Topic:  Learning in the Age of AI
 

Speakers:  Prof Anil Srinivasan, Founder, Kruu

Presentation: 

a)  Education must shift from information transfer to modular, project led learning — the "hole in the wall" is now everywhere; knowledge access is no longer the bottleneck, self-directed doing is.

b) AI raises the premium on human creativity — artistic, collaborative, cognitive, and design intelligence become the differentiators as routine cognitive work gets automated.

c) The future of work demands a "life syllabus," not just a degree — understanding yourself, building real projects, and engaging community experience matter as much as formal universities.                                                                           

Speaker's bio:
Anil Srinivasan is the Founder of Kruu, an education platform built on a simple belief: students should experience real intellectual work before they are asked to choose who they want to become. Through Kruu, he has created pathways that connect middle and high school students directly with university faculty and senior practitioners through research led, project-based learning. Today, Kruu has reached close to 450,000 students across  geographies and has been recognised internationally for redefining how early academic exposure is designed.

Under his leadership, Kruu received the PiEoneer Award for Progressive Education Delivery, widely regarded as the highest global recognition in education innovation. The award recognised Kruu’s work in moving learning away from credentials and competition toward clarity, inquiry, and lived academic experience.

Before Kruu, Anil co-founded Rhapsody Music Education and the Rhapsody Music Foundation, initiatives that explored how the arts can serve as a gateway to deeper learning across disciplines, including STEM. Rhapsody reached over 200,000 children and was recognised by Wharton Learning Labs in 2021 with top honours for creative education. Across both Rhapsody and Kruu, his work reflects a consistent commitment to education as a thinking discipline, not a transactional service.

Anil’s contributions span education, culture, and social impact. A globally performing pianist, he is the first pianist in the history of Indian music to receive the Sangeet Natak Akademi Award, India’s highest honour in the performing arts, and the Kalaimamani, Tamil Nadu’s highest civilian honour for culture. His work has also been recognised internationally through the McNulty Fellowship for Social Impact and the Ken Hobbs Social Responsibility Citation, and in education through the MICA–Anjali Khandwalla Creative Mentor Award for sustained mentorship of young minds.

His philanthropic commitments are inseparable from his professional life. Anil has donated all earnings from his music career to social causes, enabling the creation of a 70,000 square-foot school for displaced children outside Chennai and supporting the long-term upkeep of Gnanadarshan, a residential home for visually impaired women. He continues to serve on the boards of multiple charitable organisations working with children and education.

Alongside his work at Kruu, Anil is a Professor of Practice at Krea University and a Fellow of The Aspen Institute, contributing to conversations on leadership, ethics, and the role of education in shaping public life. He has written and spoken extensively on music, education, and social responsibility, and has collaborated and performed with leading musicians around the world.

Education:

- MPhil in Marketing (Doctoral Fellowship), Columbia Business School 
- MBA, USC Marshall School of Business (Beta Gamma Sigma) 
- Postgraduate Diploma in Communication, MICA (Gold Medalist) 
- BA in Economics, University of Madras (University Gold Medalist)