University Of Cambridge Alumni

"The only way to have sustained growth is by building human capability, and the reality is the economy. You know, economists, I guess, confuse people, and we're all trained to think about business, but it's not actually a bunch of businesses; it's actually a bunch of people doing a whole lot of things. It’s actually a human system, and that's how we need to treat it to move on."

"I think that the key problem we face is unproductive ways of doing things. I don't think it’s the technical problem."

"If you walk away when things aren't going well, I can guarantee you it's a recipe for failure. Participation doesn't guarantee success, but that grip, commitment, and continuation step by step is what's going to make us win."

"People ask about growth. The only way to have sustained growth is actually to have inclusion. It is physically whatever anybody thinks."

"One of the most important ways of growing, expanding and developing is to have easy movement of people between countries."

"You could see that one of the problems in the company, even though it wasn’t in a competitive market, was that people still had this idea like they were in a monopoly."

"Young people should leave school with a recognised certificate, be channelled into post-school education and training, and then enabled to access to earning opportunities."

"Performance of tertiary education institutions will specifically need to be targeted. One option is to tie some part of the government’s institution grant to achieving improved governance, capacity, quality and labour market alignment."

"The fastest route back to economic activity, charted in a way that enables physical distancing, will always be the best one. It is always better to generate revenue, in companies and through tax, than it is to save companies or borrow for the shortfall."

"Communications is everything for people. It’s the most fundamental thing. And people are getting cut out of communication if they’re not online. It is an incredible enabler, especially when you have an urban configuration like we do, or spatial configuration, where people are very far from opportunity. So it could be a game changer."

"Leadership instability is the top challenge faced by many SOEs, and this was certainly the case at Telkom."

"Staff were quite probably going to say one thing, do another, and wait for Maseko to pass through."

"Eskom could not build up sufficient reserves to cover the costs of maintenance, replacement or new capacity."

"when they do understand, I’ve experienced more random acts of kindness in China than anywhere else."

"A visit to Shanghai begs an exploration of art, fashion, design, and technology."

"Chinese urban planning is legendary, and great thought has been devoted to public spaces."

"Eskom will have to convince creditors that there is commitment to good governance and a pathway to sustainability. Eskom’s new board is the most important first milestone. Next steps will be to urgently appoint a permanent CEO and round out the Exco in a way that demonstrates a new beginning. Eskom’s communication needs to be open, humble and give stakeholders a true reflection of the state of affairs whether good or bad."

"The absolutely most important thing for us is that we should be investing in human capability. It is, I think, the most important ingredient to success in any high-growth developing country, and it’s something that we underplay so significantly in South Africa. I think it’s the reason we don’t make progress."

"Learning some Mandarin can really change the overall experience."

"It's true that past efforts have failed. There's been a lot of energy and a lot of great ideas, but it's been inconsistent."

"I've learned over the years that leadership is everything."

"Stuck in a ditch on that lonely Lesotho mountain road, one can try to drive out of it, wait, or walk to the next village for help. One thing is certain. If the truck does not lift out of the ditch, it is going to be a long time before one is back on course to deliver services."

"I'm a very driven personality, there's no doubt about that. For success in bringing about this kind of change, you have to be pretty ruthlessly focused. I deal with intense stuff at Telkom and it's an enormous challenge and there's pain and pleasure. It's very exciting, but what if you fail? You can't fail."

"China has moved beyond the stage of imitation and has a growing community of designers and innovators."

"Was a teacher in a NYC high school and noticed absenteeism was a huge problem from the first day I stood in front of my students. I realized that parents, an essential partner to help get kids to class, were often uninformed, parents play major role in education besides we teachers."

"When a lot of other kids during breaks from school were playing or doing other fun activities, I was going to work with my dad, which maybe didn’t seem that fun at the time but I actually thought it was a pretty cool experience. Early entrepreneurship shapens mind"

"The last three years at Telkom have been intense, challenging, rewarding - overall an incredible and life-changing experience."

"Mechanism design is like if you had an algorithm designed, but you were aware that the input data is something that could be strategically manipulated. So you’re trying to create something that’s robust to that. This is a wonderful approach, incorporating robustness into the process of designing inputs."

"I never thought of myself as someone who works in education but somehow I keep coming back to it so there’s got to be something there."

"I keep coming back to education because it is an important test case for understanding the broader issues we have been talking about, such as deciding who gets to set the objective function and how it is set."

"Ambiguity is a bug in mathematics. If I give you a proof and it’s vague, then it’s not complete. On the algorithmic side of things, it forces you to be very explicit about what your goals are and what the input is."

"I keep coming back to is poverty because ultimately, whether or not an individual lives in poverty determines their access to education, housing, healthcare, and is therefore a root cause of many issues in these areas."

"Math and theoretical computer science force you to be precise."

"Misrepresentation or underrepresentation in data sets can lead to invisibility which can perpetuate or even amplify social and economic disparities."

"[H]eavy load of his far-from-dead past, which was beginning to seem like an albatross around my neck."

"I will only add one Passage during the Stay of our Ambassador at Rairee: The Diet of this sort of People admits not of great Variety or Cost, their delightfullest Food being only Cutchery, a sort of Pulse and Rice mixed together, and boiled in Butter, with which they grow Fat: but such Victuals could not be long pleasing to our Merchants, who had been used to Feed on good Flesh: It was therefore signified to the Rajah, That Meat should be provided for them; and to that end a Butcher that served those few Moors that were there, that were able to go to the Charge of Meat, was ordered to supply them with what Goat they should expend (nothing else here being to be gotten for them), which he did accordingly, to the consumption of half a Goat a Day, which he found very profitable for him…The honest Butcher had made an Adventure up the Hill, though very old, to have the sight of his good Masters, who had taken off of his hands more Flesh in that time they had been there than he had sold in some Years before; so rare a thing is it to eat Flesh among them…"

"A day or two after our Ambassador went to Narun Gi Pundit, and took his Advice concerning the presenting of the rest; who told him he might go in Person to Moro Pundit, but to the rest he should send by Naran Sinaij what was intended for them: Declaring likewise if he would have his Work speedily effected, and without any impediment, that it was necessary to be at some more charge to present Officers with Pamerins, who were not in their List of Presents; to which he assented, considering the time of the Year was so far spent, and that if he should be forced to stay the whole Rains out at Rairee, the Honourable Company’s Charges would be greater than the Additional Presents: He answered that two Pamerins were not enough for Moro Pundit, that we must present him with four; and Peta Gi Pundit Vocanovice, or Publick Intelligencer, with the Diamond Ring, valued at 125 Rupees…"

"About this time the Rajah, according to the Hindus Custom, was weighed in Gold, and poised about 16000 Pagods, which Money, together with an 100000 more is to be distributed among the Brachmines after the day he is enthroned, who in great numbers flock hither from all parts of his Territories."

"Being earnest to press on his Errand he came for, the Ambassador sent to Narun Gi Pundit to know what was transacted in the Articles; but was returned for Answer. The Rajah stopt his Ears to all Affairs, declaring he had granted all the Demands, except those two Articles, expressing, Our Money shall go current in his Dominions, and his on Bombaim; and that he shall restore whatever Wrecks may happen on his Coasts belonging to the English, and Inhabitants of Bombaim. The first he accounted unnecessary to be inserted, because he forbids not the passing of any manner of Coins; nor on the other side, can he force his Subjects to take those Monies, whereby they shall be Losers; but if our Coin be as fine an Allay, and as weighty as the Moguls, and other Princes, he will not prohibit it. To the other he says, that it is against the Laws of Conchon to restore any Ships, Vessels, or Goods, that are driven ashore by Tempest, or otherwise; and that should he grant us that Privilege, the French, Dutch, and other Merchants, would claim the same Right; which he could not grant without breaking a Custom has lasted many Ages: The rest of our Desires he willingly conceded embracing with much satisfaction our Friendship, promising to himself and Country much Happiness by our Settlement and Trade: Notwithstanding Narun Gi Pundit did not altogether despair of obtaining our Wrecks, because we enjoyed the same Privilege in the Mogul, and Duccan Country."

"He and his Son withdrew into their private Apartments, to consult with the Brachmines about the Ceremonies preparatory to his Enstalment; which chiefly consisted in Abstinence and Purifying; till which be over, he will hear no farther of Business. They likewise departed to their Lodgings."

"Near a Month after they had been here, Narun Gi Pundit sent word, That to Morrow about Seven or Eight in the Morning, the Rajah Seva Gi intended to ascend his Throne; and he would take it kindly if they came to congratulate him thereon; that it was necessary to present him with some small thing, it not being the Custom of the Eastern Parts to appear before a Prince empty-handed. The Ambassador sent him word, according to his Advice; he would wait on the Rajah at the prescribed time. Accordingly next Morning he and his Retinue went to Court, and found the Rajah seated on a Magnificent Throne, and all his Nobles waiting on him in Rich Attire; his Son Samba Gi Rajah, Peshuah Mora Pundit, and a Brachmine of Great Eminence, seated on an Ascent under the Throne; the rest, as well Officers of the Army as others, standing with great Respect. The English made their Obeisance at a distance; and Narun Sinai held up the Diamond Ring that was to be presented him: He presently took notice of it, and ordered their coming nearer, even to the Foot of the Throne, where being Vested, they were desired to retire; which they did not so soon, but they took notice on each side of the Throne there hung (according to the Moors manner) on heads of Gilded Launces many Emblems of Dominion and Government; as on the Right-hand were two great Fishes Heads of Gold, with very large Teeth; on the Left, several Horses Tails, a Pair of Gold Scales on a very high Launce’s head, equally poized, an Emblem of Justice and as they returned, at the Palace Gate stood two small Elephants on each side, and two fair Horses with Gold Trappings, Bridles, and Rich Furniture, which made them admire how they brought them up the Hill, the Passage being both difficult and hazardous. Two days after this, the Rajah was married to a Fourth Wife, without State; and doth every day bestow Alms on the Brachmines…"

"It is fortified by Nature more than Art, being of very difficult access, there being but one Avenue to it, which is guarded by two narrow Gates, and fortified by a strong Wall exceeding high, and Bastions thereto: All the other part of the Mountain is a direct Precipice so that it’s impregnable, except the Treachery of some in it betray it. On the Mountain are many strong Buildings, as the Raja’s Court, and Houses of other Ministers, to the number of about 300. It is in length about two Miles and an half, but no pleasant Trees, or any sort of Grain grows thereon. Their House was about a Mile from the Rajah’s Palace, into which they retired with no little content."

"Four days after their ascent, by the sollicitation of Narun Gi Pundit, the Rajah gave them Audience, though in busily employed by many other great Affairs, relating to his Coronation and Marriage. Our Ambassador presented him, and his Son Samba Gi Rajah, with the Particulars appointed for them; which they took well satisfied with them; and the Rajah assured them we might trade securely in all his Countries without the least apprehension of ill from him, for that the Peace was concluded. Our Ambassador replied, that was our Intent; and to that intent the President had sent him to this Court to procure the same Articles and Privileges we enjoyed in Indostan and Persia, where we traded. He answered, it is well, and referred our Business to Moro Pundit, his Peshua, or Chancellour, to examine our Articles, and give an account what they were."

"They [the English team]…were glad when they beard the Rajah [Shivaji] was returned from Purtaabgur, when the Ambassador solicited Narun Gi Pundit [a Saraswat Brahmin in Shivaji’s service who also functioned as interpreter] to procure his leave to pass up the Hill into Rairee [the famous Raigarh fort] Castle. The next day they receive’d order to ascend the Hill into the Castle, the Rajah having appointed an House for them; which they did; leaving Punckarra about Three in the Afternoon, they arrived at the top of that strong Mountain, forsaking the humble Clouds about Sun-set."

"They killed many civilians, let's not underestimate that, but by and large the IRA tactic was not to deliberately kill civilians - although many civilians, I hasten to add, were killed by the IRA."

"It was remarkable how few people were asking: How does what America is doing or threatening to do or will do as an occupying force — how is that likely to resemble what America did in Vietnam? And how far do the illusions of universal primacy and of supposedly defending freedom and democracy against its enemies — how is that contributing, in fact, to the militarization of U.S. policy and the undermining of global peace?"

"In the Neighing of an Horse, or in the growling of a Mastiff, there is a meaning, there is as lively expression, and, may I say, more humanity, than many time in the Tragical flights of Shakespear."

"Therefore Aristotle is always telling us that Poetry is σπουδαιότερον καὶ φιλοσοφώτερον, is more general and abstracted, is led more by the Philosophy, the reason and nature of things, than History: which only records things higley, piglety, right or wrong as they happen."

"Incidentally, the argument here that this is necessary because it’s up to the Ukrainians — at this point, what is the first country that would be completely destroyed? Has anyone thought of asking ordinary Ukrainians if that is a price they think worth paying?"

"Russian propaganda says that the Maidan Revolution was simply a coup and orchestrated by America. Well, no, because many ordinary Ukrainians, especially younger Ukrainians, including Russian-speaking Ukrainians, desperately wanted to get away from this horribly corrupt, economically stagnant post-Soviet reality and join the West"