Columbia Global Centers | Tunis organized a webinar in collaboration with EFE-Tunisia and Association des Jeunes Ingénieurs de Zarzis about the theory of innovation. The event was held in English and translated simultaneously into Arabic.
This webinar discussed how innovation is essential for individuals, organizations, societies, and civilization itself. Overcoming this blasted pandemic along with the existential challenges of climate change and social upheaval all demand innovation. As Abraham Lincoln said, "We must think anew, and act anew." Yet despite all that has been written, there hasn’t really been an integrative, predictive theory of innovation and how it works. This presentation reviewed some historical examples of innovation from ancient Rome to Silicon Valley, dissected that greatest fount of innovation—biology—and considered the outlines of a theory of innovation based on evolution with practical implications for individuals, businesses, and policy.
Speaker:
Dr. Ogan Gurel, MD, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Chief Science Officer, Flite Material Sciences.
He holds academic appointments as a Visiting Professor at the Solbridge International School of Business with previous DGIST (Daegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & Technology) positions as Vice-Chair & Distinguished Invited Professor in the Management of Innovation program. In the innovation world, Dr. Gurel is Chief Science Officer for FLITE Materials Sciences (USA/Canada), Advisor for the CREST-Malaysia Digital Health Cluster and a Venture Partner at The Yozma Group, with previous executive roles as Chief Science Officer for Chief Marketing Officer for Eidware / SoundMind (Seoul), Chief Scientific Officer for FRT – Field Robot Technology, CEO at NovumWaves (Seoul), Acting Chief Medical Officer at Nessa Hearing (Singapore), and Advisor at Frasen (Seoul). Ogan served over four years as a Director in the CTO office (MOT & Open Innovation groups) at the Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology (SAIT) and prior to that was VP & Medical Director at Sg2, a leading U.S.-based healthcare consultancy and an Associate at Booz, Allen & Hamilton. Dr. Gurel obtained an MD degree Alpha Omega Alpha from the Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons, also doing graduate work in structural biology (M.Phil degree) and earned a Bachelor’s degree in Biochemical Sciences cum laude from Harvard College working with Prof. Martin Karplus (Nobel Prize in Chemistry 2013).
