Challenge Handbook 2019

THE HANDBOOK 2019

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM

CHALLENGE

LEADERS OF TODAY CONNECTING WITH LEADERS OF TOMORROW

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM CHALLENGE 2019 ARE YOU UP FOR A CHALLENGE? Aarhus Symposium Challenge is your opportunity to secure your seat for Aarhus Symposium and Aarhus Symposium Focus. Engage with great leaders of today by submitting an essay that expresses your unique take on one of three challenges.

SECURE YOUR SEAT Seize one of the three challenges by submitting an essay of maximum two standard pages and secure your seat for Aarhus Symposium 2019 and Aarhus Symposium Focus 2019. Read more in this handbook.

SUBMISSION Submit your essay online on www.aarhus-symposium.org in PDF format.

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HAND-IN DEADLINE Sunday, September 22, 2019, at 23:59.

MASTERING CREATIVITY THE THEME OF AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 2019

For many, creativity is a concept reserved for childhood play; for a time when we were not afraid to paint outside the lines. As we grow up, the importance of developing our imagination is often neglected. However, when we dare to use new colours, we increase the potential of the canvas at hand. Thus, mastering creativity has proven key to excel as a leader, company, or even nation. Change is happening at a pace where lea-

ders cannot rely on old, traditional ways of thinking to stay ahead of their game. When challenged by small disruptive players, how can established companies renew themselves to stay competitive? Which industries will change in the face of technological advancements? And how do leaders prevent climate change from destroying our only home? To answer such questions, leaders must break new ground and think creatively.

PARTICIPATING SPEAKERS

SUSANNE MØRCH KOCH

ANDRÉ ROGACZEWSKI

HENRIK ANDERSEN

CEO, DANSKE SPIL

CO-FOUNDER & CEO, NETCOMPANY

CEO, VESTAS

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 3

PRESENTING

THE SPEAKERS

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SUSANNE MØRCH KOCH CEO, DANSKE SPIL TOPIC 1: SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON...

HOW ESTABLISHED COMPANIES CAN UNCOVER THEIR ENTREPRENEURIAL POTENTIAL AND REINVENT THEMSELVES

When dealing with change, large organisations can be slow and bureaucratic. Contrary to start-ups, large organisations tend to lack the ability to act quickly and generate disruptive ideas that can change entire markets.

How can large organisations maintain an innovative mindset to ensure they are not outcompeted by more agile competitors?

HAVE YOU FOR INSTANCE THOUGHT ABOUT...

1

HOW ESTABLISHED COMPANIES CAN ADAPT MANAGEMENT PHILOSOPHIES

2

HOW ORGANISATIONS CAN EMBRACE INNOVATION BY ENCOURAGING

3

HOW COMPANIES CAN UTILISE CROSS-FUNCTIONAL TEAMS TO SOLVE

THAT ENGAGES EMPLOYEES TO ACT LIKE IN A START-UP?

EMPLOYEES TO VOICE THEIR CREATIVE IDEAS?

PROBLEMS IN INNOVATIVE WAYS?

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 5

ANDRÉ ROGACZEWSKI CO-FOUNDER & CEO, NETCOMPANY

TOPIC 2: SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON...

HOW A SPECIFIC INDUSTRY CAN BE RADICALLY CHANGED BY INTRODUCING A CREATIVE TECHNOLOGY

Picture a world where all your food can be grown in a laboratory. A world where artificial intelligence can monitor your health and going to the supermarket is a thing of the past. Disruptive technologies are bound to revolutionise numerous aspects of how business is being done. Where will these radical transformations appear and what opportunities will come along?

HAVE YOU FOR INSTANCE THOUGHT ABOUT...

1

HOW COMPANIES CAN USE BIG DATA TO UNDERSTAND AND MEET CONSU-

2

HOW ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CAN RESHAPE THE SERVICE INDUSTRY BY

3

HOW THE INTERNET OF THINGS (IOT) CAN TRANSFORM THE RETAIL INDUSTRY BY

MER NEEDS IN NEW WAYS?

IMITATING HUMAN BEHAVIOUR AND INTERACTION?

AUTOMATING STORES’ TRANSACTION PROCESS?

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HENRIK ANDERSEN CEO, VESTAS

TOPIC 3: SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON...

A WAY FOR BUSINESSES OR GOVERNMENTS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE AND THE BENEFITS OF DOING SO

The level of greenhouse gasses in our atmosphere is now at its highest in human history. The world needs businesses and governments to act in the search for more sustainable ways to produce goods, harvest energy, and reduce waste. Apart from saving the planet, doing so can also lead to new business opportunities and a more efficient society. The question is how?

HAVE YOU FOR INSTANCE THOUGHT ABOUT...

1

HOW COMPANIES CAN ACHIEVE A SUSTAINABLE PRODUCTION BY IMPLEMEN-

2

HOW LAUNCHING MOBILE APPS BASED ON THE SHARING ECONOMY CAN

3

HOW GOVERNMENTS CAN ENCOURAGE CITIZENS TO USE SUSTAINABLE PRO-

TING GREEN INITIATIVES, SUCH AS USING RECYCLABLE MATERIALS?

FIGHT MAJOR CLIMATE THREATS, SUCH AS FOOD WASTE AND AIR POLLUTION?

DUCTS AND SERVICES, SUCH AS ELECTRIC VEHICLES THROUGH TAX INCENTIVES?

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 7

MEET THE ESSAY REQUIREMENTS FOLLOW THESE REQUIREMENTS FOR YOUR ESSAY •

Maximum 4,800 characters (incl. spaces) or two standard pages

•

Write in English or Danish

•

Do not include your own name on any of the pages

•

Hand-in no later than September 22, 2019, at 23:59

CONNECT WITH OUR MESSENGER BOT To write an extraordinary essay, you need a good idea. If you need inspiration to kick-start your creative writing, connect with our Messenger Bot through our Facebook page. The Messenger Bot is your guide to Aarhus Symposium Challenge 2019 and will provide you with inspiration to answer your preferred challenge.

HOW TO CONNECT WITH OUR MESSENGER BOT:

1

Open the messenger app on your smartphone

2

Click on the camera icon at the top of the screen

3

Touch the screen until a circle appears

4

Place your camera over the code to scan

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WRITE YOUR ESSAY Once you have a good idea, the next step is finding the best way to deliver it. While there is no one right way to structure an essay, you can find a few basic tips below.

INTRODUCTION •

Motivate your essay to catch the reader’s interest

•

State the main point you will be making throughout your essay

BODY •

Argue your case to support your main point

•

Present how you interpret the challenge along with any key concepts necessary for your answer

•

Nuance your argument and consider both its strengths and weaknesses

CONCLUSION •

Sum up your main conclusion

•

Ensure that you have answered the challenge

MAKE YOUR ESSAY STAND OUT To strengthen your argumentation, you can reference a statistic, a scientific statement, or similar. A narrower scope may furthermore ensure a more focused argumentation.

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SCREENING PROCESS After you have submitted your essay, it will be evaluated by four separate and independent boards. Each board reviews different aspects of your essay in order to find the most outstanding one. See below for information regarding the full screening process.

1 2 3 4

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PRELIMINARY BOARD REVIEWS • Compliance with formal requirements • Grammar and spelling • Whether the Challenge is answered

SCREENING BOARD REVIEWS • Strong argumentation • Innovative and original content • Well-written and inspiring language

KNOWLEDGE BOARD • Reviews the overall quality of the essay • Gives constructive feedback on content and language • Nominates essays to Leaders’ Forum

THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM BOARD OF DIRECTORS • Evaluates the essays nominated for Leaders’ Forum • Selects the winner of the Aarhus Symposium Award

THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM AWARD THE WINNING ESSAY OF AARHUS SYMPOSIUM CHALLENGE 2018

By Soraya Redondo Mezmizi, Master in Law, University of Copenhagen As a millennial, my education was not so different from what most of the students have today. The setup was simple: four walls, a teacher who would lecture us on the Second World War or the periodic table of elements, and a multitude of classmates.

One notion to summarize the roots of education – the three big R’s, generally (and humorously) known as reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmetic- and a one-size-fits-all structure for everybody, without much change from one year to another. Except, there was something changing rapidly around us: Technology. One day I would walk around with my heavy Walkman and old tapes, then a CD player became the new fashion; and few years later, I would have access to any song in the world with one click.

will have to have acquired certain skills, such as communication, innovation or problem-solving.

There is even a real-life feedback that allows the emulated game to change to adapt to each participant’s learning pace. During the next week, students might be simulating customized, real-life scenarios such as a mock interview session with Virtual Reality to enhance, inter alia, their listening, persuasion, and non-verbal communication skills. These are no longer traditional classes. In these classes, adaptive learning platforms have been used to help students develop their soft skills.

Each individual has discovered how to relearn the whole experience of teaching, and of developing the full potential of students.

[...]

[...]

Let’s imagine for a moment the previously mentioned simple setup of four walls, a teacher, and a multitude of students. This time, however, the lecture is not about the Treaty of Versailles or the Pythagorean theorem. This time there is an emulated game in which all students will participate and in which they will have to work together to win it.

To be able to progress to the next level, participants

Can we stop automation? Certainly not. However, we do not need to compete against machines, but instead, work with them. Technology is here to revolutionize the classroom as well. And adaptive learning digital tools will be the first step to ensure that our students will never become the slow fish eaten by the fast complexity and automation that will come with the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

SORAYA REDONDO MEZMIZI THE WINNER OF THE AARHUS SYMPOSIUM AWARD 2018

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THE MOST CREATIVE ESSAY THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX To celebrate the importance of creativity, this year a special prize will be awarded to the author of the most creative essay.

From contributing with an original idea to communicating such an idea in a creative manner, you can stand out in many ways. So think differently and maybe you will stand out as the most creative participant at Aarhus Symposium 2019.

By submitting your creative take on one of the three challenges, you will automatically be considered for the prize. The author of the most creative essay will be awarded on stage at Aarhus Symposium 2019.

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SPECIAL PARTNER EVENTS JOIN OUR PREMIUM PARTNERS FOR AN EXCITING EXPERIENCE For the third year in a row, our Premium Partners invite a number of selected students to take part in their exclusive A Day At events. This year, you will have the opportunity to gain great insights into the core business of either LEGO Group, Velux, or Jyske Bank. By writing an outstanding essay, you will increase your chance of being selected to connect with one of our partners at their facilities.

For the very first time in the history of Aarhus Symposium, the LEGO Group invites a number of ambitious students to visit their headquarters in Billund shortly after Aarhus Symposium 2019. The visit will take place in their brand new LEGOÂŽ Campus. Participants will among other things get to experience the creativity that is deeply ingrained in the workspaces and ways of working of the LEGO Group.

During November, Velux will host an exciting event consisting of case work and a guided tour inside their production including their wind tunnel and testing center.

Jyske Bank invites dedicated students to join them for an interesting day at their headquarters in Silkeborg to get a unique insight into their job opportunities in the banking business through job shadowing and relevant workshops.

Remember to sign up for A Day At when you submit your essay.

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LEADERS’ FORUM Leaders’ Forum is your opportunity to meet one of today’s most prominent leaders in an informal setting. On the day of Aarhus Symposium, the writers of the best essays will be invited to the extraordinary Leaders’ Forum.

LEADERS OF TODAY CONNECTING WITH LEADERS OF TOMORROW Leaders’ Forum is the ultimate experience of Aarhus Symposium. If you write an outstanding essay, you will be invited to engage with the speaker whose challenge you have answered in your essay. Leaders’ Forum is a one-hour session where you will discuss your essay and gain valuable insights on how leaders seize creativity to ensure continuous growth for themselves and their organisations.

Prior to this session, our Knowledge Partner, McKinsey & Company, will host a workshop for all Leaders’ Forum participants. Here, the consultants will prepare you for the intimate session with knowledge on how to communicate professionally and in a clear manner.

Niels B. Christiansen, CEO, LEGO Group, engaging in dialogue with participants in Leaders’ Forum 2018.

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AARHUS SYMPOSIUM CHALLENGE

YOUR CHANCE TO...

SECURE ONE OF THE 650 SEATS FOR

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM

SECURE ONE OF THE 350 SEATS FOR FOCUS

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM FOCUS PARTICIPATE IN OUR

SPECIAL PARTNER EVENTS BE REWARDED FOR

THE MOST CREATIVE ESSAY QUALIFY FOR

LEADERS’ FORUM WIN THE

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM AWARD

AARHUS SYMPOSIUM 15

ESSAY HAND-IN

DEADLINE

SEPTEMBER 22, 2019

WWW.AARHUS-SYMPOSIUM.ORG