Keynote Speaker Announced for 15th RDR Annual Conference at UCL

Registration is now open for the 15th RDR Annual Conference – Where is the ‘Human’ in Humanitarianism? Navigating This Evolving Digital and Political World. The conference will take place on 1 July at UCL East and will examine the intersection of humanitarianism and disaster risk reduction in the era of digital innovation and shifting political dynamics.

The keynote address, titled 'The Future of Aid', will be delivered by Christina Bennett, Chief Executive Officer of Start Network. Christina has more than 20 years of experience in humanitarian policy and practice. Before leading Start Network, she served as Head of the Humanitarian Policy Group at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) in London, where she led research on humanitarian reform, local action, and private finance. She also held senior roles at the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), including as Chief of Policy Analysis and Innovation and as a spokesperson for the Emergency Relief Coordinator.

The conference will explore how humanitarian actors can adapt to the rise of AI, big data, and geopolitical shifts while maintaining a focus on human dignity and protection while fostering dialogue between researchers, practitioners, and policymakers across disciplines.

Conference sessions include:

• AI and Digital Innovation in Humanitarian Action – Ensuring Alignment for a People-Centric Approach (Chair: Dr Saman Ghaffarian)
• Knowledge, Politics and Human Relationships in Humanitarianism (Chair: Dr Estella Carpi and Dr Femke Mulder)
• Continuum of Violence – How Humans Are Impacted by Conflict, Humanitarianism and Disaster Risk Reduction (Chair: Dr Punam Yadav)

Attendees will have the opportunity to break into groups to discuss key questions related to the conference sessions.

Join us for a multidisciplinary exploration of effective, human-centred approaches to disaster risk reduction and humanitarian response.

Register now

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