Titans of Tech
Titans of Tech is a two-week residential program based in Silicon Valley where students will be fully immersed in the world of technology. The course will focus on how technology has influenced society and our own lives, both positively and negatively, by examining the ethics, economics and politics surrounding the industry.
Students will begin the course by studying foundational moral theories, giving them the groundwork for which to discuss ethical and moral issues that arise in the face of the increasing role of technology and innovation in our lives. Students will also examine how technology has affected both the economic and political landscape at the local, national and international level.
During the trip, students will gain exclusive access to the headquarters of the titans of the industry, including Facebook and Google, as well as visit smaller less established, yet influential, startups. Students will attend lectures by professors from top universities, establishing framework and context for the questions and concepts that they are exploring.
By the end of the trip, students will have gained a deep understanding of the current moral, economic and political issues and questions dominating the tech world, while also gaining inside and direct access to the industry. Through reflection and group projects, students will consider their own relationship with technology and gain a better understanding of how technology has influenced their own lives as well as the world around them.
This trip will:
• Explore how innovation and technology are reshaping the ways in which societies are organised
• Encourage the expansion of tech literacy skills so that students can analyse and solve problems they encounter
• Heighten student awareness of how technology permeates the fabric of society, altering it in both positive and negative ways
Course learning goals:
• Illuminate the interconnected nature of the tech industry within the civic spheres of politics, economics, and socialisation
• Build an appreciation, understanding and a critical framework through which to examine the ethical issues underlying the increasingly dominant role that technology plays in people’s lives
• Complete a group research project exploring the different angles in which the tech industry impacts our “landscape of living”
Examples of places and activities:
• Expert lectures from professors at top Universities and industry leaders in their respective fields
• Hands on research and tours at tech organisations including Google, Facebook, and NASA’s Ames Research Center
• Research and collaborative analysis with The City of San Francisco Urban Design department and local journalists experiencing tech on the ground
