Building a life of character and commitment requires active deliberation regarding our personal purpose and what it means to pursue it at different stages of life. In the words of Parker J. Palmer, "Vocation does not mean a goal that I pursue. It means a calling that I hear. Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.” The question is, how can we find our calling and develop ourselves as those who lead with purpose?
The aim of this event is to learn about ways to pursue your calling and integrate purpose in your work. In discussion with senior leaders and Oxford alumni, we will explore the practices of leadership that have sustained them in their careers, and consider how to cultivate these practices in our own lives. The event is open to current Oxford students and alumni. All registered attendees will receive the zoom links specific to their sessions on 7 May 2021.
Track 1: Technology (11:00am - 12:30pm BST)
Turning a calling into a career in tech
Rosa Akbari, Formerly Senior Advisor - Technology for Development, Mercy Corps
Yin Yin Lü, Head of Product - RegBrain, CUBE
Jamie Collier, Cyber Threat Intelligence Consultant, FireEye Mandiant
Track 2: Business (1:30pm - 3:00pm BST)
Integrating purpose and character: Leadership lessons from business
Emmajane Varley, Communications Director, Forward Institute
Lauren Xie, Co-founder and Executive Director, Lively Worlds
Track 3: Law (4:30pm - 6:00pm BST)
What does responsible leadership look like in Law and Public Life?
Janice Baker, Associate Dean and Director of the Konduros Leadership Development Program, University of South Carolina School of Law
Kenneth Townsend, Director of Leadership and Character in the Professional Schools, Wake Forest University
Tejas RK Motwani, Senior Legal Consultant, PwC
The conversations will draw on the speakers’ extensive experience in a wide range of institutional and vocational fields. In the face of the relentless uncertainty of current times, these discussions will be an opportunity for you to pause, reflect, and seek answers to some of the most important yet often overlooked questions related to building meaningful professional and personal lives.
The event is co-sponsored by The Rhodes Trust, Pembroke College, China Oxford Scholarship Fund, Africa Oxford Initiative, and Oxford University Rugby Football Club.
For any queries related to the event, please contact us at anjali.sarker@theology.ox.ac.uk.