Becoming Leonardo da Vinci

Information

In the five hundred years since his death, few polymaths have matched the intellect, ingenuity and artistry of Leonardo da Vinci (1452 – 1519). Although more famous for iconic paintings such as The Last Supper and the Mona Lisa, it is in his Codices, where one can really appreciate his expansive vision and unparalleled skills in bridging art, science and technology.

Codex is proud to curate an event inspired by Leonardo’s detailed studies and intricate drawings in his notebooks. The theme of this event will be to examine the impact of polymaths like Leonardo and their importance today.

The hallmark of Codex events are Codex Talks which are concise presentations, lasting 15 minutes (or less), in which the speaker addresses a challenging question faced by their technology or industry today and ends with a bold prediction for the future. Codex Talks are engaging, entertaining and elucidating. They give the audience something they can walk away with: valuable insights, actionable information, fresh perspectives, and renewed optimism.

Play video

Aarhus University - Peter Bøgh Andersen Auditorium, Finlandsgade 21, 8200 Aarhus, Denmark

14 November 2019

5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

Schedule

5:30 pm 6:00 pm Registration & Refreshments

6:00 pm 7:30 pm Codex Talks: Becoming Leonardo da Vinci

Prof. Dr. Frank Fehrenbach, Leonardo Scholar, University of Hamburg
What can we learn from Leonardo that could help breakthrough innovation today?(recorded)
Waqas Ahmed, Author, The Polymath
Is the era of ”specialisation” over?
Dr. Jennifer Margaret Galloway, Associate Professor, Aarhus University
What happens when teratonnes of carbon are emitted to the atmosphere?
Dr. Rajiv Vaid Basaiawmoit, Head of Sci-Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Aarhus University
What is the Medici Effect and what does it have to do with Innovation?

7:30 pm 8:30 pm DRINKS RECEPTION

Speakers

Prof. Dr. Frank Fehrenbach
Leonardo Scholar, University of Hamburg

Frank Fehrenbach is globally recognised as an outstanding scholar who has revitalised art history and established it as overarching Visual Studies.

He received international acclaim for his studies on the works of Leonardo da Vinci in which he examines aspects of art history in a new interdisciplinary context invoking mathematics, optics, physics, geoscience and psychology.

Fehrenbach thus overcomes the boundaries of his discipline and sets new benchmarks for art history as one of the innovative humanities. In Hamburg Fehrenbach is due to spearhead the realignment of the long-established Department of Art History and build up and lead a cross-disciplinary Research Centre on Images of Nature which is set to play a pioneering role in art history internationally.
Waqas Ahmed
Author, The Polymath

Waqās is considered a world authority on multi-disciplinary thinking. His work spans several fields including art, science and international affairs.

He is currently Artistic Director at The Khalili Collections – one of the world’s great art collections – and simultaneously completed his postgraduate studies in Neuroscience at Kings College London, where he researched multi-disciplinary approaches to the treatment of chronic pain. Previously, Waqās was diplomatic correspondent at FIRST Magazine, where his exclusive interviews included Presidents and Prime Ministers worldwide. He was also the editor of Holy Makkah, which received praise from UNESCO, the Commonwealth and the Vatican. Born and raised in Britain, he has since lived in several countries across Europe, Africa, the Middle East and South Asia and has degrees in Economics (BSc, SOAS) and International Relations (MSc, LSE).

Waqās is author of the internationally acclaimed book The Polymath (Wiley 2019) and founder of the DaVinci Network, the global movement committed to unlocking the many-sided potential of humans worldwide. He recently curated the Official Opening Celebrations of the 500th Anniversary of Leonardo da Vinci at the National Gallery.
Dr. Jennifer Margaret Galloway
Associate Professor, Aarhus University

Jennifer is a biologist and a geologist who applies these disciplines and others to reconstruct environments of the past. She is currently an Associate Professor at Aarhus University at the Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies and a research scientist and Chief Paleontologist with the Geological Survey of Canada. Jennifer completed an undergraduate degree in Biology (Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario) and a PhD in Earth Sciences (Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario). She has published over 50 articles in peer reviewed journals and has spent over a decade conducting field work in polar regions.
Dr. Rajiv Vaid Basaiawmoit
Head of Sci-Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Aarhus University

Dr. Rajiv Vaid Basaiawmoit, Ph.D., MBA, is currently the Head of Sci-Tech Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Aarhus University, Denmark. He is an award-winning Entrepreneurship Educator and works at the intersection between innovation, entrepreneurship, interdisciplinary-collaboration and gamification.

He is a polymath himself having a PhD in Biophysics (2007), a double Masters in Biotechnology (2001) and in Business Administration (MBA – 2011). During his post-doctoral years leading up to his current position, Rajiv has straddled various disciplines and spent various amounts of time in various fields such as Nanoscience, Molecular Biology, Organizational Psychology, Environmental Sustainability, Marketing, Social Entrepreneurship, Gamification, Ludology, Anthropology and Philosophy.

In parallel to all these activities, he also started specializing in Analogue Game Design and Gamification and has since launched a Game studio – Biosymfonix Edu Games under his broad consulting firm Biosymfonix. Together with his wife and business partner they launched an award-winning board game called ESHIP:NavigatingUncertainty. The game, in just over a year, is already being used by leading institutions of higher-ed in over 30 different universities across 17 different countries.

Owing to his multi-disciplinary background and ability to innovate as well as coach on how to innovate, he is an invited speaker and thought leader at many conferences, events and institutions around the world from TedX to NATO and many others.

Rajiv’s multi-specialty achievements and interests have spawned various inter-disciplinary collaborations with disparate entities and individuals that range from artists to scientists, to philosophers to entrepreneurs as well as Museums, Communication agencies, Game studios and of course universities and schools.

International Technology
Leaders' Network