Can Engineers Save the World? | Festival of Engineering

We live in a world where inequality exists in global populations and where future projections on climate change, food security, global health, conflict and the effect of natural disasters paint a bleak picture. Yet we are also in an era of enormous technological innovation and transformation. So what does the future look like for global populations and how can engineering contribute to inclusive and equitable resilience to future threats?

In this online panel session, we bring together experts from different engineering disciplines from across the world to discuss this question. The panellists will put forwards their perspectives and answer a number of questions submitted by the audience.

Expert panelists:

• Savina Carluccio
  Executive Director of the International Coalition for Sustainable Infrastructure (ICSI)
• Priyan Dias
  Professor at the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology
• Elsie Effah Kaufmann
  Dean of the School of Engineering Sciences, Associate Professor and Founding Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Ghana.
• Niels Holm-Nielsen
  Head of Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR), The World Bank. Lead Disaster Risk Management Specialist and Global Lead for Resilience and Disaster Risk Management
• Loreto Valenzuela
  Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineeering and Bioprocesses at Pontificia Universidad Catòlica de Chile
• Neil Morisetti
  Professor of Climate and Resource Security, Head of the Department of Science, Technology, Engineering and Public Policy (STEaPP), and the Vice Dean (Public Policy) for the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at University College London.

UCL Chairs:

• Tiziana Rossetto
  Professor of Earthquake Engineering, Co-Director of UCL EPICentre, Vice Dean (International) for the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at University College London.
• Terence Leung
  Associate Professor in Biomedical Optics in the Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering at University College London.

What is the Festival of Engineering?

This event is part of our week-long summer festival showcasing how engineers are continuing to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing humanity. Find out more about the Festival of Engineering and see what else is on. 

Join us this July!

For details of where to go, what to bring, how to book and what to expect at the Festival of Engineering, take a look at the Plan Your Visit page.