WOW! Overwhelming day at the AI... Early in the morning, the walk to the Institute is a solitary experience in silence. Wonderful silence, broken from time to time by one or two cars or participants to the AI, with their red bags and pomegranate juice bottles. I finally get to meet the fellow scholars for the second session, among them: Robert (wonder what's it like to raise 25 million $ in one night), Val, Lana (such an inspiration...the optimism in the woman that has to see war and hate everyday, and struggles to bring normalcy in a region that has not had it for so long is a powerful lesson), Abby, Satoshi (or a Japanese in the Middle East), Jenni and some many others, each with its own quest to change things, to make it better for one and all... both inspiring and humbling... Also humbling, a first session scholar, Don "Ask me about Lucy" Johanson. Never thought paleoanthropologhy will be such an interesting subject for me...
After the too brief discussion masterfully moderated by Peter Reiling, the day starts with a bang, or to be more precise, with a Hennessy. The Stanford President John Hennessy. The passion for his job, for his university, for education, for innovation should be inherent in all Universities Presidents. During the speech, I kept on wondering how such an academic can make a difference, be a role model for his students, be down-to-earth about his objectives, inspire and drive, have a vision. A real leader in the academia. We need more people like him in the Romanian education system, and not just because we mentioned as a possible way to drive forward the system the doubling of the math and science teachers in schools :). He talked about the need for a change in teaching techniques, more internships, mentors and role models for youngsters, collaboration between various areas of research, more women in physics and engineering, the fact that "not everybody belongs in a 4year school or a research university" (so true in Romania as well, and we have to acknowledge it at some point). Quote for the day: "Universities are hard enough to change, government is harder"...
The Stanford discussion is followed by a great talk healthcare with one of the Emanuel brothers (not Rahm :D) and Gerard Kleisterlee. The need for more human touch in a healthcare system where people are just the disease from which they suffer.
Tim o'Reilly's presentation on Government as a platform is all I thought a technology presentation should be like. Practical, with examples and normal lingo, understandable in all its implications. Main idea: the gov't should not be a "vending machine"... I am so twitter following him from now on!
Next, a discussion on Microtrends with Mark Penn. Some of the conclusions: AI participants do not search the net before buying a vacuum cleaner (I'm not sure some of them know what a vacuum cleaner is...), should get more tattoos (in order to fit in with the American public), listen to classical music and read (OMG, they read??!?!?! :P ).... Apart from the fun in it, the presentation focused on the ever increasing gap between elites and "normal people" and how that may affect leadership and initiatives... Wonder if that is true in Romania as well? Considering illiteracy rates, I think it is.
Serendipity caused a change in the planned schedule, so, instead of going to the "change in the global financial system" (I know, the horror, me not in a finance panel), I went to a small panel and met a legend: John Seeley Brown and an inspiration: John Hagel. Topic: Shaping Serendipity, that is increasing the chances of luck encounters through environment manipulation, practices and preparedness. Speechless. Everything I thought, expected, hoped and dreamed the AI Festival is and should be.
Next in the plan of the day: Book signing, with Madame Secretary Albright (as usual, an inspiration), Don Johanson (wonderful)... Pictures coming soon...
The presentation of the afternoon is a actually a conversation with another legend: Frank Ghery. The word is artist, with all its meanings and implications.
Evening Exchange. The Room to Read founder, John Wood, is a walking talking textbook example of a wonderful salesman. Another OMG moment of the day: Katie Couric is in the audience.
The day ended like it began, with a wonderful discussion over burgers (never thought an avocado, bacon and Cheddar cheese burger would be so good, tlak about prejudices) with friends and scholars on similarities, differences, changing the world and ourselves.
Today: The 4th of July!!!! Looks good so far...
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