Meet the OEB2018 Speakers: Geoff Mulgan

Get to know Opening Plenary Keynote speaker Geoff Mulgan in our speaker questionnaire. Geoff is Chief Executive of the global innovation foundation, NESTA (National Endowment for Science Technology and the Arts). He is a social entrepreneur, infinitely curious about how the world works and author of several books including “Big Mind: How Collective Intelligence Can Change Our World”.

1. Who, or what, was your most important teacher?

I had many great teachers in school and university – but my most important teacher was a man called Michael Young, founder of the Open University amongst other things, who taught me how to contribute to social change.

2. What were your best/worst subjects in school?

I did well in history and maths but sadly struggled in German!

3. If you could try out any job for a day, what would you like to try?

Train driver – but I’d need a supervisor.

4. Which technology, in your view, had the biggest influence on the way we learn now?

Printing, obviously. But the Internet is beginning to have an even bigger influence.

5. What is the coolest gadget / technology / tool you have seen lately?

I like AI tools like Polis which can show how a whole group is thinking about issues.

6. What current learning trend do you think will have a lasting impact?

I hope that collaborative problem solving focused on real-world problems will become mainstream.

7. Who would you recommend in the Learning World to follow on twitter right now?

I like tangential sites – like @archpics – that surprise me

8. What would be the title of your autobiography?

Ask me in 20 years time

9. What was your first thought about OEB 2018’s overall theme: Learning to Love Learning?

Yes – that’s what matters more than anything else