The Lassonde Debate is organized by the Lassonde School of Engineering at York University in collaboration with our partners and friends. This annual occasion has been created to promote lively intellectual discussion of big, provocative questions in a small, intimate setting – or as we like to put it: An Oxford-style debate in the atmosphere of a Renaissance salon. 1 motion, 1 moderator, 2 sides, 4 debaters, 150 guests, 2 ballots…. 1 winner: the side that changes the most minds in the room.
This year, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, a partner of Lassonde will have Prof. Harry Yuklea participating in the debate. An academic and practitioner, he was directly involved for the last 35 years in the remarkable build-up process of the Israeli high-tech sector, his career ranging from technology development and engineering to marketing, management, consulting and investment. He has held executive management positions at leading publicly traded hi-tech companies like Sapiens International Corp., Lannet Data Communications Ltd. and Fibronics Ltd. as well as at a series of technology start-ups such as XOsoft, Snapshield, OptoSTORAGE and Bacsoft and served in the Board of Directors of several high-tech firms.
Prof. Yuklea serves as policy design adviser to the Israeli National Economic Council, the Israeli Chief Scientist Office and various international and foreign government agencies.