Tuesday, May 29, 2018

Jean Michel Blanquer, France’s Minister for National Education


A French citizen with more than 15 years of experience in the energy sector, Sarah Moya Machado studied at the Sorbonne University of Paris. As part of her doctoral work, Sarah Moya Mochado focused her thesis on comparative research of legal, economic, and institutional contexts governing the oil sector in Latin America. Jean Michel Blanquer, the current minister for national education in France, served as her thesis director.

Jean Michel Blanquer was director of the Institute of Latin American Studies at Sorbonne University in Paris until 2004. During that time, he actively promoted an academic relationship between France and Latin America. Following his tenure at Sorbonne University, Jean Michel Blanquer served in governmental leadership positions and was the dean of Essec Business School. In 2017, he was appointed minister for national education by President Emmanuel Macaron of France.

Together with President Macaron, Jean Michel Blanquer is implementing educational reforms including an initiative that requires children to attend school at age 3, a reconstructed four-day week with six-hour school days, and additional help for students who are struggling with homework. Another major change includes an overhaul to the country’s baccalaureate test. The test, required for those who wish to graduate secondary school, will be modernized.

Tuesday, May 8, 2018

The Most Popular TED Talks


Sarah Moya Machado is an oil sector executive with over 15 years of experience in areas of strategic affairs, corporate processes, and government relations. Outside of her work as an oil executive, Sarah Moya Machado enjoys spending time with her family and watching TED talks.

TED is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides individuals with a platform to share innovative or overlooked ideas, often through lecture-style discussions known as TED Talks. The organization was established in 1984 with an emphasis on the convergence of Technology, Entertainment, and Design, and today addresses a myriad of topics in over 110 languages.

Thanks to the prevalence of technologies like online video streaming, archived TED Talks have become highly popular among the general public. With more than 50 million views, Ken Robinson’s discussion on standardized education and how it impacts a person’s creativity stands as the TED organization’s most popular video. Robinson’s TED Talk is followed closely by Amy Cuddy’s discussion on how body language can influence personality and social interactions. Cuddy’s TED Talk has been watched more than 46 million times.

Simon Sinek and Brene Brown have also produced TED Talks that have eclipsed the 30 million views mark, speaking on the methods influential leaders used to inspire their followers to action and the power of human vulnerability, respectively. These popular TED Talks, as well as the complete TED archives, can be found online at www.ted.com.