New Thinking = New Ireland

Have you had enough of politicians' rhetoric, or of the failure of tired institutions to keep up with our rapidly changing world? Then meet the young, new thinkers of Ireland as they share their vision for the future. Here, twenty-one of our leading creative thinkers and problem-solvers rip up the rule book and start again, presenting a new vision for Ireland. They cover a diverse range of topics that affect all our lives, from Art to Diaspora, Religion to Research and Banking. These are tomorrow's leaders, and the future is bright. Some essays propose radical ideas - imagine democratically run companies, three-day working weeks, a Google bank, and safer roads bereft of signs or markings - while others outline simple reforms that can help Ireland become a global leader. In most instances, contributors have looked to the past to inform their vision of the future. In others, they have drawn on contemporary success stories. This is a book about being Irish, about being resilient and, as surprising as it may sound, about overcoming current hardships to stand as a model for other countries to follow.

Louise Hodgson is programme director of The Undergraduate Awards, an initiative founded in Ireland in 2008 to celebrate students who propose fresh arguments and new approaches and provide an opportunity to accelerate their ideas on a global platform. From humble beginnings, The Undergraduate Awards has rapidly expanded to include top-tier universities across the globe, and receives the official patronage of the President of Ireland, Michael D. Higgins. The annual Undergraduate Awards Summit which involves workshops and think-ins with these bright young minds has been described as 'a Davos for students'. Louise was previously editor of Who's Who in Irish Business 2008-2010; Most Influential US-Irish Business Leaders 2008 and editor of Life Sciences Review. She lives in Dublin.