22nd Annual Collegiate Ethics Case Competition Tackles The Ethics of Lab-Grown Meat
On October 11-12, 2024, the Center for Leadership Ethics in the Eller College of Management hosted the 22nd annual Collegiate Ethics Case Competition (CECC). This event brought together 25 colleges and universities from around the world. Student teams collaboratively analyzed, presented, and responded to a thought-provoking business ethics case focused on lab-grown meat authored by Paul Melendez, University Distinguished Outreach Professor and founder of the Center for Leadership Ethics. Lab-grown meat has become a topic of deep interest in Arizona with two unsuccessful legislative attempts to ban and restrict labeling.
The CECC, sponsored by South32 and Vanguard, aims to mirror real-world ethical dilemmas that professionals may encounter in their future careers, providing an invaluable learning experience for all participants. This year, Ayushi Choudhary and Yalena Sermeno from the University of Calgary took first place.
The event kicked off on Thursday, October 11, with a welcome dinner at the Eller College of Management. Attendees had the privilege of hearing from two distinguished speakers: Karthik Kannan, dean and Halle Chair in Leadership of the Eller College, and Pat Risner, president of South32.
Kannan praised the Center for Leadership Ethics, describing it as an amazing center in the Eller College and noted that the Collegiate Ethics Case Competition has become a great trend in attracting so many universities. "South32 is aa phenomenal partner with Eller and the University of Arizona," says Kannan. "They continue to enrich our community by donating their time and treasure to our events."
Risner, who is a mining executive with 32 years of industry experience, shared his perspective on the importance of ethics in business. "Events like the CECC are critical to South32," he stated. He reflected on his own educational experience, saying, "An event like this would have been so great to have in my undergraduate experience because we didn't get taught things like this in my college years."
Risner also addressed the ethical challenges facing his industry. "This industry has not managed these ethical questions that will be answered at the competition, and that has to change." He expressed pride in South32's involvement in the event, underscoring the company's commitment to fostering ethical leadership in future business professionals.
The Collegiate Ethics Case Competition continues to serve as a vital platform for nurturing ethical decision-making skills in tomorrow's business leaders, bridging the gap between academic theory and real-world application.
Thank you to our title sponsors at South32 as well as Vanguard for their generous support in this event.