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Tuesday 24 January 2017
19:00

Thomas Friedman

Thomas Friedman

Presented in conjunction with Intelligence Squared.

Given the dizzying whirlwind of technological change which has wiped out jobs and transformed workplaces, it is no wonder that electorates have reached for Trump’s protectionist solutions in the US and nativist retrenchment in the UK. But, as Friedman will argue, the forces of globalisation needn’t spell disaster. Instead, it is how we respond to these accelerating changes that will determine whether we falter or flourish.

Both the EU referendum and the US presidential election were contests not between left and right, but between what Friedman calls ‘Wall People’ — those who feel their identity threatened by globalisation — and ‘Web People’: those who instinctively embrace the current pace of change and are keen to collaborate in a world without walls.

In this major event, presented by Intelligence Squared, Friedman will offer his guide to updating our lives and institutions for the accelerating changes of the 21st century.

Friday 7 October 2016
18:30

Zeitz Museum

Introduction to Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa

Please join us for an introduction of ZEITZ MOCAA, Africa’s first major Museum of Contemporary Art, opening September 2017.

Wednesday 13 July 2016
18:00

Hacking with Decoded

In conjunction with Decoded

At Pi we are always looking for ways to enhance our members’ experience. To this end we are piloting a new series of events, targeted at members together with their teenage children (13-18).

We are incredibly excited to announce that for our first pilot event we are hosting a Hacker Session with Decoded, the World’s Leading Technology Educator. Teenagers will compete versus adults to win challenges including hacking a bank and cracking ciphers. We will explore how real businesses and individuals have become vulnerable to cyber attacks and you will get hands-on with the actual tools used by hackers and security professionals.

Monday 21 November 2016
19:00

The Centre for International Governance Innovation

Carl Bildt and Michael Chertoff

Founded in 2001 in Waterloo, Canada, The Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) is an independent, non-partisan think tank focused on international governance. CIGI supports research, forms networks, advances policy debate and generates ideas for multilateral governance improvements.

Wednesday 18 November 2015
18:30

Evgeny Morozov

Is Silicon Valley the New Welfare State?

In this special talk for Pi Capital and the How To Academy, in the intimate and ultra-cool setting of Second Home, Evgeny Morozov, one of the most brilliant and respected commentators on the Internet, will discuss one of the most important issues today: namely, how technology companies promise us a seemingly genuine path towards social mobility. Thus, they are more than happy to provide the public with free services in exchange for our data. Initially those services were limited to communication and search online but today they increasingly include services that promise better healthcare (think wearables), better education (think MOOCs), better transportation (think Uber) and even better and free connectivity for all (think Internet.org).

But what are the moral, political, and social consequences of accepting this free bargain? And why are our governments so eager to go along with Silicon Valley’s plans?

Monday 9 November 2015
18:30

Exploring the world of Today to change the world of Tomorrow

with the University of Cambridge

The University of Cambridge has consistently pushed the boundaries of knowledge. This evening is a showcase of how that is continuing in the twenty-first century. Drawing on Cambridge’s unique combination of world-leading scientific and technical innovation with deep philosophical and historical insight, we present a series of short talks about how Cambridge is exploring the world of today to change the world of tomorrow.

From the advent of advanced robotics to the challenge of entrenched inequality, the nature of the problems facing the world is more complex, vast and urgent than ever before. Cambridge has the ability, vision and drive to tackle these problems, and it is therefore critical to consolidate, secure and expand our endeavour in order to ensure we do so. This evening will focus on four speakers, each with a transforming vision for how Cambridge can make a lasting impact on the world of today, and the world of tomorrow.

Introduced by Professor David Runciman, Professor of Politics and International Studies, other speakers are:

Tuesday 27 October 2015
18:45

Dame Ann Dowling

Cambridge University

Tuesday 20 October 2015
18:30

Lord Turner

Between Debt and the Devil

Between Debt and the Devil challenges the belief that we need credit growth to fuel economic growth, and that rising debt is okay as long as inflation remains low. In fact, most credit is not needed for economic growth – but it drives real estate booms and busts and leads to financial crisis and depression. Turner explains why public policy needs to manage the growth and allocation of credit creation, and why debt needs to be taxed as a form of economic pollution. Banks need far more capital, real estate lending must be restricted, and we need to tackle inequality and mitigate the relentless rise of real estate prices.

Turner also debunks the big myth about fiat money – the erroneous notion that printing money will lead to harmful inflation. To escape the mess created by past policy errors, we sometimes need to monetize government debt and finance fiscal deficits with central-bank money. Between Debt and the Devil shows why we need to reject the assumption that private credit is essential to growth and fiat money is inevitably dangerous. Each has its advantages, and each creates risks that public policy must consciously balance.

Wednesday 23 September 2015
18:30

Thomas Heatherwick

creators of London’s iconic new ‘Floating Garden’

The Garden Bridge is an incredibly bold idea, the chance to walk through woodlands over one of the greatest rivers in the world. It will improve the quality of life for everyone in London. For commuters, it is a quick and beautiful route to and from Waterloo Station. For dreamers, it is a quiet place to linger among trees and grasses to look at the views. For tourists, it is an unforgettable landmark.

It will link the North Bank to the South Bank – the huge theatrical institutions of Covent Garden in the West End to the South Bank with its film and television centres, concert halls and art galleries. On that stretch of the river are the most stunning views. It will be a place to set hearts racing and calm troubled minds. It will be open to all, changing with the seasons, enchanting everyone who uses it.

Thursday 10 September 2015
18:30

Geoffrey Kent

Chairman and CEO of Abercrombie & Kent

Geoffrey Kent had nothing but an East African shilling and an old Land Rover when he launched a safari business in 1962 with his parents in Nairobi. Today he is the chairman and CEO of Abercrombie & Kent, a pioneering internationally renowned luxury travel company that takes thousands of trekkers to the planet’s wildest frontiers.

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Past Events

Thursday 26 June 2025
07:45

Mark Read CBE

The future of advertising: where technology meets creativity

Wednesday 25 June 2025
19:00

Melinda French Gates

Philanthropist, businesswoman, and global advocate for women and girls

Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward

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