Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, today presented a lecture on ‘Human Priorities: the Urgency of an Ethical Economics’.

In his lecture, Dr Williams spoke on the ways in which economic practice shapes what we believe human beings are, and are capable of. In short, he touched on the fact that if we do not consciously ask what humanity we wish to advance or nourish through our practices, we increasingly lose hold on what a distinctively human reality looks like.

Panel Discussion moderated by Dato’ Dr Afifi (left with Prof Abbas (centre) and Dr Williams.

Dr Williams, who is currently the Master at Magdalene College, Cambridge, was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 2002 to 2012.

The lecture, held at Sasana Kijang Bank Negara Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur, was organised by Khazanah Nasional Bhd and INCEIF. Following the lecture, a panel discussion was held where Dr Williams was joined by Prof Abbas Mirakhor, INCEIF First Holder of Islamic Finance Chair. The panel discussion was moderated by Dato’ Dr Afifi al-Akiti, Fellow in Islamic Studies at the Oxford Centre for Islamic Studies.

Also present at the lecture were INCEIF President & CEO Mr Daud Vicary Abdullah and Khazanah Nasional Bhd Managing Director Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Mokhtar.

The lecture was attended by 120 people including Bank Negara Malaysia officials, industry players and INCEIF faculty members and students.