Director's Conversations

Christopher L. Eisgruber, President of Princeton University, discusses the essential roles research universities have played in the United States since World War II, offering a timely look at what it means to evolve and adapt to a changing global landscape while remaining dedicated to foundational principles.

Annabelle Selldorf, Principal of Selldorf Architects, explores the enduring impact of architecture on human experience and reflects on architecture as both an art and a science, considering how built environments shape the possibilities for culture, creativity, and community.

Sir Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, considers the ways in which artificial intelligence is transforming our capacities for discovery and reshaping the nature of knowledge. The dialogue also touches on the critical steps our societies should take as world-changing technology develops—echoing sentiments once expressed by IAS Director (1947–66) J. Robert Oppenheimer.

Philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah discusses the relationships between philosophy and other "moral sciences," his interpretation of the difference between ethics and morality, and how new ethical norms might be developed for the ever-changing present.

Mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato and composer Kevin Puts reflect on the process of developing new work for the stage, bringing this process to life by showcasing excerpts from Puts’s forthcoming song cycle of settings of poems by Emily Dickinson.

As part of her second Director’s Conversation at IAS, Di Donato explores topics ranging from female authors in opera to the future of the arts, and her recent visit to the site of ancient Olympia with her “Eden” project, where she created a film slated for release at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. 

Dance historian Jennifer Homans and Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of the San Francisco Ballet, discuss the relationship that ballet has with its canon, how the present moment is shaping the evolution and animation of new dance forms, and how artificial intelligence can be used as a partner when composing ballets.

Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer Kai Bird explores the complex legacy of IAS Director (1947–66) J. Robert Oppenheimer, touching on Oppenheimer’s attempts to create an interdisciplinary space at the Institute through the recruitment of Faculty from diverse fields, and the alignment between technology and humanity.

Daniel H. Weiss, president and chief executive officer of The Metropolitan Museum of Art, surveys the state of culture and higher education in the world today, touching on the existential challenges facing encyclopedic museums in the U.S. and beyond, plus the thorny issue of provenance.

Multi-Grammy award winner Joyce DiDonato surveys topics ranging from art and the environment to creative collaboration, examining how she brings her voice and the musical traditions in which she works to pressing issues of the age.