A Model for Sustainability

Discussion event at Ashlyns School, Berkhamsted UK

November 17, 2009

This panel discussion event featured the Chief Scientific Advisor to the UK Department of Transport, Prof. Brian Collins, Dr. Sarah Bell, Co-director of the UCL Environment Institute, and Prof. Steven Bishop, GSD Coordinator. Young Scientists from Berkhamsted and surrounding schools questioned the panel on issues surrounding sustainability.

By involving younger scientists in the GSD project we hope to stimulate interest and debate in the next generation of decision makers, researchers and industry leaders.

Watch video of event [Vimeo video]

Download event flyer [PDF]

Speaker Profiles: A Model for Sustainability

Prof. Brian Collins has been Chief Scientific Advisor to the Department for Transport since 2006, and is also Professor of Information Systems at Cranfield University. His early career was in the scientific civil service, culminating as Deputy Director of RSRE and then Chief Scientist at the Government Communication Headquarters. He then worked in the private sector at KPMG, Wellcome Trust and finally as Chief Information Officer for Clifford Chance. He has been an adviser to several Government Departments. Brian’s role at DfT is to ensure that the department’s scientific activities are well directed and that all policy is soundly based on good science.

Dr Sarah Bell’s research interests lie in the relationships between engineering, technology and society as they impact on sustainability, particularly in relation to water systems. Sarah is co-director of the UCL Environment Institute, (EI) with responsibility for the Water Initiative and UCL’s Bridging the Gaps: Sustainable Urban Spaces, programme. In 2007, Sarah received the ExxonMobil Excellence in Teaching award from the Royal Academy of Engineering. She works in collaboration with partners including Thames Water, Waterwise, AECOM and Arup.

Prof. Steven Bishop is coordinator of the GSD project and Professor of Non-Linear Dynamics at UCL Department of Mathematics – full GSD profile.