It was refreshing to listen to the former Indian President, Abdul Kalam speak Monday at Google’s Be the Change Summit in Hyderabad India. Outlined in his remarks Dynamics of Information Flow is the need for India to utilize Internet2.
He began his address by noting three key projects born out of the creative mind: Google, Fiber optics and Internet2. In order to hit the next “homerun” in our knowledge economy Kalam sees creative leadership as a vital component to success. He shared six personal experiences to achieve this necessary skill:
- Every action of the leader should be transparent. (Mahatma Gandhi)
- Leader must have courage to take decisions. (Sardar Patel)
- Leader must be able to travel into an unexplored path. (Sir C.V. Raman)
- Leader must have the vision for the organisation. (Prof Vikram Sarabhai)
- Leader must know how to manage a success and failure. (Prof Satish Dhawan)
- Leader should have Nobility in management. (Prof Brahm Prakash)
Acknowledging the world is already using Internet2 applications, Kalam implied for India the key will be to facilitate, develop and serve the needs of the India’s population. Many applications will be delivered via Internet2 in the form of Web2.0 technologies. And it will not be easy. One of three challenges he addressed:
- How to build the capacity among the people, government, institutions to accept the new internet2 paradigm and its relevance in the new paradigm of the way of living, the way of learning, the way of trading and business, the way of socializing and the way of governance.
Very pleasing to hear him acknowledge Internet2 has already changed many practices, and to survive the country must accept the Internet2 paradigm. I’m sure many in the audience understood the impact of his remarks.
So how does India connect a billion of its citizens? Empowerment through Connectivity, a Societal Grid composed of four quadrants outlined by Kalam include: Knowledge, Health, Rural and e-Governance. The Knowledge Grid clearly has a focus on Internet2 and Web2.0 technologies. “Internet2 is about everything we do in higher education” he stated and in a knowledge economy he conveyed “information is an instrument of economic growth and national development. ” Clearly he views Google’s R&D center in Bangalore as a key to achieving this goal.
It was only fitting that his closing slide was a quote from Alexander Graham Bell:
Don’t keep forever on the public road, going only where others have gone. Leave the beaten track occasionally and dive into the woods. You will be certain to find something you have never seen before. It will be a little thing, but do not ignore it. Follow it up, explore all around it; one discovery will lead to another, and before you know it, you will have something worth thinking about.
America need to understand the impact of Internet2 and the vision stated by Kalam. This is absolutely vital in competing in a global knowledge economy. Lets face it, we are behind the curve on this one. India is working to empower a creative, knowledge society accessible to every citizen regardless of education and job.
His address Monday via YouTube:
Tags: India, Google India, Bangalore, Internet2, Abdul Kalam, globalization, education, Knowledge Economy, creative, trends