Agenda has high hopes of the Asia-Scotland Institute's first larger-scale gathering, the Building Bridges Conference at RBS HQ in Gogarburn next week.
There's an interesting-looking list of speakers, including some like CodeBase's Jamie Coleman and Indez's Pete Mowforth who are temperamentally incapable of the airtime-filling that veterans of the business and export seminar circuit are too often exposed to. Billed as a "timely opportunity to explore how Scotland can best connect with the expertise and goodwill of Scots and friends of Scotland living and working abroad and the experience of those who have been successful in building relationships in other countries", the conference is not exactly breaking new conceptual ground, but ASI director Roddy Gow conveys a military man's sense of urgency and purpose that bodes well. What counts will be the number of action points for delegates to take away. The sessions that count being stories of others' success, ones that describe how difficulties were overcome in practice, as well as those from the various agencies explaining what official help is available. For more information see www.asiascot.com
For a reminder of how "business" and culture are not opposites, visit the Hunterian Art Gallery's Ingenious Impressions (until 21 June ) a stunning display of Glasgow Uni's amazing collection of books from just after the invention of printing in 1450. The city owes one of the world's best collections partly to a marine insurance broker called William Euing (1788-1874), who, instead of buying the Victorian equivalent of Ferraris, spent his millions with European book dealers, then gave the lot away. Glasgow, which now trades on cultural heritage, owes him.
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