In a move to promote ethical standards in business, reduce corruption in Jamaica and foster socio-economic development, the University of Technology (UTech), in partnership with the JMMB Group today re-branded the School Entrepreneurship, which will now be called the Joan Duncan School of Entrepreneurship, Ethics and Leadership (JDSEEL), College of Business and Management, UTech. The move is in honour of JMMB’s co-founder, Joan Duncan, who created the money market in Jamaica back in 1992. The JDSEEL was launched at special ceremony at the Technology Innovation Centre, located at UTech’s Papine campus on Wednesday. The date has further significance, as the JMMB family recognise Joan Duncan’s birthday.

In welcoming the partnership with the JMMB Group, UTech president Prof. Errol Morrison, OJ, noted that the school will be an important beacon in the teaching of business, entrepreneurship and ethics at the tertiary level. This he said, “will transform ethical principles in business leadership and boost the cadre of entrepreneurs with the capacity to spawn social and economic development”. In keeping with UTech’s reputation for preparing work-ready graduates equipped with practical, hands-on competencies, the school’s programmes will practically apply the disciplines of entrepreneurship, finance, values-based leadership, and ethics.

JMMB Group executive director of culture and human development, Donna Duncan-Scott, emphasised the importance of the inclusion of “ethics” as a critical component in the mandate of the school. She lamented that Jamaica still ranks high at 87 on the 2010 World Corruption Index, but was optimistic about the school making a positive impact, noting, “We are delighted to honour Joan Duncan’s memory and legacy by making an endowment to UTech, the proceeds of which will be used to engage in activities that advance the principles for which she stood and lived true to, expand her legacy and further her life’s work, for the benefit of our country Jamaica,”.

The eighty million dollar ($80) endowment fund will help to advance teaching and research in entrepreneurship, economic growth, moral considerations in business decision-making, human rights and globally conscious leaders. The activities of the endowment fund will include the award of scholarships; intellectually rigorous and practical research and course development on leadership; ethics and financing economic growth; an annual public lecture on matters related to the disciplines that will advance Jamaica’s direction towards the values expounded in the National Vision 2030 Plan and short professional courses and seminars, conferences and publications that focus on ethics and leadership.