Connect, a student-led initiative at Cornell, hosted by Phi Gamma Nu Professional Business Fraternity and Global China Connection, will examine the changing role of a liberal arts education vs. a pre-professional education during a conference Oct. 22 at Cornell's Physical Sciences Building. The conference is free and open to the public, but registration is required and space in the workshops is limited.

Conference organizer Dylan Rapoport '12 says the pendulum is swinging away from an emphasis on professional training and back toward the liberal arts. As evidence, he points to the reason for the participation of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Connect. "PwC specifically wanted to reach out to liberal arts majors," says Rapoport.

The keynote address, "Some Mistakes I Have Made," will be given by David Feinburg, MBA '79, former vice president at Goldman Sachs and currently a teacher at a British secondary school. His talk will emphasize the importance of diverse educational opportunities as the best preparation for today's students.

The conference will also feature a debate by recent university graduates from Cornell and elsewhere, examining a liberal arts education vs. a pre-professional education.

The event will include workshops that explore career-related topics, such as "Tech Entrepreneurship: Paving the Way to a New Internet Revolution," led by Nikhil Trivedi of Insight Venture Partners, a technology venture capital firm in New York; "Any Person, Any Study: How to Use All of Cornell to Make Yourself Competitive in Today's Marketplace," led by Eric Blair-Joannou '10, an analyst at J.P. Morgan; and "Following Your Passion: Finding Your Path," led by Shikha Uberoi, India's 2007 Athlete of the Year.

As part of the conference, PwC is sponsoring a case competition, which will challenge students to think outside the box while coming up with cost-cutting solutions for a software manufacturing company. First prize will be $2,500, but all participants will have the opportunity to present to and receive feedback from PwC advisory professionals, and to participate in a private networking session with PwC.

A formal dinner gala, with entertainment by student musicians, will cap off the day, to allow alumni to connect with current student leaders from across a variety of campus organizations. Having spent the afternoon examining the role and purpose of a liberal arts education, participants will have this opportunity to discuss the current direction of Cornell.

Connect is supported by PwC, the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, Teach for China, Alpha Kappa Psi, the International Student Union Board, African Latino Asian Native American Students Programming Board, Teach for America, the College of Arts and Sciences Career Services and the Cornell Office of the Assemblies.

For more information or to register, go to http://connect.us.org/.

Linda B. Glaser is a staff writer for the College of Arts and Sciences.