On October 16, at the Luis Poma Forum on the campus of INCAE, one of the most significant activities for our students took place: the signing of the Oath of Ethics, also known as the white shirts activity.
During the ceremony, MBA 2024 students, who will graduate next year, took this symbolic oath, pledging to act with integrity and responsibility in their professional future. The activity was well attended by the students, who wore the traditional white shirts, a symbol of their ethical commitment.
This year, for the first time, INCAE expanded the ceremony to include all students graduating from the eXmaster, EMBA, MBA and MAIT programs, thus consolidating its commitment to the formation of ethical leaders. This ceremony, which in previous years was reserved only for the MBA and GMBA programs, marks a milestone for our institution.
Rector Enrique Bolaños addresses the attendees
The rector of INCAE, Enrique Bolaños, who was in Peru to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the institution, sent an inspiring video message, highlighting the importance of this oath:
"Today we celebrate a very important moment in the history of INCAE: the swearing in of the INCAE Oath Club. As the oldest and largest club at our institution, we are proud that it is made up of students and alumni committed to business ethics. This year, we are very pleased to see that students from the executive masters programs have also volunteered to sign this oath. This achievement reinforces our commitment to ethics. INCAE is the only school in Latin America to offer this oath, which highlights our leadership in promoting ethical values in business."
The rector also shared some details about the history of the Oath Club:
"Founded on May 24, 2011, this club has worked tirelessly to promote ethical values in all activities at INCAE and in business. It came about as an initiative of Dean Nitin Noria of Harvard Business School and young leaders from the World Economic Forum, following the financial crisis of 2008-2009. The club seeks to get MBA students to take a life oath, just like other professions such as doctors and lawyers."
In his closing remarks, the rector congratulated club president Fiorella Diaz and the board for their dedication:
"I would like to congratulate Fiorella Diaz, your president, and the entire Oath Club board for having succeeded in extending this voluntary oath to all master's degrees at INCAE. This demonstrates their commitment to ethics and the dedication of this board."
Professors Luis Cuenca and Margaret R. Grigsby also offered encouraging words.
Professor Margaret R. Grigsby
Professor Grigsby noted:
"The central challenge of leadership in our societies lies in discovering how to assume it with great effectiveness and in an ethical manner. We need leaders who do what they should, properly and for the right reasons, or, in other words, who act ethically and competently. Ethical leadership is crucial, especially in societies like those in Latin America, where the boundary between the ethical and the unethical can be blurred."
This message was part of the words that Professor Grigsby shared with the students, stressing the importance of acting with integrity in the professional environment.
Professor Luis Cuenca
The ceremony was led by the president of the Oath Club, Fiorella Diaz, and included the virtual participation of Alexandra Rogozinski, from Guatemala, who presided over the club in 2015-16, as well as Paola Rodriguez, current vice president of the club, who participated from NYU, where she is in an exchange program with INCAE, along with other colleagues who also participated virtually because they are also on exchange.
Some of the virtual participants and Fiorella Diaz, president of the Oath Club.
This ceremony, held as part of the 60th anniversary of INCAE, reinforces the values that have guided the institution for six decades and consolidates the relationship with the students who will soon become graduates.
We congratulate all the students who were part of this significant event and wish them all the best in the next stage of their professional career!
