Professor Cillian Ryan and Professor Richard Emes introduce this year's conference theme
Four years ago, the UN, in its 75th year, worked with partners to initiate dialogues within and across borders, sectors and generations. The outcome of the dialogue was issued as a report; UN75: The Future We Want, The UN We Need.
At NTU, we joined with our partners around the world in 2020 to explore our collective engagement with the UN75 Dialogue and the UN Sustainable Development Goals under the theme of Living Securely, again in 2021 under the theme The Challenge of Change, and in 2022 with the theme Living Together in the Future. This year we aim to continue our dialogue with partners around the world under the theme of: Sustainable Global Levelling Up: The role of Technology, Policy and Communities in Reducing Inequalities.
With large scale migrations causing significant upheaval in the developing and developed world, it is clear that we need sustainable global solutions that address income disparities across the world as much as we need collective action on climate change. The UN Sustainable Development Goals are at the heart of these challenges. Running over three days from Tuesday 27 February - Thursday 29 February 2024, the UN75+3 Conference will attempt to address some of the most urgent priorities agreed in the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
The virtual conference is open to all and will comprise of a series of standalone workshops, roundtables and panel discussions to bring together a global audience with NTU and its diverse network.
Keynote speaker
Professor Genevieve Dingle, University of Queensland
We are delighted that Professor Genevieve Dingle of the University of Queensland has agreed to be this year’s keynote speaker. Genevieve is a professor of clinical psychology at the University of Queensland, Australia.
She worked for over a decade as a clinical psychologist in mental health and substance use treatment services before starting an academic career. Her research focuses on understanding how groups and communities influence our mental health and wellbeing. Genevieve values her collaboration with members of the Groups, Identities and Health research team at Nottingham Trent University.
Book onto Genevieve's keynote, Wednesday 28 February, 10am-11am.
Explore our UN75+3 at NTU events
Browse our UN75+3 at NTU events below and follow the links to book your place:
Tuesday 27 February
Time: 10am-12pm
Type of event: Panel and presentation
Related School: Nottingham Law School
Session overview:
The Small Modular Reactors (SMR), a new nuclear technology for power generation is on the horizon to assist countries to achieve their carbon emission /net-zero targets. It is also shown to play a role in energy transition and in energy-mix to ameliorating energy supply inequalities in both developing and developed countries.
The presentation and panel discussion will specifically focus on the regulatory possibilities that could make SMR nuclear technology capable of addressing the inequalities/imbalances in the energy trilemma. Energy Trilemma refers to finding a balance between security, affordability, and sustainability in how we access and use energy in our everyday lives. Thus, the panel will be addressing three core questions as follows:
Regarding energy security, could SMR be regulated to ensure uninterrupted steady supply of energy especially in developing countries? (This will centre on infrastructural, power grid and transportation policies for nuclear energy newcomer countries)
Concerning affordability, could SMR be regulated to provide cheaper and accessible energy in both developing and developed countries compared to the costly energy bills paid for fossil fuels? (This will centre on funding and financing).
And concerning sustainability, even though nuclear is a low-carbon energy, could SMR be regulated better to ensure sustainable nuclear waste fuel in both developing and developed countries?
Internal speakers:
- Dr Chinenye Nriezedi-Anejionu
- Professor Paul Bowden
External speakers:
- William Wilson (Wyeside Consulting Ltd, UK)
- Simon Stuttaford (Castle Town Law, UK)
- Dr Jorge Guira (University of Reading, UK)
- Nivedita S (National University of Singapore)
Wednesday 28 February
Social prescribing - activating community resources to address social and health needs
This talk will open with a focus on loneliness and disadvantage as determinants of health. Genevieve will present findings from a controlled evaluation of link worker social prescribing in Australia and highlight advances and thorny issues for social prescribing as a health pathway, under the themes of theories, methods, open questions, and sustainability.
Time: 11am-5pm
Type of event: Workshop, presentation
You are welcome to attend as many sessions as you like and they are all open to the public. Click on the session below to register your place via Microsoft Form.
11.00am - 12.30pm: Masterclass: 'Conducting research as usual in conflict-affected settings.'
This event is open to the public, but space is limited for this masterclass. Advance registration is required.
A unique opportunity to participate in a Masterclass on the analysis of the specific constraints of conducting research in settings affected by violence and conflicts compared to other more stable contexts. This session will be led by Dr Enrica Leresche, an implementation scientist, nurse, and humanitarian practitioner since 2002.The session will also include experts from the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), and a UK Charity focusing on Enhancing Learning and Research in Humanitarian Assistance (Elrha).
NTU City Campus, Newton Building, Lecture Theatre 6. Refreshments/sandwiches will be provided during the session.
11.00am - 12.30pm: Masterclass: Innovation and Entrepreneurship, developing Case Studies.
This event is open to the public, but space is limited for this masterclass. Advance registration is required.
Please join us for this opportunity to participate in a Masterclass, a collaboration between NTU Eastern Africa Centre and the Nottingham Business School (NBS). This session will focus on integrating the research areas of ‘Innovation and Entrepreneurship’ using case studies based on the African context, led by Dr Amon Simba, Director of the African Innovation & Entrepreneurship Research (AfrIE) Hub.
NTU City Campus, Newton Building, Room 51, 5th Floor. Refreshments/sandwiches will be provided during the session.
12.45pm - 5.00pm: First Annual NTU Eastern Africa Centre Symposium
This event is open to the public.
You are invited to join us for the launch of the 1st Annual NTU Eastern Africa Centre Symposium. This event will provide a unique opportunity to engage with scholars, practitioners, and journal editors as they discuss 'Inclusive Research Evidence for Innovation & Change in Africa'.
The 1st Annual NTU Eastern Africa Centre Symposium will feature three separate panel discussions on entrepreneurship research, humanitarian research, and the launch of the African Innovation & Entrepreneurship Research (AfrIE) Hub.
NTU City Campus, Newton Building, Lecture Theatre 5.
About the event
Panel 1 - Developing an agenda for inclusive research by integrating African innovation and entrepreneurship
Setting an agenda for incorporating African innovation & entrepreneurship into mainstream research.
- Professor Paul Jones - Chief Editor International Journal of Entrepreneurial Behaviour Research
- Associate Professor Mumin Abubakre - Associate Editor Information Technology & People
- Professor Michael Morris - Chief Editor Journal of Developmental Entrepreneurship
Panel 2 - Can implementation frameworks shape the distribution of knowledge and resources in humanitarian crises?
Implementation frameworks are used to anticipate how frontline actors and/or communities may implement research findings in their daily practice. Implementation frameworks allow one to conceive the implementation process in an abstract way and possibly ahead of time. They may therefore contribute to shape whose voices are taken into account, and how new knowledge and resources are expected to be distributed. In settings where power imbalances are known, implementing research recommendations is complex practically and ethically. In humanitarian crises, are implementation frameworks useful to account for, and anticipate practical complexities and power imbalances at stake? This question will be examined by a group of actors from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM); Médecins Sans Frontières Luxembourg Operational Research (MSF LuxOR), the International Committee of the Red Cross Centre for Operational Research and Experience (ICRC CORE) and Elrha (Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises programme).
- Adapting an implementation science tool - Dr Enrica Leresche - London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- Implementation frameworks - Ms Cordelia Lonsdale - Research for Health in Humanitarian Crises programme, Elrha
- MSF implementation mechanisms - Dr Charles Tolnò
- ICRC implementation mechanisms - Rodolfo Rossi - Health Coordinator – International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC)
Panel 3: Launching the African Innovation & Entrepreneurship Research (AfrIE) Hub
Developing an inclusive environment involving innovation and entrepreneurship scholars, students, practitioners, and the community.
The overarching goal of the AfrIE Hub is to enhance the inclusivity and impact of research on innovation and entrepreneurship in Africa. In collaboration with NTU’s Eastern Africa Centre (EAC) and NTU’s Eastern Africa PhD Hub, the AfrIE Hub brings scholars, students, and higher education institutions (HEIs) from Africa, Europe, and the USA for collaborative discussions. The aim is to promote reverse learning and genuine cross–fertilisation of ideas among scholars, students, and commentators, advancing African innovation and entrepreneurship research.
- Professor Susan Mueller - Bern University of Applied Sciences – Switzerland
- Professor Peter Quartey - Department of Economics and Director - Economic Management Programme, University of Ghana
- Professor Michael H. Morris - Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation - Keough School of Global Development, University of Notre Dame
- Dr Mathew Nyashanu – Institute of Health and Allied Professions - School of Social Sciences, NTU
Time: 12pm-1pm
Type of event: Roundtable
Related School: School of Social Sciences
Session overview:
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine from February 2022 has had a widespread and long-lasting impact on higher education institutions in Ukraine. Universities UK began a twinning initiative that twinned Nottingham Trent University with Lviv Polytechnic National University. Through this, the psychology departments of both universities were supported to launch a new dual award in mental health, trauma, and psychological wellbeing. This session explores the opportunities and challenges of developing this new teaching award and the way initiatives in education have fostered a closer partnership between the two universities.
Internal speakers:
- Dr Gareth Williams
- Dr Danai Serfioti
- Dr Filipa Calado
- Dr Glenn Williams
External speakers:
- Dr Lidiia Oryshchyn-Buzhdyhan, Lviv Polytechnic National University
- Dr Zhanna Novikova, Lviv Polytechnic National University
- Dr Alexander Kutcyi, Lviv Polytechnic National University
Thursday 29 February
Time: 9am-9.45am
Type of event: Workshop
Related School: Science and Technology
Session overview:
Nanostructures and nanohybrid nanomaterials play more and more important roles in the field of biomedical, thermomechanical, and energy engineering applications. Biosensing, antiviral coating and energy harvesting are key components for improving medical diagnostics, and promoting sustainable healthcare solutions. In this session, we showcase the collaborative efforts of research teams from Nottingham Trent University (NTU ) and Panjab University (PU), focusing on the intersection of nanomaterials, nanotechnologies research and practical applications in biosensing, antiviral coating and energy harvesting.
Additionally, this session highlight the importance of the knowledge and expertise exchange between the UK and Indian. Through the research collaboration, we gain a deep understanding of application needs across different contexts and for different problems, which is important for UK-India economic collaborations and addressing wider global challenges.
Internal speakers:
- Dr Cuifeng Ying
- Professor Mohsen Rahmani
External speakers:
- Dr Gaurav Sapra, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, UIET, Panjab University
- Dr Gaurav Verma, Chemical Engineering department at Dr. SSBUICET, Panjab University, Chandigarh
- Dr Rajesh Kumar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, UIET, Panjab
Time: 10am-12pm
Type of event: Workshop
Related School: Nottingham Business School
Session overview:
The importance of local communities identifies with the new realities and changes at the same time. Their dual role of preserving heritage and opening spaces to new forms of living for diasporas is often underestimated. The perspective of inclusive cities/places that have cosmopolitan features (or had) are embedded in SDGs leading to a sustainable global village. Some of its cities acted as early trading places that were very open and created transnational ecosystem. Adding to the global heritage of communities the new dimensions of digitalization, new archetypes of cooperation and conflict resolutions are envisaged in this session. Culturally intelligent behaviour across the globe will be identified and merged with economic, technological, political and societal necessities.
Internal speakers:
- Professor Ursula F. Ott, Centre for International Business Strategy and Decisions (CIBSD)
- Dr Anh Luong, CIBSD
- Dr Juliana Siwale, CIBSD
- Dr Ugbede Umoru, CIBSD
External speakers:
- Professor Roberta Aguzzoli, University of Durham
- Dr Noemi Sinkovics, University of Glasgow
Time: 1pm-1.45pm
Type of event: Panel discussion
Related School: Nottingham School of Art and Design
Session overview:
Join us for an insightful panel discussion at the UN75+3 Sustainable Global Levelling Up conference, titled "Bridging Divides: Leveraging COIL to Advance Sustainable Global Equality through Technology, Policy, and Community Engagement." This 45-minute virtual roundtable brings together a diverse group of experts, including faculty from the COIL project team and Senac University, Brazil, alumni of the COIL project, and a representative from the Commonwealth Fashion Council.
Moderated by a senior academic with expertise in international education and sustainable development, the panel will delve into how the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) project has been instrumental in reducing global inequalities. Emphasising the project's unique interdisciplinary and multicultural approach, discussions will explore the role of technology in providing equitable educational opportunities, the impact of policy frameworks in supporting collaborative projects, and the importance of community engagement in fostering a global sense of unity and understanding.
Each segment of the discussion will be followed by a Q&A, offering participants an opportunity to engage directly with the panellists. The event aims to showcase the COIL project as a pioneering model for using technology in education, highlight the role of policy in supporting such initiatives, and underscore the significance of community engagement in global education and sustainability efforts. Don't miss this chance to be part of a dialogue that shapes the future of international education and sustainable development.
Internal speakers:
- Mary-Ann Ball
- Sajida Gordon
External speakers:
- Rossie Kadiyska, Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
- Luciena Chen, Senac Brazil
- Alanna Fairey, Commonwealth Fashion Council
Follow @ntu_research on Twitter and use the hashtag #UN75xNTU to join in the conversation. Email NTUGlobal@ntu.ac.uk for more information about the virtual conference.
If you're interested in hosting an event, please contact Louise Harris for more information.
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