GGCS 2019 Brochure
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
ENGINEERING IN AN UNPREDICTABLE WORLD 16 TO 18 SEPTEMBER 2019 GLOBAL GRAND CHALLENGES SUMMIT 2019 Monday 16 to Wednesday 18 September 2019 Engineering in an unpredictable world is the first in a second series of summits hosted by the trilateral partnership of the Royal Academy of Engineering, Chinese Academy of Engineering and the US National Academy of Engineering. The series began with the first The summits are inspired by the National Global Grand Challenges Summit Academy of Engineering’s 2008 publication: hosted in London in 2013 and 14 Grand Challenges for Engineering in the continued with a further two 21st Century. summits, hosted in China and The next summit is due to be hosted in the USA in 2015 and 2017 China in 2021. respectively. Follow along on Twitter at @RAEngNews and #GGCS2019 and download the Summit app. © The Royal Academy of Engineering September 2019. Published by the Royal Academy of Engineering, Prince Philip House, 3 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5DG Tel: 020 7766 0600 Registered Charity Number: 293074 Copies of this programme are available online at www.ggcs2019.com CONTENTS 1 CONTENTS Welcome from the President 2 Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FREng FRS, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering Welcome from the CEO 3 Dr Hayaatun Sillem, CEO of the Royal Academy of Engineering Introducing a new series of Summits 4 Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, Chair of the Steering Committee Presidential essays 5 Professor Li Xiaohong, President of the Chinese National Academy of Engineering Professor John L. Anderson, President of the US National Academy of Engineering Agenda 8 Plenary and parallel sessions Evening events 16 Speakers 22 Student Competition 38 Introduction and spotlight of in-country competition winners Partners and funders 44 Global participation 47 Organisers 48 ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING | GLOBAL GRAND CHALLENGES SUMMIT 2 WELCOME FROM THE PRESIDENT WELCOME Professor Dame Ann Dowling OM DBE FREng FRS President, Royal Academy of Engineering On behalf of the Royal Academy of a better world for the citizens the US alongside exceptional Engineering, I would like to take of tomorrow, the way engineers innovators and thought leaders this opportunity to welcome you work needs to change. We need to from across the profession and all to London for the 2019 Global better embed collaboration, inter- beyond to see what engineers can Grand Challenges Summit. disciplinarity, systems thinking, do to make the profession fit to diversity, and global responsibility tackle the challenges of an Humanity is facing unprecedented into the solutions we create. And unpredictable world. challenges from a growing we need to transform the way we population, and accelerating innovate, educate and communicate. In the words of the writer degradation of the planet and its Francis Spufford: “Engineering of any resources. Exponential technological We are at a critical juncture: the UN description is an art of the possible. changes are making the world has warned that we have 12 years to It happens at the junction between smarter, faster and more connected, limit the catastrophic implications of what is materially possible and what but are at the same time upending climate change. We have little over is humanly possible.” traditional concepts of work, leisure, 10 years to meet the Sustainable public and private life, and rewriting Development Goals. If we are to meet This Summit is a crucial opportunity our relationships to our institutions these targets, we have to catalyse for us engineers to showcase what and each other. a sea-change in the engineering we could achieve as artists of the profession. possible, and to set the agenda for Engineering is crucial to the a safe and sustainable future. international effort to address these That is why the Global Grand rapidly evolving, unpredictable Challenges Summit is bringing challenges. But to maximise the together the best engineering impact of this expertise and make students from the UK, China and ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING | GLOBAL GRAND CHALLENGES SUMMIT WELCOME FROM THE CEO 3 Dr Hayaatun Sillem FIET CEO, Royal Academy of Engineering Eleven years ago, the US National And they have inspired a series of international inter-disciplinary teams Academy of Engineering brought global Summits between the US, to build solutions to the problems of together some of the leading Chinese and UK national academies tomorrow. engineers of the 20th century of engineering, which have brought to highlight 14 engineering together the world’s best engineers In this way, we hope to further challenges that would underpin across continents and generations to extend the legacy of the Global global progress in the 21st. discuss the contribution engineering Grand Challenges and create the can make to global progress. innovations, the skills and the The Grand Challenges have since networks that will power our future. been both a lodestone and an In the fourth Global Grand Challenges inspiration for those who want to put Summit, we are bringing together the engineering profession at the a new generation of engineering forefront of humanity’s attempts to leaders to examine two major conquer its most pressing challenges. challenges that will shape the world over the course of their careers: They have catalysed a global the impact of AI and disruptive movement among universities around technologies on humanity, and global the world to teach engineering in an sustainability. interdisciplinary, challenge-based manner- the Global Grand Challenges For the first time we are introducing Scholars Network. the Student Collaboration Lab - an intensive three-day workshop for They underpin some of the 300 young engineering innovators most critical elements of the UN from all three countries, where they Sustainable Development Goals. are tasked with working together in ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING | GLOBAL GRAND CHALLENGES SUMMIT 4 INTRODUCING A NEW SERIES OF SUMMITS A NEW GLOBAL GRAND CHALLENGES SERIES Dr John Lazar CBE FREng Chair, Global Grand Challenges Summit 2019 Steering Committee As Chair of the Royal Academy In particular, we hope to inspire lined up to participate – and I look of Engineering’s Global Grand our young engineers to seek wide- forward to meeting you all here in Challenges Summit Steering ranging and ambitious solutions as London. Committee, I am delighted to they develop their careers. welcome you to this year’s Summit, On behalf of everyone at the Royal the fourth since its inception, and Our Student Collaboration Lab, Academy of Engineering, I would the first of a new series, organised to be held immediately before the like to thank the members of the in conjunction with our friends and Summit, will hopefully demonstrate, Summit steering committee: David colleagues at the US and Chinese in practice, how young engineers Thomlinson FREng, Yassmin Abdel- national academies. from the UK, US and China – and Magied, Professor C.C. Chan FREng, other parts of the world – can Naomi Climer CBE FREng, Professor As our theme Engineering in an collaborate positively to tackle the Yihui Ding, Dr Olivia Feng, Professor unpredictable world highlights, Grand Challenges and UN Sustainable Danielle George, Professor Rick Miller, humanity is facing significant, Development Goals. Professor Dame Henrietta Moore and rapidly evolving, challenges. DBE FBA, Professor Guang-Zhong For example, will AI and other The greatest legacy we can imagine Yang CBE FREng, and Professor transformational technologies from this workshop and the summit Yannis Yortsos, as well as the staff change humanity for the better? will be if the young engineers who and Fellows of our two partner And can we sustain 10 billion were brought together in London, Academies, for their support, advice, people? We hope that the Summit as well as all the more senior and efforts throughout the planning will encourage engineers to work and eminent attendees, are still and delivery of the summit. together, and with others, to tackle cooperating in the years to come! these challenges in an expansive, We have a fascinating array of cross-disciplinary and diverse way. speakers, mentors and attendees ROYAL ACADEMY OF ENGINEERING | GLOBAL GRAND CHALLENGES SUMMIT PROFESSOR LI XIAOHONG 5 Professor Li Xiaohong President, Chinese National Academy of Engineering The world has become a multipolar the development of engineering Addressing the grand challenges system characterised by increasing and technology has brought will also require contributions from economic globalisation, cultural unprecedented opportunities to many professions in addition to diversification, and global humankind. Over the history engineering. communications. of the human civilisation, it is the breakthroughs in It is hoped that the Global Grand Accompanying these changes engineering and technology Challenges Summit will inspire are significant challenges to that have been promoting the current and future engineers, the sustainable development of dramatic development of social together with professionals in other humankind: energy security and productive forces and changing related fields from all over the world, climate change directly threaten the the way of human activities. to collaborate to address global development of the economy and grand challenges, and to jointly build society; urbanisation has gradually In the next few decades, a new a community with a better, shared led to disharmony between humans round of scientific, technological future for humanity. and nature; and evolving