Boston Summit (online)

Boston Grand Challenge Summit

The Educational Imperatives of the Grand Challenges

Houghton Chapel, Wellesley College

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

On Wednesday, April 21, 2010, Babson College, Olin College of Engineering and Wellesley College co-sponsored a regional summit on the Educational Imperatives of the Grand Challenges. This event brought together educators and policy makers, business and community leaders for a discussion of the ways in which we can better prepare students to face these challenges.

While technology will play a key role in confronting each of these challenges, it cannot solve them alone. These problems are inherently interdisciplinary and global, and will require unprecedented levels of cooperation and holistic approaches. Global solutions--not new technologies--must be the objective, and these require innovation and cooperation among many fields, including engineering, business, government, economics, geology, biology and sociology, among others.

The summit at Wellesley focused on new educational approaches to improve the way these fields can work together to solve the important, complex problems of our time, highlighting successes and collaboratively exploring the way forward.

See the website for the event at:  http://grandchallengesummit.olin.edu/

 Grand Challenge Summit in Boston, MA

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Welcome

H. Kim Bottomly, President, Wellesley College

Richard Miller, President, Olin College of Engineering

Leonard Schlesinger, President, Babson College

Linda Wertheimer, Senior National Correspondent, National Public Radio; Moderator

Watch It The Need for Change

Welcome

Clay Christensen, Robert and Jane Cizik Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

Sharon Nunes, Vice President of Big Green Innovations, IBM Systems & Technology Group (STG)

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Moving towards Solutions

Framing

Paul Romer, Senior Fellow, Stanford Center for International Development; Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, Stanford University Panel + Discussion

Watch It New Approaches, New Possibilities

Benjamin Linder, Design & Mechanical Engineering, Olin College

Watch It Facing the Challenges/Achieving the Promise

Thomas Kalil, Deputy Director for Policy, White House Office of Science & Technology Policy; Senior Advisor for Science, Technology and Innovation, National Economic Council

Watch It Extraordinary Student Stories
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Closing: New Initiatives

Richard Miller, President Olin College of Engineering

Summit TopicsSummit SpeakersSpeaker InterviewsSpeaker Topics

How can business, academia and government partner to build the manufacturing and engineering capabilities needed today and in the future?

How can research produced by universities better align with industry to address real world challenges?

How can research produced by universities better connect with industry to address real world challenges?

How do we make manufacturing a desired career?

How do we make manufacturing a desired career?

How do we make manufacturing a desired career?

How do we make manufacturing a desired career?

What are the critical skills needed by the U.S. workforce to tackle the Grand Challenges?

What are the critical skills needed by the U.S. workforce to tackle the Grand Challenges?

What are the critical skills needed by the U.S. workforce to tackle the Grand Challenges?

What is North Carolina's competitive edge?

What next steps should be taken at the conclusion of the Manufacturing for the Grand Challenges conference?

What next steps should be taken at the conclusion of the Manufacturing for the Grand Challenges conference?

What next steps should be taken at the conclusion of the Manufacturing for the Grand Challenges conference?

What type of manufacturing can and should be located in the United States?

What type of manufacturing can and should be located in the United States?