In this talk, UTS student and New Colombo Plan Scholar Cooper Crellin will share insights from his year abroad spent living and working in the Pacific, with a particular focus on his experiences in the small atoll nation of Tuvalu.

With an average elevation of around two metres above sea level, Tuvalu’s capital Funafuti is highly vulnerable to rising sea levels and intensified adverse weather events caused by increasing global temperatures. This poses critical risks to infrastructure and housing, threatening the habitability of the island and the livelihood of its citizens.

To adapt to these challenges, a series of land reclamation projects and critical marine infrastructure upgrades have been implemented across Funafuti, relying on creative and resourceful engineering to deliver robust solutions in a remote environment. After contributing to the construction of these projects first-hand and continuing to develop future designs since his return to Australia, Cooper will discuss the challenges and opportunities that arise when delivering climate resilient infrastructure and how these connect to the broader sustainable development goals.

About the presenter

Cooper Crellin is a final year Mechanical Engineering student at UTS and a junior coastal engineer at Intercoastal Consulting and is a 2025 New Colombo Plan Scholar. He previously undertook a semester of exchange at the University of the South Pacific in Suva, Fiji, and lived in Tuvalu for seven months working for Hall Contracting.

Keen to know more about the New Colombo Plan Scholarship for UTS students? Visit the webpage for more information.

This event is part of UTS Global Goals Month 2025, and is presented by UTS Sustainability and UTS BUILD. Explore more of the Global Goals Month program here.