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Join this Careers Crossing Borders event to hear directly from global business professionals about how they are using AI in their day-to-day work, incorporating AI into products and services, and navigating the opportunities and challenges created by rapidly evolving technologies.

You’ll also learn how these professionals have prepared themselves for careers at the intersection of AI and global business—and what skills, experiences, and perspectives are becoming increasingly valuable.

Does capitalism or socialism better promote individual freedom and prosperity? Join scholars and public intellectuals for a lively debate Oct. 27 at 6 p.m. in the University of Maryland’s Colony Ballroom. Free and open to the public, with a student pizza party at 5 p.m.

Join former IBM executive Kevin Clark and UMD professor Roland T. Rust for a conversation about how AI is reshaping organizations, customer experiences and the future of human work. They will explore how people and intelligent technologies can work together — and what emerging leaders should understand about the opportunities and challenges ahead.

Join the center for a keynote featuring Joe Welch, vice president of global public policy at The Walt Disney Company. Welch will discuss his global career journey, career and internship opportunities at Disney locations worldwide, and strategies for staying competitive in today’s global job market.

Lunch will be provided.

As the US-Iran conflict mostly settles into a fragile truce, the digital battlefield may continue heating up even as the kinetic one cools. Join us as we sit down with leading cybersecurity professionals to break down the Iran-nexus threat landscape — who's targeting what, where the real exposure lies, and how to think about cyber risk in a time of war.

Speakers

Join us for the next CEO at Smith featuring Jay Sunny Bajaj, the founder and CEO of Digital Capital LLC (DigiCap), a private investment firm dedicated to scaling companies and shaping the future. Discover how to transform innovative ideas into actionable solutions through smart investment strategies.

Join us for Working Across the Divide, a dynamic panel discussion featuring leaders from media, academia, and social impact as they explore how to bridge divides through common ground, courageous conversations, and practical frameworks. This conversation will offer valuable insights on navigating differences, fostering understanding, and driving meaningful dialogue in today’s world.

Date: Tuesday, April 21, 2026
Time: 6-8 p.m.
Location: Frank Auditorium, Van Munching Hall

Join us for a Speaker Series event featuring Dr. Ming-Hui Huang, co-presented with Roland T. Rust. A globally recognized expert in AI, service and marketing, Huang will share insights on the strategic use of AI, including her award-nominated research on “The Feeling Machine” and its implications for customer care.

This workshop brings together academics, thought leaders and stakeholders to discuss how analytics can support nonprofit organizations, government entities and social impact organizations in improving their reach and impact through innovative use of data and models. The overarching theme is analytics for doing good.

The Dean’s Distinguished Speaker Series welcomes Mark Ciardi ’83, co-founder, president and CEO of Select Films. The visionary behind films including Invincible, Secretariat and Million Dollar Arm, Ciardi has built a career bringing inspiring true stories to the screen. His work has earned multiple awards and helped redefine the sports film genre and the broader entertainment industry.