Tom Friedman speaks at the World Affairs Council in 2008. (The World Affairs Council/Flickr CC)
Tom Friedman says college education is heading for a "huge disruption." The New York Times columnist sat down with Innovation Hub host Kara Miller to talk jobs, education and the middle class.
But if you only really care about the education bits, we've got you covered. Here's our listener's guide to the interview:
• 2:40 - 3:40 The Importance of Being Entrepreneurial
When I graduated from college I had to find a job. My girls will have to invent a job.
Colleges are recognizing the importance of entrepreneurship, but can it be taught? The results of a recent poll suggest business leaders think it can, with nearly 90 percent saying that teaching students about entrepreneurship and starting your own business is important.
• 6:00 - 8:00 There is No Secret Sauce to Great Education
Tell me the secret. You have these kids stand on their head for 30 minutes, all the blood rush to their heads? What's the secret?
That's what Friedman asked education leaders in Shanghai, China when he visited. While he says there is no real secret, Friedman focuses on teacher training and parent involvement as two factors that separate the Chinese education system from the American.
• 15:32 - 17:18 College is Heading for a Huge Disruption
If you think people are going to continue to borrow money to pay $200,000 for a four-year degree where they aren't ensured any job, or they will be indentured servants for the first ten years after college, you're crazy.
According to Friedman, the higher education industry is facing a revolution, comparable to the one his --- the newspaper -- industry just underwent. With more and more competition, like free online classes , education is going to have to step up its game and rethink cost.