A host of people, from the chairman of a bulge bracket investment bank to recent MBA graduates joined us at the Oxford nightcap in Davos, last night. Faculty were well represented, not only from Saïd Business School, but across the Oxford of University, including Peter Tufano (Peter Moores Dean and Professor of Finance), Andrew White (Associate Dean for Executive Education and Corporate Relations), Pinar Ozcan (Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, Saïd Business School), Sadie Creese (Professor of Cybersecurity, University of Oxford), and Gretta Corporaal (Postdoctoral Researcher, Oxford Internet Institute). Our gathering slowed down the pace of a busy day, although some more hardy souls proceeded on to a piano bar sing-along.
Today, brought us another incredibly bright sunny morning as the main messages of the forum were established on this fourth day at Davos. Meanwhile, our production crew was hard at work, continuing to capture thought leaders and innovators for the Oxford Saïd online portfolio of programmes.
Peter Tufano and new Saïd Business School Chairman of the Board, Paul Polman, hosted an event entitled Bolder Business Education. In the discussion, they addressed the requirement for more relevance in curriculum design to meet the needs of employers and increasing utility to society.
Meanwhile, I had to slip out early from there and run around the corner for a Quartz luncheon on what the world will look like in 2070. The fun thing about future-casting that far ahead is that it’s unlikely someone will hunt me down in 50 years and point out where I was wrong. So, liberated of the constraints of the practical, the imagination is allowed to roam more freely!
My new book, Basic Blockchain (Little Brown UK, 2020) has been well received, and I am heartened for the new series of business titles I am working on, seeking to explain technology disruptions and their relevancy to our world. Soon, I will begin to focus on my next project looking at artificial intelligence and the future of work.
No doubt most fellow delegates here at Davos will go into our final WEF2020 day tomorrow, thinking of the challenges of the future.
David Shrier created and leads both the Oxford Blockchain Strategy Programme and the Oxford Fintech Programme at Saïd Business School.
