WINSTON-SALEM, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Capitalism touches many aspects of our lives. From recent history with tumultuous financial markets and economic recession to current debate over healthcare and government, the exploration of the proper relation among business, government, and society must be continued. A $600,000 grant from the Thomas W. Smith Foundation to the WFU School of Business BB&T Center for the Study of Capitalism will help make that exploration even more possible.
“There’s no better time to explore the morality of capitalism,” said James Otteson, executive director of the BB&T Center for the Study of Capitalism at Wake Forest University. “This gift will sponsor courses to explore what the moral purpose of business in a just and human society means to us and future generations.”
The award will support learning experiences in the School investigating the moral foundations of capitalism.
“We want students to think about capitalism: What is it? What role does it play in our lives? What role should it play?” Otteson said. “When issues like healthcare or economic policy come up, students in all our programs will have the tools to evaluate them. It’s bigger than just courses in a business school. Our graduates work in businesses of all industries which are affected by government policies and they must understand the crucial contributions they can and must make to human prosperity.”
Otteson says the grant, which will be paid over three years, will help expand the center’s scholarship and ability to provide educational tools like visiting lectures, meetings, and conferences. The Center fosters an intellectual community dedicated to understanding the moral role of business and capitalism in the creation of a peaceful and prosperous society.
About Wake Forest University School of Business (business.wfu.edu)
The Wake Forest University School of Business offers undergraduate programs in finance, accounting, mathematical business, and business and enterprise management, and graduate programs including a Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Accountancy and Master of Arts in Management. Our programs are consistently ranked among the world’s best in surveys by U.S. News & World Report, Business Week, the Economist, Forbes, and the Financial Times. Wake Forest MBAs who sat for a Six Sigma green belt certification exam in 2011 and 2012 had a 100% pass rate. Wake Forest accountancy graduates earned the highest passing rate in the nation on the CPA exam last year and have maintained the top CPA exam pass rate among universities with accounting programs for 11 of the past 15 years.
