The Master’s in Intercultural Studies for Business and the Centre for Intercultural Studies welcome Álvaro Barbosa, Vice-Rector of the University of Saint Joseph, Macao/China, for a Masterclass exploring a deceptively simple question: what if some of the most valuable work we do is the work that appears to be “wasting time”?
In The Art of Wasting Time: Human Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Age of AI, Álvaro Barbosa argues that the quality of creative, innovative and entrepreneurial action depends greatly on what happens before visible production begins. Observing a situation, listening to others, questioning assumptions, generating alternatives and deciding which problems are worth addressing may not immediately produce a tangible outcome, but these processes are often essential to identifying worthwhile directions.
The Masterclass will explore the connections between creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. Creativity opens possibilities by reframing questions and generating alternative responses; innovation develops selected possibilities into forms of value that can function in real contexts; and entrepreneurship brings together people, resources, relationships and decisions to deliver and sustain that value under conditions of uncertainty.
At the centre of this discussion is the “art of wasting time”: the disciplined use of time for attention, reflection, experimentation and revision before decisions become costly or difficult to reverse. In an age in which Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly central to processes of creation, innovation and decision-making, the question of what remains distinctively human—and how human agency should be understood—becomes particularly relevant.
A timely invitation to pause, think, question and reconsider what we mean by productivity, creativity and value in the age of AI.
Álvaro Barbosa is a Full Professor of Communication and Media and Vice-Rector for Strategic Development and Internationalization at the University of Saint Joseph in Macao. He holds a PhD in Computer Science and Digital Communication from Pompeu Fabra University and a degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from the University of Aveiro.
His research focuses on innovation in Audio and Music Technology, with postdoctoral research experience at Stanford University’s Center for Computer Research in Music and Acoustics (CCRMA). He is also an Experimental Media Artist whose work has been presented internationally through live music performances and interactive multimedia installations.