Available for remote viewing through a live stream provided by eCornell.

After you register,
by clicking on the registration button at the top of this page, you
will receive a confirmation e-mail with a link to join the presentation
on October 4 at 5:30 p.m. (ET).

Fantasy author N. K. Jemisin discusses how she
learned to build unreal worlds by studying our own—and how we might in
turn imagine a better future for our world, and reshape it to fit that
dream.

Jemisin’s lecture kicks off The Future—a new Global Grand
Challenge at Cornell. We invite thinkers across campus to use their
imaginations to reach beyond the immediate, the tangible, the well-known
constraints. How can we use our creativity to plan and build for a
future that is equitable, sustainable, and good? Learn more on October 4.

After her talk, Jemisin joins a panel of distinguished Cornell
faculty to explore how we can take a brave leap into the visionary
future. What can we collectively achieve when we focus on “what we
want,” rather than “what I can do”? And when we’ve imagined a better
future for our world, how do we chart the path—starting today—with
practical steps to take us there?

• Anindita Banerjee, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature, College of Arts and Sciences
• John Albertson, Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering
• Kaushik Basu, Carl Marks Professor of International Studies, Professor of Economics, A&S

About N. K. Jemisin

N. K. Jemisin is the first author in the science fiction and fantasy
genre’s history to win three consecutive Best Novel Hugo Awards, for her
Broken Earth trilogy. Her work has also won the Nebula and Locus
Awards. She was a 2020 MacArthur Fellow. Jemisin’s most frequent themes
include resistance to oppression, the inseverability of the liminal, and
the coolness of Stuff Blowing Up. She has been an advocate for the long
tradition of science fiction and fantasy as political resistance and
previously championed the genre as a New York Times book reviewer. She lives and works in New York City.

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About Global Grand Challenges at Cornell

Global Grand Challenges bring together Cornell’s world-class
strengths—vision, expertise, people, and resources—in a multiyear focus
to understand humanity’s most urgent challenges and create real-world
solutions. Global Cornell
organizes and supports related research collaborations, courses and
academic programs, student experiences, campus events, and more.
Cornell’s first Global Grand Challenge is Migrations, launched in 2019.

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About the Bartels World Affairs Lecture

The Bartels World Affairs Lecture is a signature event of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies.
This flagship event brings distinguished international figures to
campus each academic year to speak on global topics and meet with
Cornell faculty and students, particularly undergraduates. The lecture
and related events are made possible by the generosity of Henry E.
Bartels ’48 and Nancy Horton Bartels ’48.