Global challenges for science and technology

On September 29th, the Department of Physics will host the third annual Winton Symposium at the Cavendish Laboratory on the theme of 鈥楪lobal Challenges for Science and Technology鈥.

探花直播increasing pressure that an ever-growing population is placing on our natural resources is one of the great challenges currently facing our world

Nalin Patel

探花直播third annual will be held on 29th September at the 探花直播鈥檚 Cavendish Laboratory. 探花直播topic for this year is 鈥楪lobal Challenges for Science and Technology鈥 and will again bring together leading scientists from around the world to explore how to tackle the increasing demands of a growing population with declining natural resources.

Attendance is free of charge; however participants are required to online due to the high demand for places.

This year鈥檚 sessions for the one-day symposium will be:

Session I
探花直播opening speaker is Professor Joseph Heremans from Ohio State 探花直播, who will discuss 鈥楽olid State Heat Engines and Waste Heat Recovery,鈥 providing insight into the design and use of thermoelectric systems for converting waste heat into useful energy. Professor Nina Fedoroff, who has performed pioneering work in the field of plant genetics and the development of modified crops, will speak on 鈥榃ho will produce the food for a hotter, more crowded world?鈥 Fedoroff was Science and Technology Adviser to the US Secretary of State and director of the Center for Desert Agriculture at the King Abdullah 探花直播 of Science and Technology and is currently the Evan Pugh Professor at Penn State 探花直播.

Session II
How can new technology make a difference on a global scale? Dr Simon Bransfield-Garth is CEO of Azuri Limited, a Cambridge company that provides affordable solar lighting in several parts of Africa, and will talk about 鈥楨mpowering the Rural African Consumer.鈥 Professor Winston Soboyejo is at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Princeton 探花直播 and is President of the African 探花直播 of Science and Technology. His talk 鈥楴ew Frontiers in Materials for Global Development: From Health to Energy and the Environment,鈥 will provide examples of applying mathematics to the development of novel materials including nanoparticles and bio-micro-electro-mechanical systems.

Session III
探花直播focus of this session is on the provision of energy on a global scale, and the impact this has on people and the climate. Professor Richenda Van Leeuwen, Director of Energy and Climate at the United Nations Foundation, will address the growing needs for energy in her talk 鈥楾owards Sustainable Energy for All - innovation for energy access and development.鈥 She will draw upon her experience in providing energy services in the developing world and the impact on poverty alleviation. Professor David MacKay, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change, and Regius Professor in Engineering at the 探花直播 of Cambridge, will describe 鈥 探花直播Global Calculator.鈥 He will discuss how this tool can be used to engage people in the debate on reducing international emissions and global action on climate change.

鈥 探花直播increasing pressure that an ever-growing population is placing on our natural resources is one of the great challenges currently facing our world,鈥 said Dr Nalin Patel, Programme Manager for the Winton Programme. 鈥淭his year鈥檚 speakers are all addressing these challenges in unique and ground-breaking ways, and we are delighted to welcome them to Cambridge.鈥

探花直播symposium is organised by Dr Patel and Professor Sir Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics and Director of the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability.

For more information, please contact Dr Nalin Patel: nlp28@cam.ac.uk; 01223 760302


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