their papers at Al Sharq Village and Spa.

"Our participants are even more diverse than our locations," says Hooker.

"The reason for this diversity is to allow a small group of participants of very different backgrounds to engage in intense and friendly dialog, so as to understand each other's point of view. Thanks to the support of Qatar Foundation and Carnegie Bosch Institute, no participant is deterred from attending due to insufficient means."

Dr. Sheikha Abdulla Al-Misnad, President of Qatar University, delivered the keynote address. She sees education as key to economic development and addressed the role that business can play in developing educational infrastructure.

"With the debates, success stories and even controversies that surround it, corporate social responsibility is a concept that one cannot ignore, and it is one that intrigues me as an academic, as a leader of an educational institution and as a citizen," says Al Misnad.

"Businesses in Qatar and around the world have learned that they can no longer focus only on the bottom line when making corporate decisions. Consumers and investors alike are beginning to judge them based on how they conduct themselves in non-finan¬cial areas such as business ethics, environmental policies, workplace conditions and other issues. From local economic development concerns to international human rights policies, companies are being held accountable for their actions and their impact. They must consider the footprint they are leaving behind," Al Misnad says.

"I believe education can play a leading role in reducing that footprint by creating a cadre of global citizens in every generation, by developing in them a moral intelligence and a desire to contribute to the greater good. I also believe that there is much that the business sector can do to act as a real partner in the development of society, by making meaningful and strategic investments in education. It is a natural partnership because, ultimately, the goal of education and the goal of corporate responsibility are one and the same - to secure the future and to improve the quality of human life."

Carnegie Bosch Institute organizes the ICR conferences every two years.

Scholars will be coming from Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Brunei Darussalam, Canada, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Nigeria, the Sultanate of Oman, Philippines, Qatar, Russia, Spain, USA and Zambia.