The 18th World Knowledge Forum (WKF), the largest business forum in Asia where more than 250 worldly renowned figures will gather to share their insights on political, economic, social and cultural issues facing the global community, will open on October 17 at Jangchung Arena, The Shilla hotel in central Seoul.

Under the theme of “Inflection Point: Towards New Prosperity,” the annual three-day forum hosted by South Korea’s largest business media Maekyung Media Group will offer fresh perspectives to audiences in seven tracks and about 100 sessions. This is the largest ever in its history in terms of the number of speakers and sessions, according to the WKF secretariat.

The event will serve as a multidisciplinary platform for collective intelligence in various fields where all stakeholders are at an inflection point as they are trying to adapt to faster changes accompanying the fourth industrial revolution.

Speakers for the 18th WKF are worthy of notice. Former heads of state including former French President Francois Hollande, former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta and OECD Deputy Secretary-General Mari Kiviniemi (former Finnish Prime Minister) will speak on international challenges and opportunities facing the world. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has also confirmed his attendance at the forum. Former U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon will give a speech on global leadership.

Harvard economist Oliver Hart, one of the 2016 Nobel laureates in economics, will visit South Korea for the first time after winning his accolade to share his insights on economics in a new era, while MIT Professor and 1997 Nobel laureate Robert Merton, who is Resident Scientist at hedge fund Dimensional Holdings, will introduce changes in the global investment environment and new investment strategies.

More than 30 sessions will focus on the fourth industrial revolution with top business leaders including Zhang Ya-Qin, president of Baidu and Russell Stokes, CEO of GE Power. Among Korean business leaders, Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group, will have a special lecture on social entrepreneurship and deep changes, and Seo Jung-jin, chairman and co-founder of biosimilar powerhouse Celltrion, will share his success story with future generations.

◇Date and Venue =Oct. 17-19, Jangchung Arena, The Shilla hotel in Seoul

◇Registration period = Aug. 7-Sept. 29

◇Registration fee =US$3,000

◇How to register = Please visit the link http://www.wkforum.org

* For more, please contact the WKF secretariat at +822-2000-2411~5, +822-2000-2620~1

By Park Yong-beom

[ⓒ Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]