Overview

As the world faces unprecedented environmental challenges, technological advancements, and shifting societal needs, the traditional view of engineering and technology must be revisited. Engineers and technologists have long been the driving forces behind innovation, economic growth, and the development of solutions to global problems. However, as the climate crisis intensifies, resource depletion accelerates, and social inequalities persist, there is an urgent need for a shift in the skills that engineers and technologists possess. To ensure a future in which both people and the planet can thrive, a new and radical approach to engineering and technology education and practice is crucial.

At the heart of this transformation lies a broader perspective on sustainability. Engineering and technology professionals must embrace environmental, social, and economic sustainability as core principles. This requires the integration of sustainable design practices into every phase of product development, from conception to end-of-life disposal. Today’s engineers need to be equipped with the skills to design solutions that minimize environmental impact, such as reducing carbon emissions, conserving water, and using renewable resources. The focus must extend beyond efficiency and cost-effectiveness to consider the long-term health of ecosystems, the equitable distribution of resources, and the resilience of communities.

At this year’s Great Debate event, four speakers will address different aspects of key skills needed and global challenges which lie ahead, while safeguarding the future of both people and the planet:

• Shift in mindset is needed - Hiba Khan, Mott MacDonald
• Modern challenges need engineers to be more versatile - Professor Erkko Autio, Imperial College
• How to innovate within the constraints of a sustainable future - Professor Jarka Glassey, University of Newcastle
• Education of engineers to reflect 21st Century challenges - Richard Person, Fuel/Energy Industry

Speakers

Hiba Khan, Civil Engineer, Water Consultancy Division 

Hiba has delivered a number of large and high-profile projects including the multi-million pound Ofwat-Funded Mainstreaming Nature-based Solutions Programme to create more resilience and social and environmental value in our landscapes and large scale international development programmes to improve food security and reduce flooding in Bangladesh, Myanmar and Uzbekistan. Hiba also sits on the Board of the UN Global Compact UK Network, part of the world’ largest corporate sustainability network.

Erkko Autio, Chair in Technology Venturing and Entrepreneurship, Imperial College Business School

Erkko is currently working on the Wicked Acceleration Lab, a joint initiative between Imperial College Business School and Royal College of Arts that develops methods for Wicked Acceleration, DeepTech Acceleration and Moonshot Acceleration. He was a co-founder of the Global Entrepreneurship and Development Institute.

His research has been cited in hundreds of news media in over 80 countries and his research has been recognised with numerous best paper awards. Following his Doctorate at Helsinki University of Technology (HUT), he held a number of academic roles, including professor and director of the Institute of Strategy and International Business at HUT in 1999, Visiting Professor at CERN in 2001 and Professor at HEC Université de Lausanne in 2003, before taking up his current position at ICBS in 2006.

Professor Autio was elected as Fellow of the British Academy in 2019 and is a member of the National Engineering Policy Centre Committee of the Royal Academy of Engineering and participated in the Engineer 2030 initiative.

Jarka Glassey, VP Executive of EFCE and VP Executive of ESBES

Jarka completed her biochemical engineering studies at the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava and spent her professional life working in School of Engineering at Newcastle University, UK.

Jarka is currently VP Executive of EFCE and VP Executive of ESBES and is actively involved in the EFCE working party on Education. She was elected a Fellow of Royal Academy of Engineering and is chairing the Board of Engineering Skills X, Skills for Safety. She is also actively involved in the RAEng Engineers 2030 project. She is passionate about the education of future generations of chemical engineers and her research in this area includes active teaching methodologies (such virtual and augmented reality) in education and assessment of knowledge and professional skills.

Richard Pearson, Senior Advisor, Mobility, BP Technology

For the purposes of this event, Richard is not representing the views of BP or Castrol – the views expressed are his own.

Richard is BP’s Senior Technical Advisor for Mobility. He has been with the company since 2012. Before joining BP Richard has previously held positions at Ricardo, in academia (at Manchester University), and at Lotus Engineering, where he spent 14 years, culminating as Head of Vehicle Research.

Whilst at Lotus, Richard worked on a wide range of technologies including alternative fuel technologies, hybrid and electric vehicles, and light-weight vehicle structures, carrying out pioneering work in life-cycle analysis of vehicles with alternative propulsion systems. He has represented his respective employers on a variety of government and industrial advisory and strategy boards.

The material presented via Teams has not been peer-reviewed. Any opinions are the presenter's own and do not necessarily represent those of IChemE or the Thames Valley Member Group. The information is given in good faith but without any liability on the part of IChemE.