Annual Conference of the European SPES Forum
June 30-July 2, 2006 in Budapest, Hungary

The Business Ethics Center of the Corvinus University of Budapest organizes the 2006 Annual Conference of the European SPES Forum under the title “Europe-Asia Dialogue on Business, Ethics & Spirituality.”

The European SPES Forum
The mission of the European SPES Forum is to open up spirituality as a vital source in social and economic life. The keyword of SPES is an acronym for ‘SPirituality in Economics and Society’, but it is also the Latin word for Hope, the virtue that sustains our belief in a better future. The European SPES Forum has a focus on experience-based spirituality that succeeds in making a connection between day-to-day activities and the inner, pluriform quest for meaning. (www.spes-forum.be)

The Europe – Asia Dialogue
The 2006 conference is the continuation of the dialogue between European and Asian scholars and practitioners presented in the book Spirituality and Ethics in Management (edited by Laszlo Zsolnai, Kluwer Academic Publishers, 2004). The conference aims to provide an opportunity for constructive dialogue on the European and Asian business in the context of spiritually based humanism.

Issues to be Addressed
What are the basic differences and similarities between the ethical orientation of European and Asian ways of doing business?
How can European and Asian traditions of spirituality contribute to transforming contemporary management theory and praxis?
Which are the progressive business models in Europe and in Asia from a humanistic point of view?
Which new leadership roles emerge for spiritual growth and reflection at the workplace in Europe and Asia?
How can European and Asian business cooperate in better serving nature, human communities and future generations?
What is the difference between economic paradigms applied in Asian and European economies?
Do different spiritual orientations play a role in determining the perception on economic growth, social wellbeing and personal happiness?

Place and Date
“Europe-Asia Dialogue on Business, Ethics & Spirituality” Conference will be held at the venue of the Corvinus University of Budapest, in downtown Budapest, Hungary. The conference will start on June 30, 2006 and will end on July 2, 2006 (from Friday afternoon to Sunday noon).

Publication
Selected papers presented in the conference will be published in a book edited for the “Frontiers of Business Ethics” series at Peter Lang Academic Publishers in Oxford.

Participation Fee of the SPES Annual Conference
250 Euros for regular participants
150 Euros for SPES members not having institutional support
100 Euros for students and accompanying persons

Submissions
Interested participants should send a detailed abstract of their planned presentation (about 500 words) accompanied by a short biographical note (100 words) electronically by February 28, 2006 to:

Laszlo Zsolnai
Professor and Director
Business Ethics Center
Corvinus University of Budapest
1824 Budapest, P.O. Box 489
Hungary
Phone/Fax: 36-1 482 5844
Email: laszlo_zsolnai@interware.hu