On 14 May 2026, the international scientific conference Ethics in the 21st Century took place at the Faculty of Economics of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. This year’s fifth edition once again provided a platform for discussions on current ethical issues affecting business, public life, education, digitalization, artificial intelligence, and sustainability.
The conference opened with a morning plenary session held at the University of South Bohemia Rectorate building. Opening remarks were delivered by representatives of the university, the faculty, and the City of České Budějovice. As part of the plenary programme, Professor Drahoš Vaněček presented a lecture focused on the transformation of ethics and morality over recent decades. He was followed by representatives of the Association of Corporate Ombudsmen, Ing. Miroslava Jelínková and Ing. Anna Marešová, whose presentation addressed ethics within organisations and the role of the ombudsman.
An important part of the programme was the round table discussion featuring company representatives and professionals from practice, creating a valuable opportunity for sharing experiences between academia and the corporate sector. The discussion included representatives of Česká spořitelna, the Association of Corporate Ombudsmen, Budějcká kreativní agentura, and ČEZ.
The afternoon programme continued with three parallel expert sections. In total, 28 academic contributions were presented, covering a broad range of topics including business ethics and CSR, environmental ethics, sustainability, media responsibility, as well as ethical issues connected with digitalisation, artificial intelligence, marketing, education, and academic publishing.
The conference also included an all-day Book SWAP held in the Dean’s Office building of the Faculty of Economics USB. Participants were invited to bring books they had already read and exchange them for new ones, symbolically connecting education, sharing, and sustainability within the accompanying programme.
For the fifth time, the Ethics in the 21st Century conference confirmed that ethical issues hold an important place not only in academic discussions, but also in everyday practice. This year’s edition once again offered an inspiring meeting point for academics, students, and professionals, contributing to the search for responsible approaches to the challenges of contemporary society. At the same time, it demonstrated that ethics today is no longer merely a theoretical discipline, but is increasingly becoming an essential part of decision-making within organisations, public institutions, and the lives of individuals.
