Lesson 3

We started off by watching a How stuff works video. One point that captured my attention is that though USA made up 5% of  the world’s population, they consume 30% of the world’s resources. That is way too disproportionate! If the rest of the world were to consume at the USA’s rate, we would need 3-5 planets of resources. This is currently out of the question!

So the next viable and logical option would be to shift from the current ‘linear’ model to the ‘cyclical’ approach. This new cyclical business and industrial model presents an opportunity for growth and innovation and at the same time promote sustainability. However that is easier said than done!

First of all, human beings are inherently self interested in nature. Why bother about the Earth when I am making lots of money? Furthermore with corporation red tapes, process rigidities, companies are more likely to maintain status quo as opposed to making changes in their business model than could well damage profit making opportunities. There is indeed a major challenge in trying to go green and maintain or improve profit margins simultaneously.

I feel that the government has to come into play here. With the foresight of the brightest minds in the world, they would hopefully put into place certain legislations, policies at the national level, taxes, subsidies and incentives. It’s a matter of achieving the right balance. Education, bombardment of messages to drive the point through and through may be the solution.

3B: Tech & Innovation Management

What’s innovation? Is it the coming up of new concepts or ideas? That might seem like the case. However that is only Phase 1. Ideas are only the beginning. Translating it into practical application is innovation. Coming up with the idea is an inventive process. Making it so that someone is willing to part with their hard earned money for it is innovative. The real contribution is when it makes a real difference in people’s life. As prof mentioned, one should focus on ‘summit’ opportunities as there is where the growth and potential is.

There was an interesting presentation on apple technology. And a rather intriguing question on how far should technology be commoditized? In my opinion, commoditizing would be good news for consumers. Cheap apple products! Yay!

2nd Lesson

Was really looking forward to it. I need to get the burning questions from the previous lesson out of my mind. 

First, we started off with a video that encapsulated what we had learn last week. It showed the progress of the human race and how technology aided our development. That set me thinking how much technology is so important to us and ignited a spark in me that wanted to learn more.

We moved on the model of the different stages of innovation, leadership and technology in society and different companies. I was fascinated by the model Prof showed us which illustrated the difference between a rising star and falling star. This struck me deeply as an individual. One has to constantly be open minded, hungry and eager to accept and learn new ideas from others even if one is at the top. This is even more relevant with the ever changing landscape in our modern world. Indeed, no man is an island.

The second part of the lesson was about technology and development.

Human Development Millenium Goals

1) Eliminate poverty and hunger

2) Universal education

3) Gender equality and enpowerment of women

4) Reduce child mortality

5) Improve maternal health

6) Combat HIV, malaria and other diseases

7) Ensure environmental sustainability

8) Develop global partnership for development

All of the above were supposed to be tackled by 2015. And look at where we are at now. We cannot entirely fault the world leaders on not achieving these aims. Bearing in mind the 9/11 attack, SARS outbreak, 2008 financial crisis and the current euro and USA debt crisis which are relatively more pressing issues at hand. The bottom line is does it make any difference if these goals were set by the world leaders in the first place?

Point for further discussion: Will we attain any of these goals 20-30 years down the row given that the leaders of this world are constantly preoccupied by problems within their own country?

Week 1

First lesson in school after 2 years of slavery..

When my brain was warming up, I was bombarded by 2 words: "Shift happens". As the saying goes, the only thing constant is change. What struck me most as i was watching the video was how rapid our lives were evolving because of technology. Given the exponential advancement in technology and our ever increasing reliance on it, it is little wonder how fast our lives are changing.

The second key takeaway is the question posed by Yati.

'Why you white men have so much cargo and we new guineas have so little?'

This question can not only refer to 'cargo' but also extended to the contrast in income and standard of living that is plaguing our modern world. Prof said that this question will the one that will keep haunting us for the rest of the term. I am feeling the effects now.

One point that I wished that could be given more air-time was a message I saw in the 'Shift Happens' video. I quote ' Preparing students for jobs that don't exist yet', 'For students starting a 4 year technical or college degree, this means that half of what they learn in their first year of study will be outdated by their 3rd year of study. It is predicted to double every 72 hours by 2010' (OH OH! PANIC!!). This could provoke some interesting insights and perspectives from our peers given that this issue is something close to our heart.

In conclusion, is technology a friend or foe? Sure it has made life much more convenient and improved our standard of living. However, in the powerpoint slide, ' The Future of the Human Race', we see what humans have become after so many centuries. Ironically, technology has made us obese and lazy albeit on the path to self destruction. Are we staring at our distant future?