Klaus M. Leisinger

University of Delvare (Static)

For more than 30 years, Prof. Leisinger has worked internationally for a globalization “with a human face.” His efforts to transform corporate ethical standards–both morally and pragmatically–are groundbreaking, not only in the private sector but also in the academic field, especially since he understands how to test theories based on practical experience in the private sector. His influence on the acceptance of the UN Global Compact within multinational business circles and his communicative actions to reduce ideological reservations between different social interest groups are unprecedented and have brought him international recognition.

He is Professor of Sociology (em.) at the University of Basel (specializing in development policy, business ethics, and corporate responsibility), and was special advisor on the Global Compact for UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan, on business ethics to the UN Global Compact, and on the post-2015 development policy agenda upon termination of the Millennium Development Goals period. He was a member of the Consortium Board of the Consultative Group for International Agricultural Research (CGIAR) and is a member of the Leadership Council of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) initiated by the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and directed by Professor Jeffrey Sachs. For his humanitarian achievements and “bridge building” with NGOs, he has been awarded honorary doctorates in theology and in philosophy.

See courses