WASHINGTON – Howard University will welcome Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith on Thursday, October 7 for a two-part fireside chat where Smith will share views from his New York Times bestselling-book “Tools and Weapons.” Part one of the discussion, titled “A Conversation with Mr. Brad Smith, President of Microsoft – The Promise and Peril of the Digital Age,” will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the College of Engineering and Architecture’s Innovation Center. Part two will begin at 12:30 p.m. in the Howard University School of Law’s Moot Courtroom as part of the 18^th Annual Wiley A. Branton Symposium hosted by the Howard Law Journal. Both events will be streamed live on Zoom.

To register for the 9:30 a.m. chat with Howard University Provost and Chief Academic Officer Anthony K. Wutoh, Ph.D. click here.

To register for the 12:30 p.m. chat with Howard University School of Law Dean Danielle Holley-Walker and the 18^th Annual Wiley A. Branton Symposium click here.

“We are excited to welcome Mr. Brad Smith to Howard University for this important and timely discussion about the role of technology in our society,” said Wutoh. “We are eager to engage the Howard community in this discussion and hope that you will join us."

During his visit to Howard, Smith will share his views about “Tools and Weapons,” which looks at today’s technological issues and has added new material to the paperback edition that updates the original argument with a fresh new look at technological issues of today. Never has the book’s original premise been more relevant as we look at the continued threat of cyberattacks, the role of technology in addressing COVID-19, and how big tech and government can come together to combat some of the toughest issues of our time – from climate change to equity to digital sovereignty. The book brings these issues to life through storytelling and a peek behind the curtain of decision making to urge companies that create technology to accept greater responsibility for the future and governments to move faster to catch up with the pace of innovation.

The fireside chat at the law school is part of the 18^th Annual Wiley A. Branton/Howard Law Journal Symposium which will be held from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. at the law school. The symposium, titled Health Equity: Developments & Challenges of the COVID-19 Pandemic, will focus on the theme of Health Equity and Equality.

“I am delighted to visit Howard University School of Law and join Dean Danielle Holley-Walker for a conversation on the book that I co-authored with Carol Ann Browne,” said Microsoft President and Vice Chair Brad Smith. “Howard University continues to lead by example when it comes to innovating at the intersection of technology and education.”

As Microsoft’s president and vice chair, Brad Smith leads a team of more than 1,500 business, legal and corporate affairs professionals located in 54 countries and operating in more than 120 nations. He plays a key role in spearheading the company’s work on critical issues involving the intersection of technology and society, including cybersecurity, privacy, artificial intelligence, environmental sustainability, human rights, immigration and philanthropy.

The two-part event will be hosted by the Office of the Provost, the School of Business, the College of Engineering and Architecture, and the Howard University School of Law.

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About Howard University

Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 14 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit www.howard.edu.