Event: Cambridge Forum 2011: Consumer Networks and the Diffusion of Power
By: the YouGov-Cambridge Team
The first “YouGov-Cambridge Forum” in September 2011 marked the launch of a new partnership between the two institutions – and a new centre for public opinion research that unites world experts with the public pulse through YouGov polling.
The exclusive 2-day launch event offered talks and debates from numerous leaders of their fields, including David Cameron’s chief advisor, Steve Hilton plus other senior policy-makers from Downing Street; Imran Khan, the Pakistani politician; Lord Griffiths, Vice Chairman of Goldman Sachs International, Jimmy Wales, the creator of Wikipedia; Paul Mason, Economics Editor of Newsnight, Nassim Taleb, the distinguished author; plus a raft of Cambridge experts, government practitioners, journalists, business leaders and the well-known TV and Radio Broadcaster, Clive Anderson, for after-dinner entertainment.
The event, hosted at Magdalene College, Cambridge, addressed the theme of ‘Consumer networks and the Diffusion of Power’, and the extent to which we are seeing an historic diffusion of power in modern society towards non-state actors and citizen-voices. Attendance was by invitation only, providing an exclusive audience of leaders in their field with the chance to share insights on how to leverage and live with the growing voice of online consumers and social crowds in today’s business and political worlds.
As well as a launch-event, the “YouGov-Cambridge Forum” is now set to be an annual fixture at the university for thought-leaders from government, business, media and academia to discuss major issues of public-opinion research.
PROGRAMME
Day 1: Thursday 8th September
10am Registration
10:30am Opening remarks: Stephan Shakespeare, CEO & Co-Founder, YouGov
Session title: The Ambition of the YouGov-Cambridge Forum:
10:40am Keynote 1: Jimmy Wales, Founder, Wikipedia
Session title: Wikipedia and Wikia in Political Activism
Followed by Q&A Chaired by Rory Cellan-Jones, Technology Correspondent, BBC
11.25am Keynote 2: Nik Gowing, Presenter, BBC World News
Session title: New Vulnerabilities for Power, Politics and Systems in the new Public Information Space
Followed by Q&A Chaired by Rory Cellan-Jones, Technology Correspondent, BBC
11:45am Coffee
12:00pm Panel 1: Arab Spring: The Promise and Perils of Social Media Beyond the West
Chair: Lindsey Hilsum, Channel 4 News’ International Editor
Panel:
Jonathan Clarke, Former British Diplomat
Nabila Ramdani, Freelance Journalist specialising in Islamic Affairs and the Arab World
Glen Rangwala, Lecturer in Middle East Politics, University of Cambridge
1:15pm Lunch
2:15pm Panel 2: Transparency in the Post-Bureaucratic Age: Will it Deliver?
Chair: Stephan Shakespeare, CEO & Co-Founder, YouGov
Panel:
Steve Hilton, Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister
Tim Kelsey, UK Government’s Advisor on Transparency and Open Data
Liam Maxwell, ICT Futures, Cabinet Office
Neil O’Brien, Director, Policy Exchange
Rohan Silva, Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister
3:30pm Coffee
4pm Keynote 3: Nassim Taleb, Author, The Black Swan
Session title: Neomania and The Procrustean Bed of Technology
Chair: Rohan Silva, Senior Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister
5:15pm Break
6pm Keynote 4: Imran Khan, Chairman of “Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf” (PTI)
The Soft Revolution in Pakistan
Chair: Richard Lindley, former BBC Panorama and ITN Reporter
7:30pm Pre-dinner drinks: in the Library Cloisters
8pm Formal Supper: Magdalene Dining Hall (by separate invitation)
Supper Speeches:
David Howarth on: the School of Government vision
Jonathan Clarke, Former British Diplomat on: the View from Washington
Keynote 5: Clive Anderson, TV and Radio Broadcaster
Day 2: Friday 9th September
8am Breakfast
9am Panel 3: How to Leverage the Power of the Online Citizen
Chair: Carole Stone, Chairman, YouGovStone
Panel:
Carla Buzasi, Editor-in-Chief, Huffington Post UK & AOL Europe
Adrian Monck, Managing Director and Head of Communications and Media, World Economic Forum
John Naughton, Professor, Open University & Director, Press Fellowship Programme, Wolfson College, University of Cambridge
Kate Robertson, UK Group Chairman, Euro RSCG & Co-Founder One Young World
Faisal J. Abbas, Senior Middle East Correspondent, International Resource Journal
10:15am Keynote 6: Lord Brian Griffiths, Vice-chairmen, Goldman Sachs International
Is Zero Growth the Major Risk We Now Face – Can We Avoid a Decade of Global Stagnation?
Chair: Paul Mason, Economics Editor, BBC Newsnight
11:15am Coffee
11:30 Panel 4: Perceptions of Power – Can a Leader Govern in a Networked Society?
Chair: Peter Kellner, President, YouGov
Panel:
Tim Montgomerie, Founder & Editor, Conservativehome.com
Mary Ann Sieghart, Columnist, The Independent
Claire Fox, Director, Institute of Ideas; Convenor, Annual Battle of Ideas Festival; Panellist, Radio 4’s Moral Maze
Andrew Gamble, Professor and Head of Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) University of Cambridge
Janan Ganesh, Political Correspondent, The Economist
Roger Graef, Broadcaster, Director & Criminologist
YouGov polling results presented by: Dr Doug Rivers, Chief Innovations Officer, YouGov, Joe Twyman, Director of Social and Political Research, YouGov
12:30pm Concluding remarks and open debate
Chair: Peter Kellner, President of YouGov
13:15 Lunch