It is important now, more than ever, to live well in a world worth living in. Moral virtues are stable character traits that enable us to live well and respond appropriately to situations that require an ethical response. Practising virtuous behaviour creates habits, which, in turn, form our character and help us to flourish.
The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues is a pioneering interdisciplinary research centre focussing on character, virtues and values in the interest of human flourishing. The Centre is a leading informant on policy and practice, and through its extensive range of research evidence and practical application, contributes to a renewal of character virtues in both individuals and societies.
The Centre has worked with hundreds of schools and teachers nationally and internationally, as well as advised government ministers, businesses and regulators, and celebrated the good character of thousands of young people and adults around the world.
Professor James Arthur OBE, Director of the Jubilee Centre, is a world-leading expert on character and virtues education and research. His vision for the Jubilee Centre is not simply to research past and present attitudes to character and virtues, but shape the future attitudes and behaviours.
‘I created the Jubilee Centre to become a site of excellence in ethical and moral enquiry and research. We hope that our research projects, practical work and community links that have been established so far, will grow over the coming years, and that our influence and reach will continue to grow through the global networks that we have created.’
To launch the 2020 Character Matters campaign Professor Arthur, in September 2020, published Character Matters as part of the University of Birmingham Perspective series, outlining the importance of a continued commitment to character in the face of uncertainty and crisis.
Left to right:
Mrs. Rebecca Tigue, Head of School, University of Birmingham School;
Professor Candace Vogler (Supported by David B. and Clara E. Stern) Professor of Philosophy, University of Chicago;
Professor Kristján Kristjánsson, Professor of Character Education and Virtue Ethics and Deputy Director of the Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtues, University of Birmingham.
The video below offers an insight into why character matters in the words of a number of leading character education practitioners.
The Jubilee Centre works with a range of partners to help bring to life research informed practice, underpinned by a world leading understanding of character education and virtue both in the UK and overseas. Practitioners, educators and policy makers can engage with these findings in a variety of ways.
