Business as a Force for Good Annual Ethics Symposium

If we no longer speak the language of fraternity and beauty in our relationship with the world, our attitude will be that of masters, consumers, ruthless exploiters, unable to set limits on their immediate needs. – Pope Francis, Laudato Si’ (2015), §11

As a society, we often see the world as a set of problems that need solving and opportunities to pursue. If contemplated as an integrated whole in which the natural environment, human communities, and economic life cannot be understood apart from one another, the world becomes a “joyful mystery to be contemplated with gladness and praise.” (Laudato Si’, §12). Pope Francis calls this vision “integral ecology,” and Pope Leo XIV carries it into the age of artificial intelligence in Magnifica Humanitas (2026).

What might this mean for the frameworks we use to analyze the world and our decision-making processes, in both business and our lives? Join us at this year’s Business as a Force for Good Annual Ethics Symposium as Fr. Dominic Chai, S.J., Associate Dean for Strategy and Mission at the College of Business Administration, and Fr. Peter Rožič, S.J., Director of Integral Ecology Research Network at University of Oxford, offer reflections on these questions, followed by small-group conversation in which participants thoughtfully discern together, moving from seeing to judging to acting.

Wednesday, October 28, 10:00–11:30 a.m., in Hilton 100.

Speakers

Dominic Chai, S.J.

Dominic Chai, S.J., Ph.D., is Associate Professor of Management and Associate Dean for Strategy and Mission at LMU College of Business Administration. He earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley, a doctorate from the London School of Economics, and a licentiate in sacred theology from Boston College.

Fr. Chai has held faculty positions at Manchester Business School, Seoul National University, Birkbeck College, University of London, and the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, teaching strategic management and business ethics. His industry experience includes serving as an executive at Hyundai Development Company in Korea, where he led global strategy and launched ventures for value creation and synergy across the business group.

During the recent pandemic, he was missioned to the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, where he co-coordinated the Vatican COVID-19 Commission’s Economy Taskforce, advocating for debt relief in impoverished nations, and forging partnerships to bring Laudato Si’ into action.

Currently, Fr. Chai collaborates with the International Association of Jesuit Business Schools (IAJBS) to strengthen the global network of Jesuit institutions committed to addressing societal challenges. He is also a research associate at the University of Cambridge's Centre for Business Research. His research interests center on integrating Catholic Social Thought into economic discourse, in hopes of advancing the well-being of global society and the common good.

Peter Rožič, S.J.

Peter Rožič, S.J., is the Director of Integral Ecology Research Network at University of Oxford, where he leads the global promotion of the integral ecology research. He facilitates academic initiatives and fosters international partnerships across academia, policy, and global institutions.

Peter has academic expertise with a broad disciplinary base. After completing his doctorate in Government at Georgetown University, Washington DC, he took up an appointment as Research Scholar and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Department of Political Science, Santa Clara University, California. This was followed by appointment as Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the University of Ljubljana, Slovenia. In Brussels, Belgium, he was the Director of the Jesuit European Social Centre; there he founded the European Leadership Programme. In 2023, he was Senior Researcher and then Director at the Environmental Justice Program (EJP) at Georgetown University, Washington DC.

Peter's professional journey involves a rich history within research and educational institutions, coupled with experience in management and coaching. His expertise extends to innovating and maintaining high-quality international programs and cultivating strategic partnerships. Peter has a track record for providing visionary thought leadership and fostering positive organizational culture. He is also skilled in organizational reinvention, involving talent cultivation and fund generation.

His current interests include digital knowledge infrastructure and the governance of AI.