The social question of the 21st century

“Knowledge is the new social question of the 21st century. War and violence, hunger and poverty today can no more be combated by conquest of land nor by more money, but only by more knowledge.”

Thus started the keynote lecture of Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers, honorary professor at MSM, and former Federal Minister of Education, Science, Research and Technology in the German government, and former Prime Minister of North Rhine-Westphalia, at this year’s MSM Annual Research Conference.

In an address entitled “New Trends in Innovation and Knowledge Society”, Dr. Rüttgers argues that while technological innovation is progress faster and faster, and bringing with it many new opportunities, it also needs to be properly regulated:

“The scandal of the American secret service NSA, the loss of privacy, the spying of allied governments, the business with user data in companies like Google, hackers who have stolen 18 million passwords give us a message: Neither is the internet a new world nor a global village. It is but an infrastructure that needs reglementation. Every citizen has the right to use streets, trains and rivers. Likewise networks need net neutrality. And everyone who uses the infrastructure must stick to the rules. The internet is subject to human rights and civil rights all the same.”

Dr. Rüttgers’ full speech can be read here.
To watch a video by Dr. Rüttgers based on his keynote speech, watch here.