The third annual Winton Symposium will be held on 29th September 2014 at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge. The topic for this year is “Global Challenges for Science and Technology” and will again bring together leading scientists from around the world to explore how we tackle the increasing demands of a growing population with declining natural resources.
There is no registration fee for the Symposium and complimentary lunch will be provided, however due to the large demand for places, participants are required to register on-line for the event.
Session I
The opening speaker is Professor Joseph Heremans from The Ohio State University, USA, on “Solid State Heat Engines and Waste Heat Recovery”. He will provide an insight into the design and use of thermoelectric systems for converting waste heat into useful energy. Professor Nina Fedoroff, who has performed pioneering work in the field of plant genetics and the development of modified crops, will speak on “Food and Civilisation” She was Science and Technology Adviser to the US Secretary of State and director of the Center for Desert Agriculture at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and is currently the Evan Pugh Professor, Penn State University.
Session II
How can new technology make a difference on a global scale? Dr Simon Bransfield-Garth is CEO of Azuri Limited, a Cambridge company that provides affordable solar lighting in several parts of Africa and will talk about “Empowering the Rural African Consumer”. Professor Winston Soboyejo is at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University and is President of the African University of Science and Technology. His talk “New Frontiers in Materials for Global Development: From Health to Energy and the Environment”, will provide examples of applying mathematics to the development of novel materials including nanoparticles and bio-micro-electro-mechanical systems.
Lunch and Poster Session
Lunch break during which there will be a poster session; this will provide an opportunity for discussion with researchers working on the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability and other Cambridge activities related to the theme of Global Challenges.
Session III
The focus of this session is on the provision of energy on a global scale and the impact this has on people and the climate. Professor Richenda Van Leeuwen, Director of Energy and Climate at the United Nations Foundation, will address the growing needs for energy in her talk “Towards Sustainable Energy for All - innovation for energy access and development”. She will draw upon her experience in providing energy services in the developing world and the impact on poverty alleviation. Professor David MacKay, former Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department of Energy and Climate Change and Regius Professor in Engineering at the University of Cambridge, will describe “The Global Calculator”. He will discuss how this tool can be used to engage people in the debate on reducing international emissions and global action on climate change.
The symposium is organised by Professor Sir Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics and Director of the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability and Dr Nalin Patel the Winton Programme Manager.
