Winton Symposium tackles the challenges of a growing population

The third annual Winton Symposium will be held on 29th September at the University’s Cavendish Laboratory. 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 to tackle the increasing demands of a growing population with declining natural resources.

Attendance is free of charge; however participants are required to register online due to the high demand for places.

This year’s sessions for the one-day symposium will be:

Session I
The opening speaker is Professor Joseph Heremans from Ohio State University, who will discuss ‘Solid State Heat Engines and Waste Heat Recovery,’ providing 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 ‘Who will produce the food for a hotter, more crowded world?’ Fedoroff 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 at 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 at 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.

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 increasing pressure that an ever-growing population is placing on our natural resources is one of the great challenges currently facing our world,” said Dr Nalin Patel, Programme Manager for the Winton Programme. “This year’s speakers are all addressing these challenges in unique and ground-breaking ways, and we are delighted to welcome them to Cambridge.”

The symposium is organised by Dr Patel and Professor Sir Richard Friend, Cavendish Professor of Physics and Director of the Winton Programme for the Physics of Sustainability.

For more information, please contact Dr Nalin Patel: nlp28@cam.ac.uk; 01223 760302