Browse Past Themed Common Rooms

We will explore the various ways in which recent advancements in language processing technology have affected various industries, such as customer service, marketing, and journalism. This topic is of great interest as language models have the potential to revolutionize the way we interact with computers and have far-reaching implications for society. By participating in a discussion on this theme, you will gain a deeper understanding of the current state of language models and their potential to shape our future. [generated using ChatGPT :)]

Lebanon’s economic crisis has been called the world’s worst since the mid-19th century, and its repercussions at the local, regional, and international levels are yet to be fully grasped. The Beirut port explosion of August 4, 2020, was described as the worst non-nuclear explosion in history. A state mired in corruption and a lack of accountability, Lebanon often struggles to balance among 18 religious communities vying for power within a consociational system, further complicating governance in the small Mediterranean country. Equal parts travelogue, diary and geopolitical case study, this CR will be co-hosted by local Yale alumni, embarking you on a journey of what it means to live in Lebanon today. With a foray into politics, economics, cultures, and more, we hope to bring Yalies together in informal discussions around this key part of Yale’s global community.

Observe, assess, discuss the bilateral relationship from multiple angles and perspectives, such as historical, economic/trade perspectives. This group will also talk about the impact of US-China relations on regional and global geopolitical outlook in the near future.

Participants are invited to a profoundly whimsical (or will it be a whimsically profound?) conversation of two of the more intriguing concepts of our time. They are asked to bring a dollop of curiosity and a smidgeon of insight in whatever proportions they please.

Participants would each present, very informally, some info on their favorite museum, whether from childhood or from the present; whether world-renowned or little known, whether in a foreign location or in their own town.

Herein a wish to uphold what is core; what is immeasurable, what values within. Through dream interpretation and rhythmic modulations, LoCoMI will focus on bridging time; to look gently at how we strive, defend, release, and enrich what arrives – to move, activate, and integrate our living spirits, conscience calling, and spectral selves.

This is a framework (and the title of an article I am writing) for understanding some of the key challenges faced by leaders right now in the increasingly polarised and reactive world in which we find ourselves. This Common Room will hold a space for personal reflection on how we are showing up as informed citizens who wish to have a positive impact and leaders in our respective fields, and also provide an opportunity to explore the relevance of current events that are occurring globally from diverse perspectives.

What do you consider strange? These days, what comes to mind is income inequality. Some lives are strangely enriched due to relatively small income disparity in society at large. I’m looking forward to hearing stories around the world where this might be true in large or small measure.

We are pleased to announce the formation of a YIA Writer’s Common Room. Join this Common Room for dialogue, companionship, and encouragement from fellow Yale alumni of fiction and non-fiction. Writers of all levels and interests are encouraged to join. We will determine the layout and flow of our Common Room based on our group’s interests. We anticipate most writing to be in English as a common language to receive feedback and to share writing. If you miss writing at Yale, have developed it as a hobby or passion later in life, and you want to develop your art with the support of eager and friendly Yalies, we invite you to spend an hour every other Sunday with us.

You’ll discover reading the land, changing your own micro-climate, reducing the power of those who espouse chemical agriculture, understanding the risks of bare soil and the benefits of restoring nature’s water and nutrient cycles. Learn to recognize greenwashing. Discover real, solid evidence of today’s Regenerative Agriculture revolution.

Over 100 students have participated in the YVISP! Call your country ambassadors and your peers for an opportunity to reconnect with our friends and allies around the world. We may end up mentoring, partnering for business, or befriending VISPers from new countries and generations. The conversations will be themed around your Yale experience, the return to our countries, as well as personal and professional advice for global careers.

Whether you’re in big tech or a start up, C-suite or a first-time manager, regardless of function, technical or non-technical, as long as you’re a leader in tech, please join a group of fellow Yalies to discuss the unique reality and challenges of managing IC, team and company performance in the tech world. We’ll consult each other on best practices for creating and achieving big, audacious goals and the necessary incentives to get the team there. WeI’ll talk about how best to craft and change company culture and performance expectations as you scale. And we’ll share with each other any cases of challenging employees or underperforming teams and how we should best address them. This will be a safe and confidential space for Yale alums who are now tech leaders to connect, commiserate and counsel each other.

Are you travel obsessed? Are your relatives sick of hearing about your travel experiences or travel plans? Join us for a free-flowing conversation about all aspects of travel! Tips, inspiration, ethical dilemmas, whatever interests you about travel!

The Art of War is a quintessential manual on military strategy, but besides its classical interpretation there are many lessons to be applied in other contexts and social spheres. In this CR we will first compare Sun Tzu’s work with other contemporary authors looking both for common ground between them and for differences. We will then build on a recent in-depth analysis of Sun Tzu to suggest insights relevant to some of today’s most pressing challenges, many of them born of the digital age. The CR is likely to include one or two sessions co-hosted with Professor Scott Boorman, who is a mathematical model-builder and sociologist expert in strategy. A rich discussion and multiple questions would be the goals!

As the host of the DeepTech Common Room, I will facilitate discussions on a wide range of topics related to cutting-edge technologies. These topics include Quantum technologies, which encompasses quantum computing, cryptography, and quantum sensing. We will discuss their potential applications, ethical and societal implications, and how to ensure that they are used responsibly. We will also explore Biotechnology and longevity, including ethical and societal implications of extending human lifespan and enhancing human abilities through biotechnology. Our discussions will also include New space, New materials, Green chemistry, Robotics, and AI. Additionally, we will include Metaverse and VR as another example. Throughout these discussions, we will consider the philosophical and ethical dimensions of these technologies, as well as their potential impact on society and the environment. We will explore entrepreneurial and investment opportunities in these fields, as well as their potential to help achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Music Common Room is open to anyone who is involved in or passionate about composed and improvised music (from any era). The hosts are (coincidentally) both cellists, with wide and varied interests.

YIA Education in Action invites educators to an ongoing conversation about the status quo of education and their vision of a curriculum that bridges the gap between current deficits within their communities and their vision for the future of their communities. The following questions drive us, though these are not exhaustive.

• What does it mean for K-16 students, lifelong learners, and teachers to be global citizens in a world marked by binarism and opposition?
• How do we foster curiosity in learning, reading, and critical thinking in a world where knowledge is re-produced by AI?
• What does it mean to create culturally sustaining pedagogical environments?
• How does social-emotional learning enable democratic participation and agency for K-16 students and lifelong learners in developing their individual and communal learning environments?
• What are meaningful methods of information delivery and effective curricula for learning environments that foster proactive democratic engagement within and across societies and cultures?
• What human skills do K-16 students and lifelong learners need to create their and their communities’ paths forward?

We deeply believe in universal humanism as set forth in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the role education plays in this declaration. We will start each CR with some fodder for thought on a controversial question, then split up in break-out rooms according to the age group you want to focus on, and come back towards the end to share our thoughts.

Join the hub where business acumen converges with AI creativity. Immerse yourself in pragmatic discussions, from harnessing generative AI, what’s new, societal fears, trending technologies, to envisioning market-disruptive applications. Join us to lead the way in leveraging AI’s generative potential for tangible growth.

AI is shaping our future – for good and for bad. In this Common Room, we will explore some of the current trends in AI, the positive and negative implications for the future of humanity, and the role that we can all play in shaping what comes next. Once again I will be hosting a common room rooted in content that I am writing about, so we will follow a structured sequence of themes and I will provide context and provocation to spark discussion. The magic of the common room will come from hearing the diverse set of perspectives and lived experiences that emerge from the group.

This CR examines China’s historical perspective of itself as a nation, and “not” being viewed as a nation in the sense of modern nationhood by people in China and overseas. We will discuss its traditional, cultural, national character as a people (or never as “A” people), and how Chinese history, tradition and culture have shaped China’s worldview towards the outside world. We will explore China’s relations with all major nations and regions in the world and attempt to answer the questions such as: What does a new world order look like according to China if China succeeds in building such a world order in the 21st century? Will the world’s nations recognize and live by such a world order? Why and why not? What example, values and models will China project to the world as an economic power, a moral leader, and a cultural influence? What does it take for China to displace the current world order built and defended by the collective West? How likely and when would this new world order happen, if at all? All alumni, fellows and faculty who are interested in this theme are welcome. No prior knowledge of Chinese history, philosophy and politics is required to participate.

The refugee crisis across the globe emerges in various regions due to different reasons such as conflicts, climate change, and poverty. How do these issues intersect with the concept of global mobility, and how can they be helped by bold new innovations, for example the Yale student and alumni initiative The Path Forward.

Participants would each present, very informally, some info on their favorite museum, whether from childhood or from the present; whether world-renowned or little known, whether in a foreign location or in their own town.

Herein a wish to uphold what is core; what is immeasurable, what values within. Through dream interpretation and rhythmic modulations, LoCoMI will focus on bridging time; to look gently at how we strive, defend, release, and enrich what arrives – to move, activate, and integrate our living spirits, conscience calling, and spectral selves.

This common room is a safe and confidential space for Yale alumni working in the technology space, regardless of position or company size, to connect, commiserate and counsel each other. Tech leadership is as much about people as it is about innovation. Achieving big, hairy audacious goals requires strategy and culture, not just the newest breakthrough. We talk about our own challenges and experiences, and use examples from podcasts and talks by world leaders in technology. By learning from each other, we can grow our potential and more confidently work for a positive impact on the world.

What do you consider strange? These days, what comes to mind is income inequality. Some lives are strangely enriched due to relatively small income disparity in society at large. I’m looking forward to hearing stories around the world where this might be true in large or small measure.

Change is inevitable. Whether this change is self-determined such as welcoming a new baby or a new job, or imposed, in the case of divorce or loss, we are forced to respond. How we respond to these transitions can shape our experience and outlook. Let’s embark on an intellectual journey together to unpack the strategies, mindsets, and research on ways to navigate the challenges wrought by transitions. We start with a discussion of Yale alumna Dr. Maya Shankar’s TED talk on Why Change Is So Scary — and How to Unlock Its Potential.

Come join other curious souls on an uncharted journey in search of the lost art of flirtation. It will take us through the byways of desire and discretion, biology and biography, mischief and morality, literature and cinema, psychology and sociology, etc. Those looking for a Baedeker for the journey could do worse than to peruse ‘Un Amour de Swann’ in Proust’s “Remembrance of Things Past” and/or watch at Volker Schlöndorff’s “Swann in Love”.

I’m the new YANA (Yale Alumni Non-Profit Alliance) European chapter leader. My idea is to host a common room for people with an interest in non-profits who would like to understand the landscape better: focus on Europe and/or how European non-profits are similar or different to the US, but this could be broader if need be. Each session could feature 1-2 (or more) overviews of different organizations presented by members that touch on the organization’s mission, structure, their goals, strengths and challenges. The result would be we all gain greater depth and breadth of knowledge, perhaps best practices may be shared, or solutions may even be brainstormed.