Special Institute-wide Seminar

Global transformations arising from rapidly changing demographics, sources of future talent, massive urbanization, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution are poised to disrupt the lives and livelihoods of billions of people in the coming decades.  The positive and negative effects of these megatrends and their intended and unintended consequences are expected to shapre the global society in the 21st century.  We begin with historical perspectives of how successful research enterprises and their societal consequences evolved over time.  We then examine some of the key questions, potential issues and consequences of the foregoing trends for research, education and life-long learning.  The presentation will conclude with a brief overview of some of the major efforts underway to identify and potentially address the challenges created by the megatrends.