McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business

Dear Friends,

In 2016, Andrew J. McKenna Sr., a University of Notre Dame alumnus and emeritus chairman of the Board of Trustees, made a leadership gift to his alma mater for the establishment of the Andrew J. and Joan P. McKenna Center for Human Development and Global Business.

Today, the mission of the McKenna Center is to create enduring partnerships between the private sector, governments, institutions of higher education, and professional development actors, for the purpose of advancing sustainable development and mitigating risk to companies, to vulnerable populations, and to our shared environment.

Our vision is the realization of social progress and community flourishing known as integral human development. Toward this goal, we seek to advance a normative approach to development in which corporate, educational and research sectors place the dignity of the human person and respect for the integrity of local cultures at the center of interdisciplinary and cross-sectorial efforts to reduce poverty, resolve conflict and build productive, sustainable, and inclusive economies. ‘Situated ethics’—professional practices informed by the values and priorities of the local populations—is a hallmark of integral human development and defines the McKenna Center’s approach.

Through the strategic implementation of programs and initiatives, the McKenna Center seeks to:

Stimulate economic growth and develop markets in societies that struggle with poverty, underemployment, and inequality.

Foster collaboration among the private sector, government, universities, and nonprofit development and humanitarian organizations to advance integral human development.