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Jeremy Rifkin    

Leading Global Technologist, Futurist, Authority on World Economic & Environmental Trends

An expert on the impact of scientific and technological changes on the economy, the workforce, society, and the environment, Jeremy Rifkin has advised top European leaders throughout this past decade, including President Nicolas Sarkozy of France, Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, Prime Minister José Sócrates of Portugal, Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain, and Prime Minister Janez Janša of Slovenia.

He is also the founder and president of The Foundation on Economic Trends, which examines the economic, environmental, social, and cultural impacts of new technologies introduced into the global economy, and is the best-selling author of 19 books that have been translated into more than 35 languages and are used in hundreds of universities, corporations, and government agencies around the world. His most recent books include The Third Industrial Revolution, The Empathic Civilization, The Hydrogen Economy, The European Dream, The End of Work, The Age of Access, and The Biotech Century.

In addition to advising the aforementioned political leaders during their respective European Council Presidencies, Rifkin has been an advisor to the European Union and the government of Spain during its presidency of the European Union (January 1 - June 30, 2010). He currently advises the European Commission, the European Parliament, and several EU heads of state.

Rifkin is the principle architect of the European Union's Third Industrial Revolution long-term economic sustainability plan, which addresses the triple challenge of the global economic crisis, energy security, and climate change. The Third Industrial Revolution was formally endorsed by the European Parliament in 2007 and is now being implemented by various agencies within the European Commission as well as in the 27 member states.

Speech Topics


Educating Youth for a Global Era: Introducing Service Learning & Experiential Education into Schools & Colleges

The Hi-tech Revolutions of the 21st Century: Harnessing Science & Technology

The Future of Work: Rethinking the Nature of Employment

The Age of Access: Understanding the Historic Shift in Economic Models

The Global Environmental Crisis: The Path to Sustainable Development

Educating Youth for a Global Era:

Introducing service learning and experiential education into schools and colleges to prepare youth for working and living in a diverse, multicultural world.

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Deep Globalization:

Deepening and expanding the global economy by bringing the remaining 60% of the human race into the 21st century marketplace.

Living in a Three Sector World:

Creating new partnerships between the global business community, civil society, and governments to create a sustainable approach to globalization.

The Hi-tech Revolutions of the 21st Century:

Harnessing the scientific and technological fields of biotechnology, nanotechnology, advanced IT, and cognitive science in ways that advance the process of globalization.

The Future of Work:

Rethinking the nature of employment in an increasingly automated, borderless and highly mobile global economy.

The Age of Access:

Understanding the historic shift in economic models, from traditional capitalist markets to emerging global commercial networks.

The Hydrogen Economy:

Preparing the World for a new energy era and the third industrial revolution.

Challenges and Opportunities of Globalization in the 21st Century

The Biotech Century

After more than 40 years of running on parallel tracks, the information and life sciences are beginning to fuse into one single powerful technological and economic force that is laying the foundation for the Biotech Century.

The European Dream

Keynote speaker Jeremy Rifkin discusses how the European Dream is overtaking the American Dream that has guided people for centuries. It represents a new chapter in global history, and is the first attempt at creating a global consciousness befitting a globalizing economy.

The Third Industrial Revolution

Economic recovery has stalled and the era of plentiful and cheap oil is over. A new economic strategy is necessary. In this powerful presentation, Jeremy Rifkin presents a visionary plan for economic recovery based on the rebuilding of energy infrastructure. By benchmarking a shift to renewable energy, advancing the notion of buildings as power plants, funding an aggressive hydrogen fuel cell technology R&D program, and embracing the distributive capabilities of internet technology, cities and nations can make an intelligent transition to the 21st century. In addition, a wholesale reconfiguration of the entire economic infrastructure of each country will create millions of jobs and countless new goods and services.

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