An Interview with

An Interview with SUZI JAMIL

To watch and listen to the full sit down with Suzi Jamil click here.

What motivated you to start SUZI JAMIL Think Inc and what were your initial ideas for Think Inc? Has it changed significantly from your own initial ideas? I started Think Inc. because I wanted to bring intellectual ideas to the mainstream. Back then being intelligent wasn’t really ‘cool’ and I wanted to change that – I saw a massive opportunity in the touring market to make important ideas from smart SUZI JAMIL people part of popular culture, and so I started the company. I’m proud to say that around four years into our journey we helped make geeking out over brilliant minds a thing, and now our mission has shifted to raising rational discourse in our society. We’re here to bring your favourite smart person Down Under; for you to see them in the flesh and be inspired enough to go out and change the world, because if they did then you can too.

Growing up, were topics such as science, politics, race, religion and social equality a strong part of your education, both formal and informal? How has your views on these topics changed from the time you were in school to after school? I’ve always been obsessed with humanities subjects! I remember being 15 years-old staying up well into the night learning about stuff like Russian history, Chinese political systems, communism and dictatorships. I especially loved learning about history and got my hands on as many books as I could on the topic.

I was also hugely fascinated by religion. My dad was raised Muslim and my mum was raised Christian, but I found my own atheistic path and that journey took me on a road of learning about people, cultures, and belief systems. Obviously, this obsession has become a large part of my career.

As long as I can remember, the way I think and approach problems has been tied to science, rationality and evidence. I was that kid that never believed in Santa Claus. I loved taking things apart just to see how they were put together in the first place, I lovedscience camp and doing experiments... honestly, I think I am the biggest nerd I know—and I’m proud of that!

Why do you feel areas of science and social sciences need a strong focus in formal and informal education? Science and social science are equally interesting and important, but each for different reasons.

Science is one of the most important channels of knowledge. It has a specific role, as wellas a variety of functions for the benefit of our society: creating new knowledge, improving education, and increasing the quality of our lives.

Social sciences are important because they create better institutions and systems that affect people’s lives every day. These studies provide a better evidence-based groundingfor evaluating our social and political world. Clearer evidence and greater knowledge can help strengthen institutions by providing data for policy outcomes and better mechanisms for promoting civic participation and engagement.

I believe that in order to be a well-rounded human you should always seek knowledge and having broad take is more interesting.

The next 4 questions are based on Think Inc being a foundation ofcreating a community where ideas can be shared, challenged, voiced and became a champion of democratising learning.

What does it mean by ‘democratising learning’ and why does learning need to be ‘democratised’?

When I say we want to “democratise education”, I mean that all people should have access to knowledge and learning. All people should have access to being inspired.

It means allowing an even playing field for people to gain knowledgeand be inspired. Imagine if all people had access to education and knowledge. We would be building and creating at greater speeds and more creatively than we already do.

In many parts of the world, the notion of challenging and voicing ideas is becoming increasingly controversial and polarising, with many people feeling that some ideas should never be challenged, and some ideas never voiced. Do you feel it is important to voice and challenge any idea, regardless of how controversial it may be; and why?

In general, for all people, it is crucial to stand up for what is right. This itself is a challenging idea, regardless of your political stance, your moral guidelines or your perspectives, it’s hard to stand up for what you believe in. We need to always try to be courageous when it comes to standing for what’s right. It’s crucial to society to challenge ideas and push them to their limits. As an individual I constantly challenge my own beliefs and try to see alternative perspectives.

At Think Inc. sometimes what we do is controversial, but nothing that we do is done on this basis. I carry a big responsibility when it comes on deciding who to tour and whose ideas will be the those that lead the industry. I don’t take that responsibility lightly, but ultimately, it’s the people that decide who they want to see on stage, and they vote through buying tickets and coming along to the show.

Many ideas are polarising. Many of them we want to turn away from, especially if they don’t fit with the confirmation bias that many of us are seeking. But how can we bridge the divide in society if we don’t listen closely and hear alternative perspectives? If we don’t conversate about major issues we will only create more opportunity for violence, and that is not the answer.

Is there such a thing as a ‘dangerous’ or ‘damaging’ idea and how should these be managed or dealt with?

This question needs to be contextualised. Certainly, an idea can be dangerous and damaging to oneself or to others if acted upon. It can also be dangerous and damaging to not act on ideas. So, it all comes down to context.

All ideas, philosophies and perspectives should be discussed openly and with a basis of reason and evidence. A conversation of ideas is the only way we will be able to understand, as a society, what we think is right or wrong.

I think oftentimes people forget that we, as the populace, are the most influential in deciding what we think is right or wrong.

Think Inc has provided a platform from leading experts, academics and pioneers in a whole range of scientific areas. For you personally, what area of science/ social science do you have the strongest personal connection to learning about and why?

My strongest personal connection is to areas of social science like religion and mindfulness. In 2016 I toured of Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz, and in 2018 I toured Richard Dawkins. Both these tours spoke to how we as humans navigate and consider the world, breaking down the frameworks we use to make sense of what’s around us – something I find fascinating.

I also loved understanding the history of social justice, and my tours of Dr Cornel West have undoubtedly changed my life.

Often the reason I tour these brilliant individuals is because they’ve made me see the excitement in topic areas I never considered before.

When people attend Think Inc events, what do you hope people will get out of the conversations and discussions of those events, and what do you hope listening to a conversation or engaging in a presentation will lead to?

The goal is to have people have walk away feeling like they have not only learned something from the time they spent at our events, but also that they are now prepared to go off and make an impact in their own worlds.

I hope that they will have a conversation starter; they will have the fire in their bellies to talk to others and, where they can, make a positive change.

How do you keep an open mind and stay balanced or objective when listening to many different ideas and views?

I work on this every single day because I know how important it is to have a broad perspective.

I actively try to surround myself with people who have different opinions to me and aren’t ‘yes men’, from my staff, to my friends, to my mentors. It helps keep me grounded and aware that my viewpoint is just one of many.

I also consume media from different sources and of different political leanings. It keeps me from getting trapped in filter bubbles.

What’s the next big area you hope to tackle and cover with Think Inc; and why?

We’ll soon be launching an education platform which I can’t talk too much about but keep your eyes peeled for that!

What’s the next area you want to venture into learning more about for yourself; and why?

I am currently on the journey of self-growth and discovery. Learning how to manage relationships, how to manage emotions, and life issues. Tending to my own garden. █

NANA | UGANDA

My name is Kyeyune Nana Nabilah. I am thirteen years old and I go to Viva College School. I am in senior one.

My experience so far with the Positively Transforming World mentorship program has been great, it has helped me gain more knowledge in specific fields and careers. It has also given me the opportunity to learn about some things we don’t get to learn in Ugandan schools.

It has aided me in knowing how to set our set our smart goals and how to prepare myself to achieve them. At the beginning of the program, I did not really know what career path I wanted to take. However with further discussions and classes, and my love for technology, I discovered that I would like to code one day. Positively Transforming World helped me get a more clear understanding of the career path I would like to take and that is the software engineering industry.

Having such mentorship classes helps me realize my goals and work towards achieving them. I therefore look forward to learning more from the mentorship class.

I hope I'll achieve that goal. I take this opportunity on behalf of my fellow colleagues undertaking the mentorship class to thank The Ripples Foundation together with Positively Transforming World for bringing us together on this journey and giving us a tremendous opportunity that will help us effectively achieve our goals in life.

Thank you █

Kyeyune Nana Nabilah

Viva College School | Senior One class.