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NOBEL LAUREATE AMARTYA SEN

One of the most well-respected economic and ethics scholars of our time is coming to the U to share his perspective on the “Ethics and Economics of Global Justice.”

By Sheena McFarland, communications specialist, David Eccles School of Business

One of the most well-respected and honored economic and ethics scholars of our time is coming to the University of Utah to share his perspective on the “Ethics and Economics of Global Justice.”

Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen will deliver a lecture at the Libby Gardner Hall at noon on April 22, 2016. It will be followed by a reception.

The event, which is free and open to the public, is presented by the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at the David Eccles School of Business, the S.J. Quinney College of Law and the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.

“We are deeply honored to have professor Amartya Sen visit our campus,” said Abe Bakhsheshy, director and professor of the Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative at the Eccles School. “He has shown the world the importance of ethics and how they can have such profound impact on policies and the daily lives of citizens around the world.”

Sen earned the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1998 for his contribution to welfare economics and conceiving and applying ethical principles as a framework for institutional and organizational decision-making in economics, politics, business, law and global governance. He is currently the Thomas W. Lamont University Professor and Professor of Economics and Philosophy at Harvard University.

Empty bowlPrior to winning the Nobel Prize, he had largely focused on the prevention of famines. After his win, Sen said he was able to “do something immediate and practical about my old obsessions, including literacy, basic health care and gender equity.” He focused on India and Bangladesh.

“Amartya Sen is one of the foremost public intellectuals of our time. His work has informed the public debate and challenged leaders around the world on the ethical, global, and policy dimensions of a wide range of issues such as human rights, democracy, poverty, violence, gender and human development,” said Deen Chatterjee, senior advisor and professorial fellow at the S.J. Quinney College of Law.

The lecture will highlight the importance of creating a strong ethical framework when addressing the economic situations that face populations around the world.

“We are proud to bring him to the University of Utah to address our students, faculty, staff and community on the importance of ethics in a viable global economy,” Chatterjee said.

The free lecture will begin at noon in the Libby Gardner Hall and will be followed by a reception. Free parking will be available in Lot 40, which is located on the southeast corner of the 500 South and Guardsman Way intersection. A free shuttle will transport attendees to Libby Gardner Hall.

For more information about Sen, please visit eccles.link/amartya to view a PDF biography.

The event is co-sponsored by the following campus partners: