“Education is for improving the lives of others and for leaving your community and world better than you found it,” says Marian Wright Edelman, founder and president emerita of the Children’s Defense Fund and recipient of the 2000 Presidential Medal of Freedom. 

This same sentiment lies at the heart of Bentley’s own mission: To ensure that tomorrow’s business leaders have the knowledge and skills necessary to not only be the best in the world, but for the world. And it’s why the university’s Badavas Center for Innovation in Teaching and Learning has signed on as a presenting sponsor for “Academic Innovation for the Public Good,” a 10-part virtual book talk series organized by Stanford University and Trinity College. 

Each month, the series offers participants an opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussions with leading scholars about the role of higher education in fostering a more ethical and equitable society. “Our goal with the center is to spark meaningful conversations about innovation in higher education and the complex challenges we face as a society,” explains Badavas Center Executive Director Suzanne Dove, “and we’re thrilled to co-sponsor this series with other leading academic institutions,” including Brown, Duke and Princeton. 

Dove is particularly excited about this month’s event with Ronald J. Daniels, president of Johns Hopkins University and author of “What Universities Owe Democracy,” which takes place Feb. 23 at 7 pm Eastern time. The topic is “especially relevant for those of us with ties to business education,” she says, noting that “Bentley learning experiences are intentionally designed to enhance critical thinking and collaboration, the very things we as a society need to build community and become responsible citizens.”  

The series, which will be presented via Zoom, is free and open to anyone interested in learning more about higher education as a catalyst for social good. “The importance of education to our society, our economy and our well-being as humans has become so visible during the events of the past two years,” Dove says. “I hope that members of the Bentley community will engage in thought-provoking conversations about these books and share insights with their classmates, colleagues and families.”