This colloquium, developed by the Buccino Center Class of 2009, establishes an intellectual framework to facilitate the development of critical thinking skills through the use of innovative technology, fieldwork and collaboration. The course enables students to identify, evaluate and translate ideas and trends into theoretical and conceptual models for leaders to use in addressing future events. Completed during their sophomore year, Buccino Center students prepare themselves for the future by delving into the ideas and trends that continuously disrupt the norms of global/domestic business, politics, culture, and society and which challenge the executives to effectively lead their organizations, its people and the communities they serve.
2009 Project Focus: I Am Change
The Stillman Leadership Development Class of 2009 began work on this project in September 2008 and continued through the 2008/09 academic year. The project deliverable was the development of a seminar that would examine new ideas and the potential trends that result from those ideas. The seminar would incorporate a variety of content sources, disruptive technologies, e.g., Web 2.0 tools, Amazon’s Kindle and Nokia’s E71 mobile device and digital media. Successful completion of this project would enable Leadership Development students to be better prepared to anticipate, adapt and respond to a constantly changing environment. This project allowed a team of my students and colleagues to fashion a learning environment that incorporated disruptive ideas and technologies. The resulting experience allowed the entire team to stretch their own creativity to craft a truly innovative deliverable that will challenge all who participate in the project in the future. The project was presented in January 2010 to EDUCAUSE Marc. The project video is a great discussion of the Ideas & Trends experience.
2010 Project Focus: Life Is Beta
The 2010 team examined the extraordinary rise of social media and its remarkable impact on daily life with a project titled Life is Beta. In many ways, this subject anticipated full-on adoption of social media as a communications medium by the business community and its role as a facilitator of human rights activities in a variety of countries. The team gained valuable experience by producing a faux newscast discussing their findings. They worked with several digital platforms that supported team collaboration. The reading list for the 2010 team included Innovators Dilemma and Seeing What’s Next (Clay Christensen), The Tipping Point (Malcolm Gladwell), When Markets Collide (Mohamed El-Erian), Wikinomics (Don Tapscott), The Post-American World (Fareed Zakaria). The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2010.
2011 Project Focus: One Nation Under Surveillance
Ideas & Trends 2011 explored the complex issues surrounding online privacy with a project titled One Nation Under Surveillance. This choice was particularly timely in light of growing awareness of both corporate and governmental surveillance activities. The reading list for the seminar included Innovators Dilemma (Clay Christiansen), Open Leadership (Charlene Li), The Frugal Superpower (Michael Mandelbaum), Switch: How To Change Things When Change Is Hard (Chip Heath and Dan Heath), The Wealth of Networks (Yochai Benkler), and Wikinomics (Don Tapscott). The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2012.
2013 Project Focus: A Ten Year Horizon
The 2013 seminar was the fourth in the series. The team worked to anticipate the issues that will confront them ten years hence when they are established in their careers and personal lives. The question posed, “What will the future look like in ten years?” was the catalyst for an examination of potential high profile issues including those affecting commercial, geopolitical, environmental and others. The team experimented with a mind mapping application to help organize their work. While the mind mapping experiment was largely ineffective the experience provided the team with an opportunity to work in that environment. The reading list for the seminar included Poke The Box (Seth Godin) and Innovator’s DNA (Clay Christiansen). The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2013.
2014 Project Focus: Future Learning
The Ideas & Trends 2014 team was challenged to examine the impact of digital transformation in four areas, politics, technology, income inequality and education. The team presented their report to the Leadership Advisory Council in April 2014.
2015 Project Focus: Learning to Learn
The Ideas & Trends 2015 team defined a project that provided an opportunity to learn how to learn in an uncertain environment. Their reading list included Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street ( John Brooks) The team was essentially provided with a blank canvas to define, develop and deliver their project. Ideas & Trends 2015, as always, pushed its participants out of their “comfort zones” and demanded that they “figure it out”. They were successful. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2015.
2016 Project Focus: Internet Freedom
The 2016 team focused on internet freedom. The project required the team to understand the meaning of internet freedom in its broadest sense. That provided a basis for identifying emerging digital innovations with the goal of understanding the implications of those innovations. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2016.
2017 Project Focus: Digital Literacy
The Ideas & Trends 2017 team examined digital literacy. The traditional definition of literacy includes the 3Rs, i.e., reading, writing and [a]rithmetic. It is clear that the combinatorial effects of digital innovation demands that everyone must develop a fourth literacy, the “D” literacy. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2017.
2018 Project Focus: Artificial Intelligence
Ideas & Trends 2018 examined artificial intelligence in its various iterations. They built an understanding of the history of AI, the development of its capabilities and applications and the role of regulation in the development of AI. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2018.
2019 Project Focus: Future of Work
The 2019 Ideas & Trends team examined the future of work. The impact of digital transformation on the future of work will be profound. The 2019 team developed a broad understanding of issues like the rise of the gig economy, applications of AI and the redefinition of employment roles and required skills, among others. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2019.
2020 Project Focus: Artificial Intelligence, Surveillance Capitalism and Identity
The 2020 Ideas & Trends team examined the issues related to future of work. The impact of digital transformation on the future of work will be profound. The 2020 team developed a broad understanding of issues like the rise of the gig economy, applications of AI and the redefinition of employment roles and required skills, among others. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2020.
2021 Project Focus: What Can We Expect in 2030?
The 2021 Ideas & Trends team examined the issues that may define the year 2030. The 2020 team developed a solid understanding of issues like the rise of the gig economy, applications of AI and the redefinition of employment roles and required skills, among others. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2021.
2022: Project Focus: Climate Change: The Choice Is Ours
The 2022 Ideas & Trends team examined the issues related to future of work. The impact of digital transformation on the future of work will be profound. The 2022 team developed a broad understanding of issues like the rise of the gig economy, applications of AI and the redefinition of employment roles and required skills, among others. The team delivered its report to the Leadership Council in April 2022.
2023: Project Focus: The Metaverse
The 2023 Ideas & Trends team examined the issues related to metaverse and its impact. The 2022 team developed a broad understanding of issues like the rise of the gig economy, applications of AI and the redefinition of employment roles and required skills, among others. The team will deliver its report to the Leadership Council in April 2023.