Next Generation Summit — a university-represented conference centered on learning, collaboration and networking — will be hosting their first conference at Corwin Pavilion on May 4 and 5.
Represented by nearly all UC campuses — along with private universities like Pepperdine University and USC — NGS is a conference that aims to promote learning, collaboration and networking among student leaders. The event will include one-hour workshops and five-minute talks, and will feature speakers such as Kevin O’Connor, Dr. John La Puma, Klaus Schauser, Lex Sisney, Jacques Habra and Jacob Tell. Cost of attendance is $35 for students and $75 for non-students.
NGS Founder and Director Kiyan Rajabi first began planning NGS in September 2012, when he sought to build a setting where thinkers of all academic backgrounds could collaborate and discuss significant issues and trends. According to Rajabi, the purpose of the conference is to allow students to build these ideas and manifest them into reality.
This year’s theme — “Innovation From All Angles” — centers around the concept of “bottlenecking,” a term Rajabi associates with system performance and capacity. Rajabi said collaboration amongst academics has the power to produce revolutionary ideas and actions.
“I began to realize that our generation can alleviate many of the burdens we face if we more frequently solved our problems through cross-disciplinary collaboration,” Rajabi said. “Our education and experiences vary, so collective ideation and discussion is the best way to derive solutions and mutually beneficial outcomes.”
According to Rajabi, topics up for discussion at this year’s event include technology, health, science, business, psychology, education, the arts, entertainment and environmentalism.
Once the event is over, NGS will continue to interact with the networks that are built by continuing interaction with past NGS attendees. Furthermore, the event is open to all students from across the nation.
Fourth-year global studies major Surina Singhal said events like NGS present great opportunities for fourth-year students to network and meet people they may want to work with after graduation.
“I would recommend this to any graduating senior like myself,” Singhal said. “Nowadays, it’s so hard to find an outlet for networking, and even sharing your ideas, so I appreciate events like these. On top of that, finding a job after college has become ten times harder, and this conference will give you guidance on how to avoid that.”
According to Rajabi, NGS plans to continue planning more events in the future.
“The Next Generation Summit is an environment where young adults could join together to share what they are passionate about, meet others that thrive from innovation and synergize their ideas into actions,” Rajabi said. “It’s a place and early network of the future’s notable leaders.”
Prospective attendees can register for the event by visiting the NGS website at www.nextgenerationsummit.com.
