Sydney's bar scene is getting set for an academic shake up
On 20 October, Sydney’s watering holes will be transformed into classrooms for one night as 20 academics enter 20 bars to deliver 20 thought-provoking talks.The University of Sydney has joined Raising the Bar to bring the popular worldwide init…

On 20 October, Sydney’s watering holes will be transformed into classrooms for one night as 20 academics enter 20 bars to deliver 20 thought-provoking talks.

The University of Sydney has joined Raising the Bar to bring the popular worldwide initiative, which has previously run in New York, Hong Kong and London, to Sydneysiders.

Established in 2014, Raising the Bar began with a group of students from Columbia University and New York University who were looking to share the unique learning experience from the world’s greatest minds with the general public. The first ever Raising the Bar Sydney event aims to change the city’s popular culture to make education a key element. Read more. 


University academics to hold public lectures in Sydney pubs, The Australian. 

University academics to hold public lectures in Sydney pubs, The Australian.

 

Raising the Bar Sydney Written by Jennifer Jamie Irawan

Amidst the rain and mid-week blues, twenty of Australia’s brightest minds were spread across the city to light the spark of curiosity for Sydneysiders; part of a worldwide initiative to broaden the way we consume content. The pioneering efforts of Raising the Bar aims to demystify the space of the institution as being something far removed from the rest of the world. Raising the Bar is an event held on 1 night, in 20 bars, with 20 brilliant academics escaping their lecture theatres and laboratories to instead ‘raise the bar’ on educational content and make it accessible for everyone.

I started my night a world away from the humble streetscape of Regent Street, at Freda’s which was vibrant with chatter as beers began to be poured and seats were taken. The speaker at this venue, Agnieszka Tymula is a neuroeconomist and lecturer at the University of Sydney and on this occasion she discussed the surprising reasons we take risks.Looking at the trends that influence our decisions, Agnieszka brings together economics, psychology and neuroscience to build better models of decision-making.

Initiatives like Raising the Bar bring to the fore the importance of innovation and diversity within education.

“When I say I’m an economist, most people think that I study inflation, interest rates, banks, financial crisis – not at all… When an economist analyses the studies that psychologists have done aimed to measure risk taking, a red light comes up and what we see is much more than risk taking. We see optimism and things that are confounded in the tasks that psychologists use to measure adolescent behaviour.”

Agnieszka went on to discuss the difference in risk-taking behaviour between adolescents and seniors, breaking down the brain functions involved in our decision-making processes. She then opened her talk up for conversation, and it wasn’t long before the questions began to kick off.

It is in those moments of audience engagement that the community of like-minded creatives fulfilled the Raising the Bar goal. People in the audience were given back the discretion to question, to be inspired, and to be stimulated in a non-threatening environment. They escaped the passive audience experience and scripted narratives seen in classrooms and lecture halls.

I’ve grown up seeing the value in education, understanding that it was a cornerstone in my life to be able to find my passions, interests and more importantly fuel curiosity. I began to see that curiosity is the engine of achievement.

Initiatives like Raising the Bar bring to the fore the importance of innovation and diversity within education.By reaching out to luminaires, we are given the opportunity to cultivate free-flowing knowledge and raise the bar in the things that we talk about, become passionate about, are provoked by and find ourselves engaged in.

With over 1,200 people responding to the event on Facebook and a team of 95 members of staff and students working towards the event, it was a huge success (trending above the new Star Wars trailer – yes, you heard me).

I can’t wait to see how Raising the Bar becomes bigger and better with each year.

Raising the Bar
Seat back, have a drink and let the knowledge flow through your open mind.

Raising the Bar provides all Londoners with an amazing educational opportunity as a part of which 30 world-renowned academics are coming down from their lecterns to share their knowledge in quite a daring surrounding: the city's bars.

What if we mix education with popular culture making it affordable and understandable to a wider audience? Raising the Bar unique initiative was first who came up with this simple but genius idea.

Organized by students and supported by Columbia, New York and other universities it is aimed at educating and enlightening young people and thus enriching their life, broadening their horizons, inspiring and waking up the desire for knowledge. What started in New York last year, has grown into a global initiative with a stop in London. Raising the Bar London will feature 30 amazing speakers sharing their experience and knowledge, 20 vibrant bars all around the city and a long list of vital topics to be discussed.

The list of speakers is just too good to be true. Among them are professor Aaqil Ahmed, the Head of Religion and Ethics at the BBC, who will shed some light on the necessity of religious programming. Raj Persaud, a world renowned psychologist and a Consultant Psychiatrist as well as bestseller author, will talk on the psychology of success and on how to make your mind work on you to achieve any goal set avoiding mental blocks.  

With 6,000 attendees at last year's event in New York, London is ready to take up the challenge and to Raise the Bar. The initiative is probably to beat the US traffic as it is the only event in London to offer free lectures and in what a tempting way.
 

Raising the Bar
Grab a glass for Raising The Bar NYC

Six of SIPA’s brightest minds are participating in this edition of Raising the Bar. Each professor has something unique to contribute to the international affairs and public policy conversation. More information on each lecturer and their presentations are below.  

Raising the Bar
Raising the Bar Comes to Hong Kong

Education and pleasure, for many, are two words that rarely mix. Raising the Bar hopes to bridge that gap with its inaugural Asia event. 

Raising the Bar
Raising the Bar believes that education should and can happen anywhere!

A new group hopes to bring learning to the less structured bar scene.

Originally from New York City, Raising the Bar is an initiative aimed at spreading knowledge and shaking the city’s nightlife culture. In April 2014, their inaugural event featured 50 top university professors to lecture in 50 bars throughout Manhattan over the course of one night. Their event was an absolute success, with all tickets being completely sold out.

Tonight, Raising the Bar is coming to Hong Kong! 

Brought to you by a dedicated team of young professionals, Raising the Bar’s Asia debut will happen in Hong Kong at 10 different locations tonight across Central and Soho.

The goal?

To bring education out of the ivory towers and right to where you usually have your happy hour drink on an average Tuesday night.

In contrary to the traditional beliefs and notions regarding education in Hong Kong, where it is relatively formal and structured, Raising the Bar believes that education should and can happen anywhere. This means that sitting down with a group of strangers and your favourite professor at a bar, debating about topics ranging from martial arts to social architecture, could actually be one of the most enlightening experiences in Hong Kong!

Additionally, since there are many misconceptions surrounding Hong Kong nightlife and bar culture, Raising the Bar is hoping to change these views, and redefine what nightlife means to the average Hong Konger.

 
Raising the Bar
Raising The Bar San Francisco
Raising the Bar
Knowledge Meets Beer

On November 5th, Raising The Bar together with Time Inc., we'll be hosting a series of panels: 50 speakers, in 10 bars, on 1 night. These panels will be led by notable professors and industries leaders, in some of the city’s best bars for only $5. 

 
 
Raising the Bar