Brown-RISD students tout A Better World by Design

 Around the time of Governor Carcieri's economic conference, a group of Brown and RISD students will be having their own get-together, A Better World By Design -- one that also relates to economic-development, yet with a decidely different organizing theme.

A Better World by Design asks the question today’s designers, engineers, and economists should be asking. How can we use technology to improve the world? Hear answers from dozens of world-class professionals and academics in this milestone conference that will change the way you think about global crises and push the limits of user-centric, affordable design.

Organizer Andrea Jones, a Brown undergrad, elaborated in an e-mail to N4N:

There is something brewing in the world today.  Look closely and you will notice that industries are shifting focus towards building a better world.  It is capitalism with a conscience.  Many businesses and individuals are practicing sustainability, addressing the needs of society, and responding to the calls of the greatest threats the world has faced.  The leaders are not only the executives, government officials, and large corporations of today's society.  Among these powerful professionals, college students are staking their claim as active leaders of this movement.

Students at Brown and RISD have united to take on a leadership role in the increasing awareness of humanitarian design's immense potential to improve our world.  In an entirely student led initiative, students at these two leading universities have put together a conference entitled "A Better World By Design" to showcase the capacity of technology and design to make positive changes in humanitarian efforts.

"A Better World By Design" brings together world leaders in humanitarian design from industry to academia to speak about their roles in this movement and pave the way for further discussions and innovations.  Keynote speakers Cameron Sinclair and Iqbal Quadir are leaders in recognizing the power of design and technology to drive this shift towards humanitarian efforts.  A total of nineteen world leaders have forgone their usual fee to participate as speakers in this student-run conference.

"A Better World By Design" will spread awareness of the importance that this movement has in shaping the future of our world.  It will not only bring together already established leaders in the movement, but will allow these leaders to share their individual pursuits with others, leading to more informed professionals, academics, and, most importantly, students.  Empowering students with the knowledge of the innovative changes that are taking place in the world will lead to a new generation of leaders that is ready to learn from previous mistakes and forge unforeseen paths in a way that no one has anticipated.