EAIE Conference 2015: Where are we heading?
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Our Facebook fans seem to have worked this one out already! It’s not Paris, it’s not Rome. No, we’re heading a little further north, to a land where English is spoken (with a twist), where men wear skirts (sometimes), where the national motto is: ‘Nemo me impune lacessit – No one provokes me with impunity’. It was also home to the first ever raincoat. Guessed it? We’re heading to Glasgow, Scotland’s largest city!
Preparations have already begun in earnest for the 27th Annual EAIE Conference, taking place from 15–18 September 2015. The theme of the conference is ‘A wealth of nations’. As we tentatively head into a more fruitful economic era, we need to acknowledge and combine our collective strengths in Europe to remain competitive and successful in the global marketplace. Economists among you will recognise the term ‘Wealth of nations’ from the fundamental classical economics work by key Scottish Enlightenment leader, Adam Smith. Educated at Glasgow University, Smith’s thinking influenced economists as well as governments and organisations during the Age of Enlightenment – promoting intellectual interchange, using reason to reform society to ultimately pave the way for the modernisation of the Atlantic World.
In Glasgow we’ll be laying the foundations for a connected, competitive and innovative Europe. This starts with education, more precisely, international education. Where better to do this than a city praised as one of Europe’s finest academic research hubs? Innovation is a key driver in our field, and we could learn a lot from the Scots: the television, the telephone and penicillin were all brainchildren of Scottish inventors. The combination of Scottish charm, hospitality and innovative thinking, together with the EAIE Conference energy could create something quite spectacular in 2015.
Sample the powerful Glasgow spirit by watching this brilliant animation, and save the date for EAIE 2015. Rumour has it, there might be an EAIE tartan making a conference appearance. Check the EAIE Glasgow website and blog for updates!