Sessions

Welcome Address 
John Crabtree, OBE, Lord Lieutenant West Midlands 
Professor Adam Tickell, Vice Chancellor, University of Birmingham 
Professor Hisham Mehanna, Director, Forum for Global Challenges 
Ms Cathy Gilbert, Director of External Relations  
 
Plenary 
In our first plenary session, Alice Roberts, broadcaster and Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University of Birmingham, will introduce our esteemed speakers, Gabriela Ramos and Professor Jim Skea, who will inspire us with the evidence, motivation and ideas to tackle the key themes of the Forum for Global Challenges, of climate change and inequalities. Gabriela Ramos is the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO and will explain how societies can be transformed for equality and sustainability. Jim Skea, Co-Chair of Working Group III of the IPCC, will remind us of the latest evidence and predictions on climate change, on which urgent action is critical.  

Transforming Societies for Equality and Sustainability 
Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director General, UNESCO 

Gabriela Ramos is the Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO, where she oversees the contributions of the institution to build inclusive and peaceful societies. Prior to this position, Ms. Ramos served as the Chief of Staff and Sherpa to the G20/G7/APEC in the OECD, contributing to the global agenda as well as leading the OECD's  
 
Actioning the IPCC Report 
Professor Jim Skea, Co-Chair IPCC Working Group, Imperial College London  

Jim Skea is Professor of Sustainable Energy at Imperial College London and Co-Chair of IPCC Working Group III for the 6th assessment cycle. He was a member of the UK Committee on Climate Change from its inception in 2008 until 2018 and is currently the Chair of Scotland’s Just Transition Commission. From 2015-17, he was President of the UK Energy Institute. He was awarded a CBE for services to sustainable energy in 2013 and an OBE for services to sustainable transport in 2004.  
 
Chair: Professor Alice Roberts, anatomist, author and broadcaster 

Join us for our Programme of in-person activities during the break 

1420 - Meet the Keynote Speaker  

Join us for informal Q&As with: 

• Gabriela Ramos, Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences, UNESCO – Hall 10A 

• Gwen Hines, CEO, Save the Children – Silent Theatre, Exhibition Hall 

These sessions are limited to 15 delegates, first-come first-served 

Silent Theatre Programme – Exhibition Hall 

1420 - Meet the Keynote Speaker Session - LIVE 

1440 - What’s happening in Birmingham 

Smart Campus 

Find out how the University of Birmingham is developing the world’s Smartest Campus. This video, delivered by PTS, features Trevor Payne, Director of Estates, and Matt Beveridge, Innovation Manager. They provide an insight into how we aim to deliver an enriched, personalised experience for students, staff, academics and visitors, and bring together our people, processes and services to become a fully connected, global campus. 

 

An Introduction to Tyseley Energy Park  

Professor Martin Freer, Director of the Birmingham Energy Institute summarises the developments at Tyseley Energy Park and explains how these are delivering low and zero carbon solutions for power, transport, heat and waste to support a greener, cleaner, healthier Birmingham.  

Cities at the Table - Birmingham  

Chef Matthew Knight welcomes Councillor Paulette Hamilton & food activist Yumna Hussen in his kitchen….at Hillstone Primary School!  Together they will share a meal and discuss the key priorities for Birmingham: bringing good food into schools, promoting the diversity of food cultures, and growing a food movement, through action from local communities to international partnerships like Food Cities 2022. Video produced by the Délice Network in partnership with The Food Foundation as part of their Food Cities 2022 Learning Partnership. Find out more here: https://www.delice-network.com/  

 

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A

Reviewing the plurality of inequalities experienced by individuals and businesses in the digital space and their consequences

	Chair: Mariagrazia Squicciarini	Chief of Executive Office, Social and Human Sciences Sector, UNESCO, France
	Gabriela Ramos	Assistant Director-General for the Social and Human Sciences of UNESCO, France
	Helen Milner	Founder and Director of the Good Things Foundation, UK
	Jason Munyan	Programme Management Officer - United Nations, USA
	Q&A Session

 

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A

Sharing global perspectives on the need for equitable access to good food and the mechanisms to achieve it
Fair access to good food is under severe strain – with supply chains affected by COVID-19, food production affected by the war in Ukraine and climate change affecting productivity, particularly in countries of the Global South. Responding to the urgent need for fairer access to good food therefore needs political and economic responses as much as technical and ecological. This multi-disciplinary panel will identify how key challenges affecting access to good food in different parts of the world should be responded to. The panel will discuss the need to pay attention to the politics of equity in food production, growing recognition of the importance of nutrient, rather than nutrition, security, and the impacts of changes in diets associated with increasing wealth on human and planetary health.

	Chair: Professor Sir Charles Godfray	Director of the Oxford Martin School
	Chikelu Mba	Team Leader, Seeds and Plant Genetic Resources, Italy
	Professor Melissa Leach	Director, Institute of Development Studies, UK
	Professor John Ingram	Food Systems Transformation Programme Leader, Environmental Change Institute, University of Oxford
	Gwen Hines	CEO, Save the Children UK
	Q&A Session

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A
 

Sharing global learning on how to put people at the heart of health systems to support healthy societies 
How do we build health systems that are affordable, accessible, high-quality and serve everyone? What are the trade-offs and how should we set priorities? This session draws on experience and lessons from: 

1. engaging communities in Laos, Vietnam and Bangladesh 
2. building trust in services in Rwanda 
3. delivering community care in the UK 
4. tackling the global health workforce crisis 

Diving into the human relationships, personal and political, at the very heart of healthcare, our expert panellists will discuss the solutions being implemented to advance equitable health systems and the consequent impact on people, communities and their health. 

	Dame Una O’Brien (Chair)	Leadership consultant and expert advisor on the UK Civil Service, UK
	Professor Sabina Faiz Rashid	Dean at BRAC James P Grant School of Public Health, BRAC University, Bangladesh
	Professor Agnes Binagwaho	Vice Chancellor of the University of Global Health Equity, Rwanda
	Mark Britnell	Vice Chair & Global Healthcare Expert at KPMG and former Global Chairman of KPMG Health
	Jo Upton	Head of Nursing at LloydsPharmacy Clinical Homecare
Virtual Oral Presentation	Denny Mabetha	Making impacts in district health systems: an adaptive, collaborative action-learning process in Mpumalanga, South Africa
	Q&A Session

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A

Visualising what societies could look like with green economies
As economies are decarbonised and we move towards ‘net zero’, what could a ‘green economy’ look like? What could it look like in different parts of the world and how can it be fairer and more inclusive than our current economic system? We’ll learn how Doughnut Economics can help communities and cities imagine a greener, fairer economy, and what difference a carbon-neutral economy can make to the health and wellbeing of people and the planet. You’ll have the chance to imagine a greener, fairer world and share your thoughts and ideas.

	Chair: Professor Alice Roberts	Biological anthropologist, biologist, television presenter and author
	Kate Raworth	Senior Associate at Oxford University’s Environmental Change Institute, UK
	Dr Imandeep Kaur	Co-founder and Director, Civic Square, UK
	Dr Mao Amis	Co-founder and Executive Director of the African Centre for a Green Economy (AfriCGE), South Africa
	Q&A Session

 

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A

Articulating the key issues facing contemporary education and employment around the world. 
As a prerequisite for most employment, education has the power to transform young people’s lives and livelihoods.The availability and quality of education that young people receive can vastly impact their success in transitioning from learners to valued employees. Yet in many contexts there is a disconnect between the two sectors, and underrepresented groups face unique difficulties. This session will set out how these challenges are being overcome to facilitate smooth transition from education to work for all, drawing on global best practice and solutions, to create positive futures for young people.  

	Chair: Peter Kraftl	Chair in Human Geography, University of Birmingham
	Co-chair: Christian Darko	Lecturer in Applied Business and Labour Economics, University of Birmingham
	Nadia Ahmed Abdalla	Chief Administrative Secretary, Ministry of ICT, Innovation and Youth Affairs, Republic of Kenya
	Lucy Heady	Chief Executive Officer, ESSA, UK
Oral Presentation	Johnannes Read	Student Knowledge Exchange Reimagined: Breaking Down Barriers and Connecting Communities
Oral Presentation	Paul Vallance	EUniWell (European University for Wellbeing) Policy Commission: Addressing inequalities in the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people
Virtual Oral Presentation	Danny Lee McCamlie	Empowering students to lead and effect positive change in the community through action orientated assessments
	Q&A Session

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A

Identifying how different approaches to valuing nature can complement and support each other to inform policy practice that is effective, fair and equitable
We all value nature, whether that’s in terms of appreciating landscape, birdsong or how it makes us feel. But do we capture those values enough to make a difference to decision-making for the economy, for development and for how we manage land and the oceans. Could we do better at capturing those values and could values play more of a role in driving ecosystem restoration? Whilst economic valuation has dominated discussion of valuing nature, there are other types of values that could be taken into consideration, such as benefits to wellbeing and spiritual values. This session will introduce some of the thinking about the range of values that are seen as relevant, what’s being done by governments, business and within communities to capture those values, and how valuing nature is contributing to better decision-making and healthier ecosystems.

	Chair: Dr Thomas Cuckston	Senior Lecturer in Accounting, University of Birmingham
	Dr Jasper Kenter	Reader Deliberative Ecological Economics. York, UK
	Martin Lok	Executive Director, Capital Coalitions
	Oral Presentation	Henry Chapman
	Q&A Session

 

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A

Reflecting on the benefits of and global progress towards gender equality in societies – at work, home and in public life
Where in society are women not only equal, but leading the way? This session brings together speakers who have been at the vanguard of change in the way women navigate societal systems of work, justice, and healthcare. The Panel will explore examples of what’s worked in different settings and around the world and reflect on the impact that equal and equitable access has on improving society for everyone. Despite the Good News, there’s still so much to do, so the session will also identify opportunities for further improvements and what the next steps need to be to progress towards real equality in work, health, and public life.  
 

Chair: Professor Heather Widdows

Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange), University of Birmingham

	Charlotte Refsum	Healthcare Consultant, KPMG, UK
	Professor Rangita de Silva de Alwis	Associate Dean of International Affairs, Penn Law School
	Laura Blumenfeld	Partner Mckinsey & Company, UK
	Professor Simone Buitendijk	Vice-Chancellor, University of Leeds
Oral Presentation	Andrea Gunraj	From Stigma to Safety: The Signal for Help Responder Campaign
	Q&A Session

 

Format: Interactive Panel and Q&A

Exploring effective and equitable solutions to climate change and air pollution using cities an engine for environmental change
Climate change is the greatest threat facing the world. Air pollution is the leading environmental risk factor. Both are intricately linked to cities, which house most of the world’s population, contribute to the majority of emissions and are only set to grow. But as a key part of the problem, cities are also a key part of the solution. Cities offer opportunities for efficiency - in terms of energy and land-use - and for citizens to live low-carbon lifestyles. Panellists will look at the strategies and solutions for creating net-zero cities that are not only more sustainable but healthier, in the context of rapid urbanisation, climate adaptation and green recovery taking place around the world.

	Chair: Professor Francis Pope	Professor of Atmospheric Science, UoB, UK
	Professor Edward Glaeser	Department Chair, Fred and Eleanor Glimp Professor of Economics, Harvard University, USA
	Dr Nathalie Roebbel	Unit Head, Urban Health, WHO
	Luke Strickland	Building and Cities Net Zero Lead, Mott MacDonald
Oral Presentation	Humera Sultan	Introducing the Environmental Justice Map for Birmingham, a UK first!
Oral Presentation	Hind Al Abadleh	Growing with the climate in mind: The need for mid-size cities to monitor air quality indicators and short-term climate forcers at neighbourhood scales
	Q&A Session

​​​