From the human side of technology to the business side of a green economy, discussions this week among financial and political leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, will include two University of Guelph faculty members and a U of G graduate.
Prof. Julia Christensen Hughes, dean of the College of Business and Economics (CBE), will return to the annual gathering being held Jan. 22-25. Along with international business and academic representatives, she took part in last year’s Global 100 Executive Roundtable on sustainable capitalism.
She will participate in this year’s Global 100 session on the use of corporate bonds in the transition to a green economy.
Christensen Hughes will also help lead discussions among business school deans and corporate leaders on the potential of a new sustainably focused global ranking of business schools. The session is organized by the United Nations Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) initiative and Corporate Knights.
“We want to catalyze needed change in curricula and research to help produce business leaders committed to improving the world,” said Christensen Hughes. CBE is a recognized PRME “champion” and is committed to integrating the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals into the college’s teaching and research.
Prof. Evan Fraser, director of U of G’s Arrell Food Institute and scientific lead of the University’s Food From Thought project, will take part in a forum on the application of technologies such as blockchain, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity to fields including education, employment, food and health.
Called “The Human as the Fulcrum to the Internet of Everything,” that session will be co-led by U of G alumnus David Fergusson, co-author of the book The TransHuman Code. Fergusson is senior managing director and group leader of M&A for Generational Equity, chair of The M&A Advisor and director of Wisekey International, a cybersecurity platform.
He will also moderate a forum on the future of education for CNBC, including on-demand education, training and upskilling programs.