University of Birmingham: Innovative thinkers join global conversation with world-healing ideas
From 3 to 5 May this year, some of today’s most influential thinkers and doers gather in Birmingham for the Forum – a major international meeting to showcase and generate solutions to some of the most pressing challenges faced by the planet and its people.
Potential participants have until Monday, 7 February to submit a summary of their idea – full details are available at . Successful applicants could present their ideas at the Forum either in person or virtually.
Experts at the University of Birmingham’s Institute for Global Innovation (IGI) have launched the new multi-disciplinary forum – which will meet every two years – to help provide solutions to resolve critical global challenges and make the world a fairer, more sustainable place.
Professor Hisham Mehanna, Director of the IGI commented: “Our world faces multiple challenges – from living with the devastating impacts of climate change and the destruction of the natural world to the effect of pandemics on jobs and livelihoods. This makes finding and creating new solutions to these challenges an urgent priority.
“We’re looking for ideas from around the globe on how to solve challenges around a range of critical topics. The Forum is a great way for innovators to showcase their policy, societal and technical solutions – interacting with global thought-leaders and making new connections and building partnerships. So come and join us! We look forward to hearing your ideas.”
Francis Pope, Professor of Atmospheric Science at the University of Birmingham is one of the research leaders taking part in the Forum.
He led the team of environmental scientists who worked with the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay to help create a hi-tech ‘heart’ for the Baton, which is currently travelling the Commonwealth.
The Baton contains atmospheric sensors with laser technology that analyses the environmental conditions wherever it is in the world. Augmented Reality (AR) will be used to visualise creatively data captured throughout the journey to invite conversations around air quality across the Commonwealth.
Data collected on the Baton’s journey will contribute to ongoing University of Birmingham research projects being conducted across the globe.
Professor Pope commented: “Atmospheric data captured during the Baton’s global journey will be highly valuable in starting important conversations around air quality across the Commonwealth. In a similar way, the Forum for Global Challenges represents an opportunity to kick start important conversations around issues that pose an existential threat to our world. I look forward to some innovative and thought-provoking discussion in May.”
A 3,000-delegate, hybrid event, combining a face-to-face conference at the ICC Birmingham with a fully online interactive format, the Forum’s hybrid design means that people from around the globe can take part with low-carbon impact.
It brings together world leaders, business and thought leaders, policy makers, practitioners and academics from around the world to find solutions to problems in the following areas:
Green Economy
Food & nutrition
Education & employment
Gender Equality
The future of cities
Health & wellbeing
Restoring nature
Mobilities & migration
The Forum aims to create a far-reaching legacy in five main areas:
Helping to create better policy and practice locally, nationally and globally
Discovering effective partnerships that focus on solutions
Educating the next generation of leaders, practitioners, policymakers and the public
Developing international initiatives
Inspiring young people to get involved in overcoming these challenges