Ana Rold
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CEO & Publisher, Diplomatic Courier | Co-Founder, Learning Economy | Host, World in 2050
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Ana is an award-winning media executive with a portfolio of print and digital assets reaching five continents and 180 countries. She started her career as the founder of Diplomatic Courier, the flagship media network and magazine for top diplomats and policy leaders around the world. She is co-founder of Learning Economy, an AI protoc... see more

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Key Takeaways from the 2018 Global Talent Summit
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Ana Rold
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For the past five years, Diplomatic Courier has convened the Global Talent Summit each January, right before the World Economic Forum meetings in Davos, to host a multi-disciplinary conversation on what the future of jobs and education will look like by 2050 and what do we need to do to prepare for the age of technological automation. Last year the summit focused on the role of automation in creating a "Post-Employment World". This year, the conversation took on a philosophical turn. With over 8 million social media impressions, the Summit's topics resonated beyond our host ETH Zurich's historic campus. These were the key themes, organized around the Summit's programme: No one thinks robots will take their jobs. One poll found that 94 percent of American workers think it’s unlikely they will lose their job to a robot. This is a huge disconnect—almost denial—of what the past shows is in store for this Industrial Revolution. But then again, another poll found that more Americans would rather be “dumb and happy” as opposed to “smart and sad”. So, is it true there’s a 47% chance our jobs will be automated? Automation is already changing the workforce. In fact, robots may steal as many as 800 million jobs in the next 13 years. But we don’t know how wrong or right we are because all the studies the MIT Technology Review rounded up brought them to one firm conclusion: no one agrees. Today’s education model is antiquated. On one front, the primary education system is conditioning kids to memorize information to pass standardized tests. On the higher education front, university programs have skyrocketed in cost. We kicked off the 2018 Global Talent Summit with the focus on the future of education and how education institutions—from early childhood to universities—are preparing us for the age of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Education is a billion-dollar industry, which will be massively disrupted. The future is neither black nor white, but colorful, said Lino Guzzella, President of ETH Zurich, in his opening keynote address. Universities have a key role in shaping the future and academia must embrace change and risk more than ever and become more entrepreneurial. Historically, universities play a crucial role in preparing society for the future. As institutions with century-long traditions, technological changes will affect how we educate and learn in the future. Universities have sown the seeds of their own disruption, so to speak, and every university has to find its own answer to it. Beware of unproductive success; embrace productive failure. Manu Kapur, Professor of Learning Sciences & Higher Education at ETH Zurich, presented on the role of educators as designers of culture and in incorporating productive failure into education. To be prepared for the future we need to have continuous learning of character development. We produce too much knowledge and most of it is not necessary for future of work skills. We need to scale back. When you focus on doing, you come to realize that the knowledge required for doing is a very small subset of what we actually teach students. Innovation and creativity can be taught and need to be taught in early education. Anders Hedberg, global leader in STEM education policy said teachers are the primary change agents in the future of education space. To succeed, we need to empower teachers to be effective role models and help them understand the requirements of the workplace and the relevance of STEM skills in the future economy. More than ever, STEM skills include creativity, problem solving, and innovation. These are not hard skills, but more a mindset that is open to constant learning. Judge a person by their questions not by their answers. Quoting Voltaire, Venture Capitalist and Author of best-selling book The Fuzzie and The Techie, Scott Hartley advocated for the two cultures of science and liberal arts to collaborate. Rather than AI (Artificial Intelligence) we should be thinking about IA (Intelligence Augmentation). We have applied math. Why not applied philosophy? At the university level, can we implement philosophical studies into current issues, such as self-driving cars? Companies can stem the skills gap with continuing education and specialized training. Anand Chopra-McGowan, Global Head of Consumer Practice at General Assembly presented four solutions to closing the tech skills gap and they involve upskilling and education programs already in use by some of the world’s top companies. GA found hybrid roles are becoming more in-demand. One such role is that of product managers, often very difficult to hire for because they sit at the nexus of technology, design, and business. What will humanity’s role be in the Age of Automation? Will artificial intelligence ever attain consciousness? And if it does, would humans even recognize it? The questions posed by professor Jacob Friis Sherson, Director of ScienceAtHome.org project at Aarhus University gave the audience an opportunity to reflect on the very nature of what work really is. Sherson argued it is a democratic imperative to keep research open to the public and not allow it to be driven by commercial interests. How do we make experiences transferable and shareable? Many of our breakthrough discoveries come from just trying different things—from our intuition so how can we tap into this collective resource? Our ability to be human is to master ourselves and to shape our own histories. Best-selling author, entrepreneur and broadcaster Andrew Keen introduced concepts discussed in his new book “How to Fix the Future.” Increasing economic inequality, he argued, is being exacerbated by technology: the wealthiest people in the world have tech backgrounds; the largest companies are technology companies. But concepts like empathy, creativity, and agency are the very things that make us human, and the very things that technology cannot replace. Education systems must adjust to enhance these skills. The robots cannot open doors, let alone take over the world. Andra Keay, Managing Director of Silicon Valley Robotics knows a thing or two about robots. And the conclusion is while they are amazing, they are not taking over the world anytime soon. But while robots still have trouble opening doors, we need them for agriculture, mining, construction, and other potentially dangerous jobs. But why are service robots given female names, while heavy lifting robots are given male names? This taps into our instinctive behavior, explained Keay—female voices are interpreted as “nice” and male voices as “correct”. Occupational change will be the norm. The world of work is completely flexible now. Learning agility and the ability to change our paradigms will be crucial for success in the future of work, said Shanthi Flynn, Chief Human Resources Officer of Adecco Group. We can learn from experience: when spot welding robots replaced jobs, workers who were agile enough to relearn and be re-trained to changing demands kept their jobs. This remains true in the future. Re-education is key. But it has to be cheaper. It has become like a Prada bag and we must take that branding away. Requiring educational certifications when the role doesn’t require it is lazy shorthand for employers. The future will be more about partnerships than skills. Occupational change is the new norm, said Volker Stephan, Head of Human Resources for ABB in Europe. In a structured, pre-defined area, robots are great—you can know exactly what they will do. But as soon as there is an unstructured environment, robots don't respond so well. And even though 57% of business leaders are already using machine learning to automate work, 83% of people prefer human interaction in customer service. Most importantly, in the future workplace, instead of people going to where work is, work will go to where the people are. Innovations happen when the edges of disciplines tickle each other. Carissa Carter, Director of Teaching and Learning at Stanford University, said the future of work is not linear. Our current university structures give us a currency in the form of transcript. But in the future, we have to be able to loop in and out of work; in and out of learning and the university. Even while education structures become stricter, the world of learning and work is more ambiguous than ever. Where do we land between citizen creator and robot? This is our opportunity to embrace the tension and have these tough conversations as we move to the future. Become a ‘norm entrepreneur’. Become someone who creates new norms that encourage the rest of society to act in inclusive ways so we can all thrive, said Iris Bohnet, Professor of Public Policy and Behavioral Economist at Harvard Kennedy School. Increasing inequality should be our primary worry. Wealth is growing, but inequality is increasing faster than ever before measured. How do we battle inequality? We design and contribute to our environment said Bohnet, challenging the audience: "Wherever you are, try to create a ‘clean beach’—a place free of litter, where people do not feel entitled to drop trash, dirty jokes, and micro aggressions." What we are seeing now is only the beginning of these trends. The Fourth Industrial Revolution will cause upheaval in not only our economic, but even our cultural norms. It will affect how we think about privacy, our concept of ownership, how we view work, and how we build our lives. This year’s Global Talent Summit went beyond the typical discussion on what will be the future of work and education, to tackle the deep philosophical and sociological dimensions of the digital revolution. As Chris Luebkeman, Global Director of Arup Foresight said at the beginning of the day: “change is constant and everything inconvenient will change.” How we prepare for that change will hinge in whether we are asking the right questions. We ended our GTS 2018 with more questions than we started. You can continue the conversation year-round by signing up for our events and discussions at www.globaltalentsummit.org.
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Great review by Shalini Trefzer on Michel Servoz's report on the role of #AI #automation and the future of work.
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Congrats Nick!!
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Such an honor to call these women mentors, colleagues, and friends! They have graciously accepted to join as senior advisors and help advance our mission to connect publics to leaders and usher a new generation of talented voices in global affairs. Ghida Fakhry Clare Shine Kerstin Ewelt Dr. Asmaa Alfadala
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Experience
The Diplomatic Courier
CEO & Publisher
Company NameThe Diplomatic Courier
Dates EmployedJan 2006 – Present
Employment Duration14 yrs 2 mos
LocationWashington, DC
CEO & Publisher of the Diplomatic Courier, the Global Affairs Media Network connecting leaders to global publics.
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Northeastern University
Adjunct Faculty
Company NameNortheastern University
Dates EmployedAug 2006 – Present
Employment Duration13 yrs 7 mos
Adjunct Professor of Comparative Politics, Current Political Issues, and Introduction to Politics. Director of Cyprus Program/Dialogues (2006-2007).
Learning Economy
Co-Founder
Company NameLearning Economy
Dates EmployedJan 2018 – Present
Employment Duration2 yrs 2 mos
LocationWashington D.C. Metro Area
Learning Economy is an AI protocol that allows human capital investors to measurably solve skills gaps.
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United Nations Foundation
Staff Writer, Public Affairs
Company NameUnited Nations Foundation
Dates EmployedAug 2004 – Dec 2005
Employment Duration1 yr 5 mos
LocationWashington D.C. Metro Area
The United Nations Foundation builds public-private partnerships to address the world’s most pressing problems, and broadens support for the United Nations through advocacy and public outreach. The Foundation was created in 1998 as a U.S. public charity by entrepreneur and philanthropist Ted Turner and now is supported by philanthropic, corporate, government, and individual donors.
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United States Institute of Peace
Research Fellow
Company NameUnited States Institute of Peace
Dates EmployedOct 2004 – Jul 2005
Employment Duration10 mos
LocationWashington D.C. Metro Area
The United States Institute of Peace is a nonpartisan, national institute, founded by Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible, practical, and essential for U.S. and global security.
Education
American University
American University
Degree NameMastersField Of StudyInternational Peace and Conflict Resolution with a focus on Diplomacy
Dates attended or expected graduation2003 – 2005

Northeastern University
Northeastern University
Degree NameBachelorsField Of StudyInternational Relations
Dates attended or expected graduation1999 – 2003

Volunteer Experience
beecom AG
Steering Committee Member, WorldWebForum
Company Namebeecom AG
Dates volunteeredJan 2018 – Present Volunteer duration2 yrs 2 mos
CauseScience and Technology
Worldwebforum is an annual conference empowering radical change, which is produced by beecom, a Swiss software company based in Zurich. More information: https://worldwebforum.com

Childhood Education International
Senior Advisor, Center for Education Diplomacy
Company NameChildhood Education International
Dates volunteeredSep 2016 – Present Volunteer duration3 yrs 6 mos
CauseEducation
The Center for Education Diplomacy is a program of the Childhood Education International that is supported by a staff dedicated to increase and promote quality cooperation, coordination, and collaboration between sectors and stakeholders using diplomatic skills and approaches to advance transformative agendas for education.

Salzburg Global Seminar
Fellow
Company NameSalzburg Global Seminar
Dates volunteeredMar 2019 – Present Volunteer duration1 yr
CauseEducation
Salzburg Global Seminar is an independent non-profit organization founded in 1947 to challenge current and future leaders to shape a better world. Salzburg Global convenes outstanding talent across generations, cultures and sectors to inspire new thinking and action, and to connect local innovators with global resources.

George W. Bush Presidential Center
Mentor, Women's Initiative
Company NameGeorge W. Bush Presidential Center
Dates volunteeredJan 2011 – Jun 2012 Volunteer duration1 yr 6 mos
CauseEducation
The Bush Institute's Women's Initiative programs support first ladies' efforts to improve the lives of women and children around the world; equip women from the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan with the skills to become more effective leaders; and develop policies and research that advance women's leadership and spotlight their stories.
International Republican Institute
Council Member, Women's Democracy Network
Company NameInternational Republican Institute
Dates volunteeredMar 2014 – Present Volunteer duration6 yrs
CausePolitics
WDN empowers women around the world to participate in the political process and equips them with the skills needed to assume greater leadership roles in government, political parties and civil society. WDN connects aspiring and accomplished women leaders across the globe, creates forums for sharing ideas and experiences, and provides technical training and resource materials.

Karanga
Steering Committee Advisor
Company NameKaranga
Dates volunteeredAug 2019 – Present Volunteer duration7 mos
CauseEducation
Karanga is an international not-for-profit organisation that supports policy makers and practitioners from across the world to promote quality and equitable Social Emotional Learning and Life Skills through initiatives that connect, coordinate, and drive action.