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Presentations

Steps to Ecological Civilization

    On October 28, 2025 Laszlo Zsolnai gave a lecture on “Steps to Ecological Civilization: The Contribution of Buddhism” at the Research Institute for Humanity and Nature in Kyoto. In his presentation, Laszlo Zsolnai emphasized the role of the self in making actions. He argues that serving nature, society, and future generations economic agents should de-emphasize the self and develop compassion for the suffering all human and non-human beings. The noble ethos of Buddhism can help… Read More »Steps to Ecological Civilization

    Planet Positive Economy

      Laszlo Zsolnai was keynote speaker at the 31st Annual Conference of the International Sustainable Development Research Society in July 8-12, 2025 at the Corvinus University of Budapest. His lecture was about the Planet Positive Economy. In his lecture Laszlo Zsolnai introduced the concept of Planet Positive Economy and presented two theorems about it. The Impossibility Theorem says that planet positive economy cannot be achieved if economic agents follow materialistic value orientation which prioritize money, possession,… Read More »Planet Positive Economy

      Fostering Consciousness in Business Education

        On May 27, 2025 Laszlo Zsolnai served as invited speaker in the Global Alliance for Conscious Business Education Conference. His talk was entitled as “Fostering Consciousness in Business Education”. In his talk, Laszlo Zsolnai stressed that the strong materialistic value orientation of mainstream economics and business does not help students to find deeper meaning and higher purpose in their profession. He argued that we should redesign our curricula, renew our teaching methods, and introduce meaningful… Read More »Fostering Consciousness in Business Education

        Business Education & Transformational Learning

          Laszlo Zsolnai gave a presentation in the “Business Education and the Future of the Planet” workshop co-organized by the Business Ethics Center and The Club of Rome on November 11, 2024 at the Corvinus Institute for Advanced Studies in Budapest. In his presentation on “Business Education & Transformational Learning” Laszlo Zsolnai argued that to solve the messy, wicked problems of the Antropocene era we need professionals who can integrate their professional knowledgewith ecologyand a humanistic… Read More »Business Education & Transformational Learning

          The Awakened Brain in Business Education

            Laszlo Zsolnai gave a lecture on “The Awakened Brain in Business Education” in the “Awakened Brain & Awakened Campus” joint worksop of Columbia University and Corvinus University of Budapest on July 8, 2024 in Budapest. In his talk Zsolnai stated that the extreme materialistic value orientation of economics and business cannot help studentsto find deeper meaning and higher purposein their professon. He called for a deep reform of business education and introduced the concept of … Read More »The Awakened Brain in Business Education

            The Economics of Pope Francis & The Economy of Francesco

              Laszlo Zsolnai and Andras Ocsai gave a keynote lecture on “The Economics of Pope Francis & The Economy of Francesco” at the 20th Anniversary Conference of European SPES on June 20, 2024. In their lecture they investigated the development of Pope Francis’ economic views, and explored their relationship with the new findings of ecological economics and psychology of wellbeing. Also, they analyzed the main economic messages of the encyclicals of Pope Francis and to present… Read More »The Economics of Pope Francis & The Economy of Francesco

              Conscious Business Models

                Laszlo Zsolnai gave a talk on Conscious Business Models for the Spanish Conscious Capitalism Network on March 6, 2024. Zsolnai suggested three dedining characteristics of conscious bsuinesses, namely they give priority to intrinsic motivation over extrinsic one, are orientated toward the common good, and measure success in multi-dimensional, holistic terms. He presented the cases of Patagonia, Triodos Bank, and Organic India as successful working models of conscious business. Finally, he concluded that conscious (spiritual-based) business… Read More »Conscious Business Models

                The Attention Economy talk

                  Laszlo Zsolnai delivered a lecture on “The Business of Info-Communication Technologies” in the conference “Toward a systemic concept of attention for the attention economy, using Buddhist and Western ethics” organized by the Eindhoven University of Technology in February 6-7, 2024. In his lecture Zsolnai argued that info-communication technology companies represent a new form of corporate transgression as they  want to devoid human beings from their fee will and consciousness. Business ethics offers a number of… Read More »The Attention Economy talk

                  Gift Giving in Business

                    On June 26, 2023 gave a presentation on Gift Giving in Business at the Management & Gift workshop of The Economy of Francesco program. He focused on two questions: (1) What should a leader be like and what decisions does the leader take to make a company generative? and (2) What is the spirituality that enables dialogue between poverty and management? Zsolnai’s presentation emphasized that a business leader should be genuinely altruistic, i.e. giving without… Read More »Gift Giving in Business

                    Art and Ecological Regeneration

                      Laszlo Zsolnai gave a keynote lecture on ” Art and Ecological Regeneration” at the Photography MA graduation of MOME on May 16, 2023. He argued against the market metaphysics that dominates business and economics as well as almost all spheres of social life today. He suggested to follow the idea of “beautiful act” by Immanuel Kant which requires doing gentle, careful ways of living and acting. Acknowledging the intrinsic value of things and measuring success… Read More »Art and Ecological Regeneration