Global Initiatives The Mann Center is engaged in a number of vital global ini a ves. A few past ini a ves are described below, with more recent programs examined in detail on the following page. United Kingdom The Center facilitates on ongoing series of retreats for college and university presidents at the University of Oxford, chaired by Samford President Andrew Westmoreland. These retreats foster produc ve dialogue about the meless missions of colleges and universi es as communi es of moral forma on and purpose. Switzerland Dr. Knapp is a fellow of the Caux Round Table, a global organiza on of business leaders promo ng ethical principles for interna onal commerce. He par cipated in the interna onal scholars’ retreat in July 2009, a part of CRT’s conference on the global economic crisis. A statement was dra ed by the Fellows calling for a shi in priori es in business educa on. In 2010 the Mann Center sponsored a retreat where theologians studied economic teachings of the three Abrahamic faiths. Egypt At the invita on of former First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, Dr. Knapp gave a plenary presenta on en tled, “Leadership in an Era of Declining Trust” at the 2009 na onal conference of the Na onal Council for Women, “Women, Leadership and Social Jus ce.” He also joined the First Lady on a panel of interna onal leaders addressing issues of social jus ce before an audience of foreign ambassadors and other diplomats; his presenta on focused on the moral underpinnings of a democra c society.
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South Africa The Center has developed a collabora ve SamfordStellenbosch University ini a ve involving students and faculty. One aspect of this project is a transcon nental learning community comprising Samford and Stellenbosch students interested in studying movements for social change. The group has met via videoconference, and a delega on of Stellenbosch students visited Samford in 2011. A Jan Term course, “Social and Economic Issues in Post-Apartheid South Africa,” was taught by Dr. Knapp in residence at Stellenbosch during Jan Term 2010. The Center also conducts annual service prac cum with Living Way microenterprise center in Cape Town.