The world is changing faster than human institutions can keep up with. Universities were set up in the 16th and 17th centuries as centres for academic thinking and learning — they were never intended to create leaders and professionals. We need a different model to prepare our world for new ideas and new ideators. We want intellectual exploration that’s grounded in the real world. That’s what infuses the design of all our higher education programs at Amani Institute.
The THNK immersion was so different from all my previous education. At THNK, you get to work with people who are adding meaning to life. You walk with them through a process and come out the other side with such a strong sense of purpose. My ‘class project’ was to give people the chance to build careers with meaning, to train at a calibre that would prepare them to change the world.
There’s a really good blurring happening right now between the private, public, and social sectors. Some social movements will always need philanthropy to sustain, and some corporate products have no particular role for social good — but the overlap is getting bigger as
Young people will take a pay cut for a job that offers more social impact, and companies are starting to see their social citizenship as being hugely important. Today’s zeitgeist is to unite profit and purpose, and it’s happening.
We believe that peace is the ultimate outcome of a healthier, more human-oriented world. To achieve that, we need healthy, more human-oriented leaders. The Amani Institute amplifies the imagination and reach of these leaders. It’s a privilege that I get to do this for a living.