Doctor Jacob Burda is a philosopher, cultural entrepreneur, media executive, and investor whose work spans academia, the arts, and business. As a board member of Hubert Burda Media, one of Europe’s leading media companies, he plays a strategic role in shaping the organisation’s cultural and intellectual direction.
Jacob is the co-founder of The Alpine Fellowship, an international symposium established in 2012 that brings together artists, writers, academics, and performers to explore themes of aesthetics, philosophy, and human connection. The Fellowship is known for its unique format, which encourages spontaneous dialogue and deep reflection. Participants are invited without formal bios or rigid schedules, creating a space where identity and hierarchy give way to genuine encounter.
He earned his PhD from the University of Oxford with a thesis on the concept of infinity in early German Romanticism, translated into German and published by Metzler. He lectured at UCLA on 19th and 20th century German philosophy and literature.
His forthcoming book combines personal journey and critical analysis to show why AI makes our current education model obsolete, and why the future of learning must focus on cultivating wisdom, depth, and human leadership rather than just skills and information. To this end, Jacob is also currently involved in pioneering a new initiative within the education space that seeks to reimagine how learning environments can foster genuine curiosity, creativity, and connection.
Further information:
www.burda.com/en
alpinefellowship.com
www.loispjones.com/jacob-burda-on-poets-cafe
