Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics

What People Say

Recent commendations about Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics have been given ranging from the Legal Adviser to the Spanish Parliament; leading US universities; the State Government of Queensland; the US Federal Government, and others

Extracts are given below:

From a letter from the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania dated April 4 1997:-
"You are to be congratulated on having developed an expansive and successful Center in the UK which emphasizes business, environmental and government ethics. The Centre has achieved extensive visibility and has developed important connections".

From a letter from Harvard University dated April 10, 1997 to Dr Rosamund Thomas:-
"I am impressed with what you have accomplished at the Center and indeed what you have done yourself'..."

From a letter from the People's Republic of China dated March 3 1997:-
"I cherish my respect and appreciation for you ....your research work and the contributions your Centre is making to the World Community..."

From a letter from the Ethics Counsellor to Ministers in the Canadian Federal Government dated May 26 1997:-
"You have, over the past number of years, made a number of important contributions in the area of public sector ethics. This has been through your publications but also in the very effective role you have played as a catalyst in organizing events and generally promoting discussion and exchange between practitioners around the world....."

From a letter from the Executive Director of the International Bar Association dated
27 June 1997:-
"It was a pleasure to meet with you on Wednesday 25th June and to hear of the impressive work carried out by the Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics in Cambridge..."

From a Ietter dated 3 February 1998 from the British Council:-
"Many thanks for your contribution [at a Seminar] which was greatly appreciated by our participants…I hope very much that we can work with you again in the future".

From letters from the University of Cambridge 14th July 1999 and 5th October 1999 respectively:-
"A note to thank you for your valuable contribution...The group found your session both stimulating and enjoyable and we look forward to meeting you again before too long."

"Thank you very much for...explaining the impressive work of your Centre...the importance and relevance of your work is certainly recognised."

From a letter dated 3rd October 2000 from the Chief Electoral Officer of Canada, Mr Jean-Pierre Kingsley:-
"The Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics is recognised and respected internationally for its well proven research method and for its work in the fields of business, government and environmental ethics. As such, I am pleased to accept this invitation to become an associate of your renown centre.

From a letter dated 18 May 2001 to the Centre's Director Rosamund Thomas from Sir John Bourn, KCB, Comptroller and Auditor General of the National Audit Office, London:-
"I was very interested to read your article on 'Public Trust, Integrity and Privatisation'…I thought it was a very good article…your choice of examples - both from the UK experience and overseas - was excellent; clearly illustrating, and bringing out in sharp relief, the central points of your paper."

From a letter dated 1 June 2002 to Rosamund Thomas from IIR Conferences:-
"I'm just writing to thank you for your excellent contribution to the success of the...conference.
I know it takes a great deal of work to prepare for these events, so I do appreciate you giving your time so generously. The feedback from the delegates was extremely positive...Your contribution was clearly very well received, so thank you very much for your participation".

From a letter dated July 8, 2002 from the People's Republic of China, Beijing:-
"I am writing to extend many thanks to you and your colleagues for your warm reception we received on the day of 17th June (2002) at Cambridge. It was a really fruitful Seminar where we learned so much more about your research achievements, operations of the local government and anti-corruption legislation of British government...I feel very satisfied that we have conducted very effective exchanges in the past months, and I hope that such co-operation will be intensified in the future"...

From a letter to Rosamund Thomas dated 7 February 2003 from Sir John Birch, Director,
The British Association for Central and Eastern Europe:-
"It was very good of you to come and talk to our Romanians about corruption...You got them off to an excellent start."...

From an email dated 30 May 2003 to Rosamund Thomas from Ruslan Stefanov, Co-Ordinator, Economic Program, Center for the Study of Democracy (CSD), Bulgaria:-
"I would like to thank you for the insightful and interesting overview and guidance you gave to the Bulgarian group on fraud and anti-corruption in Britain during the seminar organised by the British Association for Central and Eastern Europe.

I visited the web-site of your Centre and was impressed by the quality and scope of work you perform"...

From a letter from the Government of The People's Republic of China dated 17 February 2004:-
"Combating corruption is the main task facing all countries, and the education and training of government officials...requires all our attention and efforts. So your DVD is really timely and necessary".

From a letter to the Centre's Director, Dr Rosamund Thomas, dated 9th December 2004:-
"On behalf of the International Bar Association (IBA) I would like to thank you for finding the time in your busy schedule to participate in the IBA annual conference in Auckland. We were delighted with the success of the session and greatly appreciate your contribution ".

From an email dated 25th May 2005 to Rosamund Thomas from Jayn Harding, CSR Manager at FTSE4Good:-
"Marianne Huvé-Allard, FTSE Group Strategy and Communication Director has come back from the conference (9th International Conference of the Reputation Institute) now and was very complimentary about your presentation, said it was very good".

From an email dated 26th May 2005 to Rosamund Thomas from BBVA Bank, Spain:-
"Dear Rosamund, Thank you very much again for your invaluable participation at the Reputation Conference".

From a letter dated 27th May 2005 to Rosamund Thomas from S. Prakash Sethi, University Distinguished Professor, President, International Center for Corporate Accountability, Inc:-
"It was a pleasure meeting you in Madrid during the 9th International Conference of the Reputation Institute. I thoroughly enjoyed your presentation and found your remarks to be insightful and thought provoking".

From a letter to the Centre's Director, Dr Rosamund Thomas, from Canon Malcolm Grundy, Director, Foundation for Church Leadership, York:-
..."thank you, once again, for your lecture and the sensitive and informed way in which you answered questions ".

From a letter to Dr Rosamund Thomas from Air Commodore P.W. Gray of the Defence Academy, UK, dated 18th January 2006:-
"Your session was delivered with passion and an excellent knowledge of the subject ".

These commendations and many more such letters from around the world are held by our Centre.

Extracts from press reports about the Centre

Stalking the City jungle in search of elusive ethics
'The convictions of Ernest Saunders, Gerald Ronson, Anthony Parnes and Sir Jack Lyons, who is yet to be sentenced, caused some commentators to suggest that determining what is ethical behaviour is hard to pin down in the midst of a fast-moving, expensive and competitive takeover…

"The Guinness convictions could not be called a triumph for ethics, only the legal system", Dr Thomas [Director of the Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics, Cambridge] said. "The case, however, gives an opportunity for disparate ethical practice in the country to consolidate. New legislation…needs to be supported by ethical practices because laws are coercive and not designed to change motivation."'

The Times September 5, 1990

Facing conflicts of interest
'Balance is the key to ethical practice, says Rosamund Thomas - and Beijing is listening. Kevin Kwong meets the British expert'.

Hong Kong Sunday Morning Post February 11, 1996

Chinese tap into Seminar on ethics in civil service
'Officials from the People's Republic of China paid a visit to the city - to tap into local government expertise.

A team of officials from the country attended a Seminar hosted by the Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics, which has a worldwide reputation for its work on codes of practice and legislation covering how senior civil servants behave…'

Cambridge Evening News November 29, 1996

Need to develop basic ethics stressed
'Each country has to formulate its own fundamental ethical principles to create the kind of society, government and business it requires. However, it is possible to learn from international developments…These views were expressed by Dr Rosamund Thomas, Director of the Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics, Cambridge while talking to media persons here today'.

The Tribune (India) November 11, 1997

Opinion divided on replacing anti-eco technology industry
'"Thirteen years after the Bhopal disaster, the protracted proceedings which followed the accident have thrown open vital technological and legal issues. Experts are divided on whether the high risk anti-ecological technology industry should be replaced by more human eco-conformable technology."

Stating this here today, Dr Rosamund Thomas, Director of the Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics, Cambridge, said that important lessons needed to be drawn from the accident. Earlier, she had presented a paper on "Lessons from the Bhopal Case and other industrial accidents" at the International Bar Association Conference, New Delhi'.

Chandigarh Newsline November 11, 1997

Importance of ethics stressed
'"Emphasis should be laid on evolving ethics not only in public life but also in universities and within the public services to promote sound government and business practices." This was stated by Dr Rosamund Thomas, Director of Centre for Business and Public Sector Ethics Cambridge while delivering her key-note address at the Indo-British Seminar on "Ethics in Public Life" at the ICSSR Complex here today.

The Seminar was jointly organised by the Department of Public Administration and the British High Commission, New Delhi…'

Chandigarh Newsline November 12, 1997

Responsabilidad y reputación de las compañíes
'Las empresas tardan años en construir un prestigio, pero pueden perderlo en sólo un día.'

Rosamund Thomas es directora del Centro para la Ética Empresarial y del Sector Público

CincoDias 6 de Octubre de 2000