Information and Communication Technologies are rapidly changing the world we know. The ictQATAR Connected Speaker Series brings global and regional thought leaders to Qatar to address some of the hottest issues in ICT and how technology is changing our lives.

The Connected Speakers Series was launched in 2009 and has addressed social media, green technology and the future of the internet, with more exciting lectures being planned for 2010-2011. Check back regularly for updates on upcoming featured speakers.

Previous Speakers

Anthony D. Williams, Author, Wikinomics, Macrowikinomics

The Power of Mass Collaboration: A New Wiki World
 

Anthony D. Williams is a best-selling author, speaker and consultant who helps organizations harness the power of collaborative innovation in business, government and society. He is the co-author of the groundbreaking bestseller Wikinomics and the much-anticipated follow-up MacroWikinomics: Rebooting Business and the World.

Anthony is currently a visiting fellow with the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto and a senior fellow for innovation with the Lisbon Council in Brussels. Among other appointments, he is also an advisor to GovLoop, the world's largest social network for government innovators and a founding fellow of the OpenForum Academy, a global research initiative focused on understanding the impact of open standards and open source on business and society.

As a senior fellow at nGenera Insight, Anthony previously founded and led the world's definitive investigation into the impact of Web 2.0 and wikinomics on the future of governance and democracy. His work has been featured in publications such as BusinessWeek, Harvard Business Review, the Huffington Post, the Globe and Mail and the Times of India. He has advised both Fortune 500 firms and international institutions, including the World Bank.

Anthony holds a Masters in Research in Political Science from the London School of Economics and lives in Toronto with his wife and two children.

Gerd Leonhard, Media Futurist 

The Future of the Content and Media Industries: New Business Models and Opportunities.

Every content and media industry - film, TV, radio, gaming, software, music, publishing and news- has been severely impacted by the explosive growth of the Internet and the empowerment of the hyper-connected consumer. Facebook is now the biggest broadcaster in the world, the full convergence of TV and Internet is here, telecoms are entering into the media fray, advertisers are switching their budgets to digital media in hordes and "free" or "freemium" content seems to be irreversible.

What is the future for the content and media industries? Where will new revenues come from and who will pay for what? Who will be the winners and the losers in the new digital realm?

Gerd Leonhard, described by the Wall Street Journal as "one of the leading media futurists in the world," took on all these questions and more at ictQATAR's latest "Connected Speakers" seminar on December 6, 2010.  

Michael Nelson, Visiting Professor of Internet Studies, Georgetown University   

The cloud, the Exaflood and the Internet of Things are all upon us, and in his Connected Speaker lecture, Nelson shared fascinating insight on the latest developments in the Internet and explored what the future may hold.

Michael Nelson is currently Visiting Professor of Internet Studies in Georgetown University's Communication, Culture, and Technology Program. Since January 2008, he has been doing research and teaching courses on "The Future of the Internet" and technology trends as well as consulting and speaking on Internet technology and policy.

    
Andrew Hargadon, Professor of Technology Management, University of California, Davis     

Andrew Hargadon's Connected Speaker presentation focused on how innovation in ICT can help find new solutions to emerging environmental and energy challenges.

Hargadon is a Professor of Technology Management at the Graduate School of Management at University of California, Davis. Professor Hargadon's research focuses on the effective management of innovation and the strategic role of design in managing technology transitions, particularly in the development and commercialization of sustainable technologies. He has written extensively on knowledge and technology brokering and the role of learning and knowledge management in innovation.

    
Dr. Soumitra Dutta, Roland Berger Chaired Professor of Buisness and Technology, INSEAD

    Dr. Soumitra shared the findings from his most recent book, Throwing Sheep in the Boardroom, highlighting the amazing impact social media has had on how we communicate both personally and professionally.

Soumitra Dutta, PhD., is Roland Berger Chaired Professor of Business and Technology at INSEAD. He obtained his Doctorate in Computer Science and his M.Sc. in Business Administration from the University of California at Berkeley. At INSEAD, he is the faculty director of elab@INSEAD, a center of excellence in the digital economy working in collaboration with organizations such as Morgan Stanley, SAP, Cisco and Intel. His books include The Bright Stuff (Prentice Hall, 2002), and Embracing the Net (Financial Times, 2001). His research has been showcased in the international media such as CNN, CNBC, and the BBC. He is a fellow of the World Economic Forum.