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Headlines AACSB Promotes Peace Through Commerce Can business schools help bring peace to the world? A growing number of thought leaders believe they can—and AACSB International is working on ways to identify and coordinate some of their efforts. To that end, AACSB has established the Peace Through Commerce Initiative to recognize the unique roles that management educators worldwide can play in helping business collabo- rate with international peace efforts. "AACSB International believes that business and business schools can be catalysts of a new genera- tion of peace," says John Fernandes, president and CEO. "Through the work of the Peace Through Com- merce Task Force, AACSB will design strategies to enhance the April in Paris role of busi- ness schools in advancing world peace." The task force will con- centrate its initial efforts in several key areas. First, it is working to compile an inventory of member schools currently involved in initiatives with a "peace dimen- sion." A December survey asked schools to identify partnerships, exchange programs, faculty projects, student projects, curriculum-based initiatives, and any other activities that "contribute to peaceful co- existence on our planet." A sam- pling of some of those projects will be featured in an upcoming issue of BizEd. The task force also is consider- ing ways to support scholarship that shows a link between business and peace and to facilitate col- laboration between schools. One possibility is a Peace Through Com- merce Web site that will include links to innovations, curriculum resources, and best practices in the field. Additionally, peace initiatives will be under discussion at future events such as AACSB's Internation- al Conference and Annual Meeting, which will be held in conjunction with EFMD in Paris on April 23 through 25. Fernandes Recognized for Leadership John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of AACSB Inter- national, has won the Corporate Entrepreneur of the Year Award presented by the United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). This is only the fifth time in 15 years that the award has been presented. The honor recognizes Fernandes' Management educators from around the world will gather in Paris April 23 to 25 as AACSB International holds its International Conference and Annual Meeting in conjunction with the annual meeting of the European Foundation for Management Development. The events will take place at the Palais des Con- grés de Paris. Featured speakers will include Dominique de Villepin, the prime minister of France, and James Goodnight, CEO of SAS Institute. A wide range of interna- tional speakers will discuss topics such as AACSB accreditation, EFMD accred- itation, the role of global consultancies in management education, ethics and social responsibility, international strategic alliances, the future of faculty and scholarship, the rankings dilemma, the best way to diversify funding sources, and the state of e-learning. Updated information will be posted on the organi- zations' Web sites at www.aacsb.edu and www.efmd.org. 10 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2006 leadership in transforming AACSB International by working with the board of directors to implement a new corporate governance structure, advance thought leadership, and expand services. Since Fernandes joined AACSB in 2000, the num- ber of AACSB-accredited business schools outside the United States has increased fivefold, and total member- ship has increased by 30 percent. "Many individuals have been the catalysts in AACSB's transformation, so I feel that the award belongs to the past and current board members, staff, committees, and task forces," said Fernandes. "I am very pleased to accept it on behalf of all of them."