A year ago, the Australasian Business Ethics Network (ABEN) was formally established as an open organisation aiming to support research that addresses ethically and politically topical issues of concern and relevance to both the international and Australasian community. The network held its first annual conference in Auckland, New Zealand on December 2nd and 3rd 2011.

Dr. Cécile Rozuel and her colleagues from Auckland University of Technology organised the event over a day and a half. The theme of this inaugural conference, ―Business Ethics: Expectations and Disappointments”, aimed to stimulate reflection on the state of business ethics research and teaching, and identify ways to raise moral awareness at all levels of an organisation. Submissions were invited on a wide range of topics and more than forty scholars from Australia, New Zealand and overseas responded to the call with inspiring papers.

Of significant interest were sessions dedicated to ethics education and the interconnection between ethics, business and public policy. Other papers addressed the role of spirituality at work, the limitations of corporate social responsibility and existing business models, ethical challenges facing finance and human resource management professionals, issues of corporate governance and leadership, as well as moral tensions in academic life. Selected papers will be published in late 2012 in the Australian Journal for Professional and Applied Ethics and the Journal of Business Ethics Education. The small size of the event meant that all participants had the opportunity to network and discuss at length with colleagues about their research. A point of difference was the all organic and fairtrade catering which received unanimous praise. The Business and Professional Ethics Journal was (re)launched at the conference dinner, celebrating the journal‘s new editorial direction under Mollie Painter-Morland and Patrica Werhane from DePaul University. The next conference is scheduled in December 2012 in Melbourne, and information about ABEN will be available on the network‘s website: www.aben.org.au.