GIOAS aims to bring international renowned experts to share their perspectives and experience on a wide range of issues that are of concern to the world and Malaysia. Since January 2019, we attempt to bring people together to meet, network and share ideas through public conferences held at Homestead, the head-office campus of Wawasan Open University in Penang, Malaysia.
In the year of 2020, a number of events were planned but were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has disrupted international travel and events. Since many social events cannot be held due to social distancing, GIOAS has decided that all events will now be presented online. To launch these lectures and discussions, we announce a new series of GeorgeTown Conversations with leading academics and experts around the world via our online platform. The broad theme of the GeorgeTown Conversations is to imagine the new post-COVID society, economy and educational system.
The GeorgeTown Conversations is now available on our GIOAS website and YouTube. GeorgeTown Conversations are masterclasses, presented in conversational rather lecture form, in order that we can hear from some of the top experts in their fields on how to think about the post-Covid society and economy. By making their expert subjects as simple and integrative as possible, we hope to discuss different approaches on how to cope with the profound changes to society, economy and the educational field in the coming days. The Conversations are moderated by Tan Sri Andrew Sheng, Chairman, George Town Institute for Open and Advanced Studies.