Beginning this September, the Stern School of Business will collaborate with the Office of Global Spiritual Life to create the NYU Mindfulness Business Initiative, a program intended for students pursuing a Master of Business Administration. The initiative aims to encourage empathy among business school students to help revolutionize commercial leadership across the globe. Mindfulness — defined  by program directors Caitlin Weaver and Yael Shy as “the intentional, nonjudgmental focus of attention on the present moment” — has been linked to heightened empathy, more ethical decisions and other implicit benefits in corporations. Given the recurring instances of corruption, bribery and fraud that have been documented over the past years, this program can function as an overdue measure to keep businesses honest. By educating business students about ethics, the initiative will positively affect the future of the corporate world.

Although business and mindfulness can seem unrelated, renowned companies like Google have offered mindfulness courses to their employees. While Stern is unlikely to provide students with the eccentric amenities that Google supplies for its employees, the initiative marks a notable step in an effort to adapt to the corporate world’s evolving needs. Analytical skills alone are no longer enough to make a company successful. Since the Great Recession, the importance of corporate ethics has become more pronounced. It is vital that business students learn the potential consequences of separating empathy and thoughtfulness from their ventures, particularly because of the proliferation of underhanded tactics in advancing career paths.

Introducing this program will not only make a significant effort to educate students about ethics in business, but can also help soften the pretentious image that has sometimes been associated with Stern. The new, more mindful program will help abolish this stereotype and allow the community to have more confidence in future business leaders.

The collaboration between Stern and Global Spiritual Life at NYU is offering a novel way to solve the pressing demands of the business school. Between the new initiative and the Social Impact Core for undergraduate students, it is clear Stern is trying to take the lead in preparing students for a rapidly changing business environment. The Mindfulness Business Initiative will help Stern differentiate itself from its competitors and offer a more comprehensive education to its students.

A version of this article appeared in the Wednesday, Sept. 10 print edition. Email the WSN Editorial Board at [email protected].