Francis Ford Coppola shares his vision of the future at IE University

Francis Ford Coppola, the American director, producer and screenwriter, who is regarded as a cinema legend, was the guest of honor today at IE University. Ford Coppola shared his vision of the future and discussed with Diego del Alcázar Benjumea, CEO of IE University, the enduring importance of the arts and humanities in a world where technology is redefining our way of living at 'The Next 50' ceremony. With ‘The Next 50’ initiative, IE University is looking ahead to understand the challenges we are likely to face in the next 50 years in education, the humanities, artificial intelligence and sustainability, among other fields, and to prepare us for the topics that will mark our lives and the new workplace. discuss and understanding the world.

Francis Ford Coppola, screenwriter, director and producer and five-time Oscar winner is one of the leading figures of the New Hollywood that emerged in the 1970s, along with directors such as Martin Scorsese, Steven Spielberg, Brian de Palma and George Lucas. His trilogy The Godfather' based on the novel of the same name by Mario Puzo, is regarded as one of the greatest in film history.

During the 'The Next 50' event, held at IE Tower and attended by leading figures from the business, academic and institutional worlds, the heads of the IE Center for the Governance of Change unveiled the conclusions of a research project that gives us an insight into the challenges we are likely to face in the next 50 years. The authors of the report surveyed 8,000 citizens from the 20 countries that make up the G20 about their concerns, challenges and opportunities for the future across key areas including technology, economic trends, scientific challenges, the environment and education. These findings were presented ahead of COP28, the United Nations Climate Change Summit, which is scheduled to take place at the end of November.

Launch of the IE School of Humanities

The event was also the backdrop chosen by IE University to announce the launch of the IE School of Humanities, a new school at the organization that aims to promote education and research to train leaders in humanities, management and technology to address the complex challenges of the business world. The IE School of Humanities is set to launch a bachelor’s degree in Humanities and a dual degree in Business Administration and Humanities in September 2024, both 100% in English and with the backing of UNESCO as an academic partner.

This year, as part of 'The Next 50', IE University's main events, graduation ceremonies, South Summit gatherings, Hay Festival and Reinventing Higher Education all look to the future. In addition, IE Insights, IE University's knowledge hub, has added to 'The Next 50' with '50 Ideas to Shape the Future', a series of articles and videos starring international personalities who have shared their views on the challenges we are likely to face in the coming decades. All of them have helped us to understand what the planet will be like in 2073, how education is set to change, what topics academic research will be focusing on, how business management will be redefined, what the priorities of global governance will be, what challenges will emerge from sustainability, the management of diversity, and economic, political and social issues, the explosion of technology and the Artificial Intelligence revolution, among others.