Author, award-winning correspondent to speak on innovation economy for Libraries Distinguished Lecture Series
October 3, 2012
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - An award-winning correspondent for The Economist magazine and book author who writes about trends that will shape the future of business and technology and how to get away from the world's addiction to fossil fuels will speak Oct. 18 as part of the Purdue University Libraries Distinguished Lecture Series.
Vijay V. Vaitheeeswaran, author of "Need, Speed, and Greed: How the New Rules of Innovation Can Transform Businesses, Propel Nations to Greatness, and Tame the World's Most Wicked Problems," will speak at 7 p.m. in Stewart Center's Fowler Hall. The talk, titled "Need, Speed and Greed: Welcome to the Innovation Economy," is free and open to the public.
Vaitheeeswaran has worked around the world for The Economist and covered energy and the environment for nearly a decade. He currently covers innovation, health and biotechnology from Beijing, China.
He is an adviser to the World Economic Forum and the Clinton Global Initiative on clean energy and innovation. He is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations and teaches at New York University's Stern School of Business. He is a commentator on National Public Radio, has been a regular guest on the BBC, PBS's NewsHour and ABC's Nightline, and his commentaries have been in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal. Purdue alumna Moira Gunn on her program Tech Nation recently interviewed him.
Vaitheeswaran also authored "Power to the People: How the Coming Energy Revolution will Transform an Industry, Change our Lives, and Maybe Even Save the Planet," a book about the future of energy.
In his talk, Vaitheeswaran will discuss why innovation is the only competitive advantage in the 21st century and why it is the only engine driving commerce. He will talk about traditional hotbeds of innovation and developing markets across the globe and tie together technology, energy, sustainability and the economy.
Richard Cosier, dean emeritus of Purdue's Krannert School of Management, Leeds Professor of Management and the Avrum and Joyce Gray Director of the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, will introduce Vaitheeswaran.
The Purdue Libraries Distinguished Lecture Series, made possible by major funding from the estate of Anna M. Akeley, began in 2005 to bring people with notable creative and intellectual achievements to speak at the university. Co-sponsor for the event is Purdue's Office of the Provost. Major contributors are the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship and the Global Policy Research Institute.
Von's Book Shop of West Lafayette will host a book sale at Fowler Hall, and Vaitheeswaran will have book signing following the lecture. Purdue Libraries have copies of "Need, Speed and Greed" available at library reserve desks on campus.
Writer: Jim Bush, 765-494-2077, jsbush@purdue.edu
Source: Elaine Bahler, Purdue Libraries Advancement and Marketing, 765-496-9610, ebahler@purdue.edu
