Bauer Takes London
Strategic & Global Initiatives Assistant Dean Nikhil Celly Represents Bauer at QS Conference
As I stepped out of the airport into the chilly London winter, my first thought was, ‘I could really go for some fish and chips.’
It wasn’t my first time in London, but it was my first time visiting the city alone. Although there was so much to see and do, this wasn’t a pleasure trip. The QS Conference was tomorrow, and there was preparation that needed to be done.
Fog settled over the iconic skyline like a blanket, and the icy air chilled me right down to the bone. It was not only food that I was hungry for now, but also the warmth of a traditional English pub.
I hailed a taxi, and the cab driver took me away to Westminster.
"Wisdom is the ability to look toward the future and take steps to execute it."
Nikhil Celly, Strategic & Global Initiatives Assistant Dean
The first day of the conference was a gorgeous, sunny day, which I took as a good omen.
I smoothed out the non-existent wrinkles in my suit that I had laid out the night before and thought over again the talking points that I would bring up during the panel.
‘The advancement of artificial intelligence comes with challenges, but it can also prove to be a tremendous opportunity for growth. Higher education institutions can act slower than industries with picking up trends like these, but Bauer College has already embraced AI with the Human-Centered AI Institute.
‘Our curriculum still implements human-centered learning, but what really distinguishes graduates are the ones who have the technical skills to understand what to do with AI and how to use it as it continues to evolve.’
I nodded to myself, pleased to be in the company of scholars and academics from across the world who have all come together for the same purpose: to share their knowledge, foster collaboration and innovate higher education.
I attended a few panels throughout the day and tried to soak up as much knowledge as possible that I could share with my students and peers.
Wisdom, I realized, is so much more than a concept, or advice that is passed down through the ages. Wisdom is the ability to look toward the future and take steps to execute it. If Bauer can set that up, I think that’s where our value as a university and a business school lies.
Exploring London
I had planned nothing further for my visit beyond the conference, and traveling alone meant that I didn’t have anyone’s schedule to follow but my own.
I explored the city that was once familiar to me, though December brought new things to discover. The shop windows featured Christmas displays, and rows of twinkling lights lit up the night sky.
In honor of the first day of Advent, St. Paul’s Cathedral was holding a choral service that evening that I decided to attend. I held a warm drink in my hands to stave off the cold. In line with me was a mingling of locals and tourists alike, all eager to go inside to hear the choir.
The structure of the cathedral was magnificent. No pictures I’ve seen could do its grandness any justice in person.
The interior was washed in bright, golden light. The scent of pine mixed pleasantly with the wood of the pews, and bouquets of poinsettias carpeted the stone floor in front of the pulpit.
For an hour, I sat amongst a community of people who had gathered together to share in the peace and tranquility of listening to the angelic singing of the St. Paul’s Cathedral choir.
I felt all the pressure I had been feeling leading up to the conference lift off my shoulders and get carried away with the choir’s voices. The first day of the conference was a success, and the panel went better than I could have hoped.
I was satisfied with knowing that when I would get back home to Texas, I would have stories to share with my students. I would share photos I took with my wife and show her that I walked these streets at Christmas time just as she did when she was young. And I knew I would go back to Bauer just a little bit wiser than when I left.
But at this moment, I could relax in the soft melodies and enjoy this peaceful performance.
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