Abstract

The title of the seminar is What’s So Good About Growth?, and we will be looking at all aspects of growth, and questioning the general assumption that “growth is good”.

Our last seminar, which was entitled The Future of the World in Four Objects, brought together the questions considered in earlier seminars. These had looked at climate change, narratives of risk, the survival of the human race and the geopolitical tensions generated by the hunger for natural resources and the differing economic and political paths to growth. We felt that the next seminar should return to the consideration of major issues facing the world over the coming decades, and how issues of growth across all disciplines should be addressed.

We are delighted that Jonathan Smales, of Beyond Green, has agreed to chair this event, and that the speakers will be:

• Satish Kumar, of Resurgence
• Professor Susan Smith, of the Geography Department, University of Cambridge and Mistress of Girton College
• Dr Hermann Hauser, Entrepreneur
• Mr Andrew Hill, Associate Editor and Management Editor at the Financial Times

The seminar will take the form of four relatively brief presentations from the speakers, after which there will be a lively question and answer session involving the audience. The audience is drawn from a broad range of alumni, the College’s Corporate Partners, government, media, academics and students. The seminar will run over the late afternoon in the Queen’s Building, Emmanuel College, and will be followed by a reception and dinner in Pembroke.