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Addressing Global Grand Challenges

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Addressing Global Grand Challenges Addressing Global Grand Challenges n July, the third biennial Global Grand Challenges Summit Baroness Martha Lane Fox CBE, founder of lastminute.com and took place in Washington DC. It focused on inspiring the next the youngest female member of the House of Lords when she Igeneration of engineers, policymakers and the public to address joined in 2013, discussed digital inclusion and her fears that the the big issues facing current and future generations, as outlined internet is not the open space it always promised to be. in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The final session featured panel discussions on education and The event was jointly hosted by the US National Academy of public engagement, and participants debated the importance Engineering, the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the Royal of equipping the next generation of engineers with not just Academy of Engineering and focused on the grand challenges technical skills, but with the engineering habits of mind. Senator facing the world that engineers can help address, including Tim Kaine, Deanne Bell, engineer and presenter of TV show sustainability, health, public engagement and education. Make Me a Millionaire Inventor, and Dean Kamen, inventor and founder of FIRST Global, favoured engineers entering politics but The summit’s first session included a keynote address from Dr emphasised the importance of keeping their engineering identity. Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation and former Head of USAID, who called on engineers to be proud of their The speakers were joined at the summit by over 500 student expertise and to speak out on policy issues. Dr Deng Zhonghan, leaders, some of whom took part in a Student Business CEO of Vimicro, discussed sustainable digital business models in Competition to pitch design solutions to tackle one of the grand cities, and how bicycles are making China smarter. challenges for engineering (see page 11). Past President Lord Alec Broers FREng FRS, a member of Dr John Lazar CBE FREng, Royal Academy of Engineering lead the original Global Grand Challenges committee, stated that on the Summit Advisory Committee, said: “It is impossible for while the programme was founded almost 10 years ago, the a society to make progress without sufficient investment and challenges map directly onto the SDGs and remain as relevant innovation in the technology and infrastructure we rely on so today as they were then. heavily. In short, lack of engineering capacity hinders economic and social development. The good news is that there is a will, the At the Academy-led workshop on healthcare, the UK’s Chief world over, to change this and invest in engineering to achieve Medical Officer, Professor Dame Sally Davies DBE FRS, urged sustainable development. engineers to engage with the complex challenge presented by antimicrobial resistance. Professor Molly Stevens FREng, Head “A decade ago, the US National Academy of Engineering set us of the Stevens Group at Imperial College London, discussed on a new path to thinking about how engineering can help us how biomaterials are fundamentally changing healthcare, make progress towards those goals. The grand challenges that with collaboration across disciplines enabling new materials to were drawn up now drive engineering students across the world replicate tissue. to focus research, innovation and collaboration on these themes, and the discussions had at the summit were a real demonstration Professor Ding, Senior Advisor to the China Meteorological of the headway we have made so far.” Administration, opened a workshop on sustainability by presenting graphics that showed Shanghai underwater after The Academy will host the first Global Grand Challenges Summit a two- and four-degree temperature rise. Professor Wu, Vice of a new series in London in 2019. President of Tongji University, focused on the grand challenge of urbanisation, stating that by 2050, 80% of Chinese people Summit moderator Ali Velshi in discussion with keynote speaker Baroness will live in cities. Matha Lane Fox CBE President’s column 2 Academy roundup 14 Newsletter Research and innovation 5 News of Fellows 15 Education and skills 7 Obituaries 16 Autumn 2017 Public engagement 9 Thought leadership 12 1 President's engineering science helped establish how Industrial Strategy (BEIS), the Research Richard III was killed on the battlefield, Councils and Innovate UK, who have been column and Professor Constantin Coussios, working hard to shape how the fund will winner of an Academy 2017 Silver Medal, be used. Its ambition is to bring together whose biomedical engineering research the UK’s world-leading research with is delivering breakthrough methods for business to tackle specific industrial and treating tumours. societal challenges where the UK can take a lead and drive economic impact. Such a The Academy’s support of such partnership approach, bringing together groundbreaking research is something I government, industry and academia, bodes am particularly proud of. Our continued well for the engineering profession’s role in contribution to engineering research in the industrial strategy. the UK supports outstanding researchers at all stages in their career and invests In the same week as the AGM and in connecting them with industry. This Research Forum, the Academy’s annual support often enables them to build Diversity and Inclusion (D&I) Programme September has once again been a busy broader funding portfolios for their event took place (page 3). The publication month for the Academy. On 5 September, research programmes, multiplying our of Creating cultures where all engineers we held our Annual General Meeting (AGM) impact; for instance, for every pound that thrive and the Academy’s call for and announced the election of 52 new the Academy invested in Research Chairs workplace culture change are part of its Fellows and one Honorary Fellow. All of this last year, other funders and businesses wider programme of activity to increase year’s new Fellows have made incredible invested £18. The Research Fellowships D&I across the engineering profession. contributions to society through their programme is similarly successful, Our hope is that an increasing number of work, from groundbreaking developments collectively raising over £7 million in companies and organisations will join us in artificial intelligence to high-profile third-party income. in our efforts. transport and infrastructure projects. I look These successes were showcased the day What has been clear throughout forward to seeing them at the new Fellows’ before the AGM at the annual Research September’s flurry of events is how briefing and dinner next month and Forum (page 5), where researchers important our networks – whether of involving them in the work of the Academy. supported by the Academy presented Fellows, research funders, professional engineering institutions or industry As well as looking ahead to our new cohort their work in areas including biomedical partners – are in multiplying our impact and the newly elected Trustees, the engineering, digital technologies, and ensuring we can lead the profession AGM provided us with the opportunity to advanced materials, and smart and clean in advancing innovation and improving the reflect on the contribution the Academy technology, to an audience of Fellows, recruitment and retention of engineers. has made over the past year, which has industry partners and interested media, As the Academy calendar fills up once seen it harness the collective voice of the among others. again following summer, I look forward to engineering profession to provide policy Engineering’s role in enabling and working with many more Fellows, partners advice to government on critical issues, accelerating growth, including through and supporters. as well as starting to build the capacity engineering research and innovation, has needed for our next phase of development. long been recognised by the government. At the AGM, I announced that our chief In his 2016 Autumn Statement, Chancellor executive, Philip Greenish, had decided Philip Hammond announced a £4.7 billion to retire from the Academy. Philip joined increase in science and innovation Meetings and visitors the Academy in June 2003 and has been spending, and in a speech at the beginning a superb chief executive. He has seen us of this year, Prime Minister Theresa May In her capacity as President, Dame Ann has met with: through a long period of sustained growth placed heavy emphasis on science and Yvonne Baker, Director of the National innovation in her vision for the UK’s future. and development with a particularly sharp Science Learning Centre in York, and increase in funding in recent years. He will As part of the government’s plans to Baroness Brown DBE FREng FRS be greatly missed. There will be an occasion develop a pipeline of highly skilled research Dr Ruth McKernan CBE, Chief Executive of before Philip retires to come together and talent, a £210 million National Productivity Innovate UK celebrate his achievements, and to thank Investment Fund has been created, as Philip Duffy and Jon Sell, HM Treasury him for all he has done for the Academy. announced in the 2017 Spring Budget. Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems The search is now on for his successor and I am pleased to say that the Academy Richard Threlfall and Chris Croft, KPMG we have retained the executive search will receive additional funding as a result Professor Sir David Cannadine, President agency, Odgers Berndtson, to support us. of this, which will allow us to increase a of the British Academy The candidate brief and application details number of our programmes, including She attended the following events are available on our website at www. Research Fellowships and Chairs. and meetings: raeng.org.uk/ceovacancy. Please give Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund Energy I am also pleased to have been involved Seminar careful thought to anyone who you think in shaping how some of the £4.7 billion BEIS Departmental Board may be suitable for this important role and commitment, through the Industrial Nominations Committee encourage them to apply.
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