Opinion: Global Grand Challenges Opinion
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OPINION: GLOBAL GRAND CHALLENGES OPINION cooperation often runs along orthodox across generations as well as disciplines and lines. The nature of our projects demands sectors – and one I hope to replicate in our THE GRAND CHALLENGES focused expertise, but that can encourage London summit. Below is a list of the original challenges silo thinking. We must communicate In preparing this summit, there was developed by the US National Academy OPINION: better – not least with the public, in some discussion about the relevance of the of Engineering whose name, ultimately, we all work. The 14 challenges set by the NAE in 2008 to the Make solar energy economical same applies to political processes. We all world in 2013. Should we introduce a 15th Provide energy from fusion decry political inertia; politicians do too! challenge based on a compelling call to Develop carbon sequestration methods Nothing substantive can happen without action on climate change? Or should the Manage the nitrogen cycle GLOBAL GRAND a legislative basis, however. It is as much point of the London summit be to come up Provide access to clean water part of the ‘system’ as the research and the with a new set of challenges? Restore and improve urban infrastructure technology, and so it is appropriate that In the end, it was decided that this was Advance health informatics political representatives should be part of missing the point. The 14 NAE challenges Engineer better medicines our dialogue and this event. were not intended as the last word on our Reverse-engineer the brain CHALLENGES The germ for all of this was a engineering priorities in the coming century, Prevent nuclear terror 2008 US National Academy of Engineering and should not be read as such. Instead, Secure cyberspace (NAE) report, Engineering Grand Challenges they should be seen as a provocation. To Enhance virtual reality for the 21st Century. For this project, the NAE what extent could an engineering-led Advance personalized learning brought together a group of respected approach define any global challenge and Engineer the tools of scientific discovery international researchers, businesspeople create a pathway to a solution? Do we On 12-13 March, the Royal Academy of Engineering will host the Global Grand Challenges and policymakers, including Past Academy have the knowledge, the networks and the President Lord Broers, to identify 14 support to even try? In other words, the Grand Challenges can Summit at Savoy Place on London’s Embankment. Nearly 500 current and future leaders engineering grand challenges that would I believe that engineering has a very best be described and understood using the from the UK, the USA and China have been invited to discuss how engineering can address drive the global research agenda in the special contribution to make. As engineers, language we already use. 21st century. we see problems holistically. We are trained So much for the need. What will success the most pressing world challenges. Professor Dame Ann Dowling FREng FRS, Head of the The exercise caught the imagination to manage complexity and map inputs look like? Noisy, disruptive and surprising! Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge, explains the significance of this of the engineering community in the US. and outputs. We use data, not dogma, But already there are encouraging signs Universities across the country began to and practical utility is the Occam’s razor we that our summit will have a broader impact on international get-together. use the NAE grand challenges as an anchor apply to our answers. The Grand Challenges the way international research collaboration for introducing cross-disciplinarity and demand this approach. is carried out. The Engineering and Physical entrepreneurship into their engineering For example, thanks to scientific Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and US For the past six months, I have led an change with development specialists; teaching programmes. Separately, an research, legislation and the application of National Science Foundation are planning a international steering group planning pioneering doctors will debate healthcare engineering curriculum for high schools technology, levels of carbon emissions in the Grand Challenges-themed joint activity, which the agenda for this event. I observed with software mavens; engineers will was developed, which used the 14 Grand US and many other countries are falling; this will be announced at the Summit. Several the assembly of an impressive cast list of explore the social impact of 3D printing with Challenges as a hook to introduce basic is a ‘win’ for the climate. However, methane US schools of engineering are also primed international figures, including Bill Gates, geneticists and politicians. New connections engineering concepts to pupils, and emissions are increasing, in part because of to launch International Grand Challenges Robert Langer, Craig Venter, Frances Arnold, will be made, existing conventions to educate them about the scope of the increasing use of ‘climate friendly’ natural postgraduate scholarships at the event. Lord Darzi, Jo da Silva, Jeffrey Sachs and challenged and radical ideas forged. engineering careers. gas. Methane is 21 times more efficient And the process of negotiating the summit Regina Dugan, among many others. Joining Why are we doing it? At the simplest The first national Grand Challenges at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, so has already served to deepen linkages and them will be a host of young engineers, level, because the problems facing the Summits began on US university campuses, its potential impact as a greenhouse gas understanding between the three national scientists, innovators and entrepreneurs global community are too complex and and were originally intended as showcases is considerable. Our ‘systems of systems’ academies involved. I hope that the Global from around the world, with thousands urgent for any one group, or methodology, of mission-led engineering to galvanise approach encourages us to look beyond Grand Challenges Summit in London more participating in satellite events staged to tackle alone. Issues such as climate chaos and enthuse an undergraduate student this, and to find ways to capture more of this March will give attendees the ideas, by the IET in Glasgow, Birmingham and do not recognise borders or ideologies, yet audience. However, the broader messages these methane emissions and put then to connections and enthusiasm to work together Bangalore, and a global audience watching too often our response to them is localised, emerging from these events about the use as fuel. There is a chain of events and to take the next steps on this necessary and seminar sessions live online. For a wholly our thinking driven by specialisms which desperate need for an international consequences, feedback loops and outliers. exciting journey. new event, the level of ambition is as orbit around one another but fail to connect. ‘engineering systems’ approach to meeting audacious as it is inspiring. In consequence, we address the problem in global challenges began to interest a more BIOGRAPHY These individuals are coming together front of us only to discover that our ‘solution’ senior audience. Soon, the events began Professor Dame Ann Dowling FREng FRS is Professor of Mechanical Engineering and for what could be described as ‘Davos has simply transferred the stress along the to attract a heady mix of senior policy, Head of the Department of Engineering at the University of Cambridge. She has held meets TED’: a bazaar of ideas where fresh line to another part of the system. industry and education stakeholders and visiting posts at MIT and Caltech and is a Foreign Associate of NAE as well as a non- thinking is the currency and practical As engineers, we must recognise our future engineering leaders, promising executive director of BP. Professor Dowling was a founder of the Energy Efficient Cities solutions the prize. responsibility here and the opportunity students, researchers and emerging industry initiative at Cambridge and the UK lead of the Silent Aircraft Initiative, a collaboration Nobel Prize-winning economists will represented by the summit. Ours is an stars. This is a mix that gives rise to many between Cambridge and MIT. Professor Dame Ann Dowling FREng FRS exchange views on the impacts of climate inherently collaborative practice but that opportunities for conversation and learning 10 INGENIA INGENIA ISSUE 54 MARCH 2013 11 .