Why the CIA President Says "It Depends" on Culinary School | Michiel Bakker

Should you go to culinary school? The most honest answer we got all year: "It depends."In this episode of Fugitive Chefs, I sit down with Michiel Bakker, the sixth president of the Culinary Institute of America, to talk about the future of culinary education — and what culinary expertise looks like in 2035.Before leading the world's most influential culinary college, Michiel spent 12 years at Google building their Food at Work program, and 17 years before that in global hotel operations with Starwood. His path into food education wasn't a straight line, and that's exactly why this conversation matters: he's spent his career at the intersection of hospitality, technology, and now higher education.In this episode, we explore:Why "it depends" might be the most honest answer to "should I go to culinary school?"Michiel's Vision 2035 — and what he hopes the food industry looks like a decade from nowWhy AI could kill creativity for chefs, or free them to be more creative than everThe industry's shared responsibility around diet-related diseaseWhy stackable credentials and short-form courses may replace the traditional 4-year degreeWhat CIA looks for in educators — practitioners vs. traditional academicsThe transferable skills chefs don't realize they already haveWhy Michiel believes the future workforce will be human, AI agent, and robot — all at onceJoin the Fugitive Chefs Circle - a community for people building better careers, organisations, and ideas in food: 🌐 https://fugitivechefs.kit.com/297093b0dc🎧 Fugitive Chefs explores how culinary expertise creates value across the modern food system.🌐 Website: www.fugitivechefs.com📸 Furqan's Instagram: https://bit.ly/4dtiyTv🎧 Podcast Instagram: https://bit.ly/43ndATO🎵 Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3F6j25A🍏 Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/43vBtbT▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@fugitivechefs