2013 program « Inventing 2020 »

Thinking back on the 2013 program, « Inventing 2020 »

The 13th annual Rencontre Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence had as theme “The Clash of Times.” A perfect timing for introducing the idea of giving the floor to young people – the future leaders of tomorrow – and putting them at the very heart of the program. For Jean-Hervé Lorenzi and the members of the Cercle des économistes “it was an urgent matter to hear how this generation is managing their entry into a world undergoing such deep changes.” Thus was born the idea of a competition called “La Parole aux étudiants” (“Students speak up”) with as its theme for this first time around: «Inventing 2020.» From among the many applications that we received, 100 young candidates from educational institutions throughout France were chosen by the selection committee, which was chaired by Erik Orsenna. They were invited to participate in Les Rencontre Économiques d’Aix-en-Provence and in the exceptional musical program that was put together for the Festival of Aix, from the 4^th to the 7^th of July 2013. A morning of discussion featured these young people, with 25 of them serving as speakers, working with members of Le Cercle des économistes  as well with journalists who served as moderators. These students were given the opportunity to ask the first questions to the speakers in the panels of the Economic Encounters. Prizes were awarded by Tidjane Thiam (the President of Prudential) to the five winning youths. The competition provided these students with a valuable venue for presenting their ideas. Some excerpts from remarks about this experience: “To be able to meet leading figures from many diverse backgrounds and to have the opportunity to dialogue with them… was for me a remarkable experience…” ; “To be involved in the sessions and to be able to express our views was a wonderful opportunity which is unfortunately all too rare…” ; “A lovely idea which allowed us to meet students from diverse backgrounds…. To discover the richness of ideas of my generation made a deep impression on me.” Another strong point had to do with opera, with a stunning performance of Richard Strauss’s Elektra, the last opera production of Patrice Chéreau. It was a moment filled with emotion. For those who had never before seen an opera it was an exhilarating first experience!