World Expo Dubai | The Global Class

About this class

The World Expo that is presently underway in the United Arab Emirates capital, Dubai, is an impressive showcase of human engineering and sustainable design, of what is possible in the technological, planetized civilization we all face today in varying degrees.

World expos are not unlike the Olympics. They take place every five years. Every single country pretty well is represented. An enormous amount of money is spent by the host country to dazzle the world. The exhibitions have long been a showcase for human innovation, dating back to the great world fairs of the nineteenth century when Nikola Tesla and other pioneers of the modern age captivated the world with their inventions and visions of the human future.

Dubai is the first Expo to be hosted by an Arab country. There is no question that what’s on display in its nearly 200 pavilions is, at times, extraordinary. But this is an age that is also harshly, relentlessly complex. We are nearly two years into a health crisis that is historic in its impact, and in spite of the best efforts of researchers, governments, multinational companies, and many others to be sure, we cannot yet say that science and technology will be what’s decisive in the end in getting us to the other side of the pandemic.

In this class, two global classmates, Mehreen and Madihah Khan, will take us inside Dubai’s Expo. The sisters were born and raised in the UAE and are currently working as Expo guides in Dubai. They are preparing a documentary to watch in advance of the class and on Wednesday December the 8th at 10 am EST, the two will join us live from the Expo site for a powerful class about human technology, innovation, and the human future at a time when this has perhaps never been more top of mind.