Opening Speaker: Roman Krznaric

Roman Krznaric is a public philosopher who writes about the power of ideas to change society. His books, including The Good Ancestor, Empathy and How to Find Fulfilling Work, have been published in over 20 languages. Roman, who has a PhD in politics, is the founder of the Empathy Museum, was a co-founder of The School of Life, and is a research fellow of the Long Now Foundation.

In his opening talk, Roman discusses how empathy – the art of stepping into the shoes of another person and looking at the world through their eyes – is a fundamental skill not just for sharing stories but for personal relationships and social change. Roman will talk about the psychology and neuroscience of empathy, as well as the empathy-based storytelling projects he has been part of, from the creation of the world’s first Empathy Museum to the Human Library movement, where instead of borrowing a book you borrow a person for conversation.