British Council hosts 'The Great Talk' in Kolkata

Taking audience on a mesmerising journey, Jon Turney elaborated on how our past experiences influence our thinking about the future.

He detailed upon how to tell forecast from fantasy, hope from hype, and how to think about achieving futures we would like to live in.

In addition, he discussed how there are no facts about the future, even though it fascinates us.

Speaking at the event, Scott Furssedonn-Wood, British Deputy High Commissioner Kolkata said: “The UK has a global reputation for excellence in education and skills thanks to academic and research institutions that are among the best in the world. They are engines of ideas, knowledge-creation and innovation that have global impact. That's why Britain remains the second most popular destination for international higher education students, and why our alumni go on to succeed and to inspire others in almost any field you can think of - whether they are world leaders, Nobel-Prize winners, top executives, Oscar-winning directors or Olympic gold-medalists. In bringing the brilliant Jon Turney to Kolkata we hope he will inspire some of the brightest young minds of the city and get them thinking about the UK as a destination for their future studies.”

Jon Turney said, “The GREAT Talk is a wonderful initiative started by the British Council to engage, encourage and inspire young students. My talk today was on how hard it is to focus on the future when the present is evolving so rapidly. It's clear that the future remains radically uncertain, and there's not much we can do about it. I believe that we need to cultivate an atmosphere that ignites young minds to embark upon intellectual adventures driven by pertinent questions. I believe the UK Education offers students a plethora of opportunities who are looking to make a mark for themselves.”

The GREAT Talk is aimed at motivating young Indian students to plan their careers effectively by interacting with eminent UK speakers. The platform offers students a once in a lifetime opportunity to expand their horizons, meet with prominent speakers and explore new career directions. It offers a compelling opportunity to Indian students to engage with distinguished UK personalities who bring insightful, real world experiences and outlook to their academic pursuits.