HIGH POINT, N.C., Aug. 29, 2017 – High Point University will host “A Conversation with President Nido R. Qubein and Kevin Ashton” from 9-10:30 a.m. on Sept. 12 in the Pauline Theatre of Hayworth Fine Arts Center. Community members can reserve a seat by contacting the HPU Campus Concierge at 336-841-4636 or [email protected].
Ashton is a visionary technologist and author. He coined the term “the Internet of Things,” co-founded the Auto-ID Center at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and has led three successful tech start-ups, including Zensi, which he co-founded and sold to Belkin in 2010. His writing about innovation and technology has appeared in the New York Times, The Atlantic, Politico and Quartz.
This event will be filmed by UNC-TV and aired at a later date. The discussion is part of HPU’s Access to Innovators series, which features renowned global thought leaders including former Secretary of State Dr. Condoleezza Rice; broadcast legend Tom Brokaw; Gen. Colin Powell, former secretary of state, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and national security advisor; Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple; Biz Stone, co-founder of Twitter; Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix; and many others.
“Leaders and innovators are attracted to our campus, in part, because they support our efforts to prepare students for the world as it is going to be,” says Qubein. “Meeting with such leaders helps students learn the art of the possible.”
HPU’s 2017 Common Read is Ashton’s “How to Fly a Horse: The Secret History of Creation, Invention, and Discovery,” which breaks down the myth of “creative genius,” demonstrating the ways in which creating is an ordinary act, one that, over time, can lead to extraordinary outcomes. A mixture of “how to,” history, and call to action, “How to Fly a Horse” chronicles the stories of famous and not-so-famous creators, demonstrating the shared humanity of invention and discovery.
HPU’s Common Read is a shared reading among all incoming students for the purpose of providing a shared intellectual experience through exploration and discussion. In addition to small group discussions of the book during Academic Orientation, numerous sections of the First-Year Seminar and English 1103 will be incorporating the book into class time throughout the semester. During his campus visit, Ashton will also speak with freshman students.