Keynote Address: The Diversity Imperative for High Impact Research and Innovation

The United Nations has recognized that science and technology are key levers to advance the sustainable development. Engineers needs to address issues such as climate change, food security, improved health outcomes, access to reliable clean water and sanitation, and energy. Dr Marlene Kanga will speak about the transformation of engineering education to meet the greatest challenge that the world is facing and that only engineers can address: climate change and accelerating our path to a net zero carbon emission future and the transformation that she led, in engineering education, to ensure a diverse and inclusive culture, and the imperative, to ensure more, diverse engineers, to develop the solutions that are crucial to the well-being of the world.

Light refreshments and networking will occur from 12pm.

BIOGRAPHY:

Dr Marlene Kanga AO FTSE FREng Hon.FIE (Aust) Hon. FIChemE (UK)
President 2017-2019, World Federation of Engineering Organisations,
Non-Executive Director Endeavour Energy, Chair Rux Energy

Dr Kanga is an experienced non-executive director of Endeavour Energy, providing electricity distribution to Western Sydney, Air Services Australia, providing air navigation services across Australia and the Indian Ocean, Standards Australia, BESydney, which brings international and domestic events to Sydney and other boards involving innovation and the commercialization of new technologies. She is a director of iOmniscient Pty. Ltd. which has developed artificial intelligence for video technologies. She was formerly a non-executive director of Sydney Water Corporation, Australia's largest water utility and a board member of Innovation Australia.

She is Chair of the Institution of Chemical Engineers (UK) IChemE Safety Centre, providing international leadership for industry systems safety and Co-Chair of the Australian Government $42 million ELEVATE program to increase the number of women in STEM, that is being delivered by the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering.

A recognized leader of STEM organizations, she was the 2013 National President and Board Chair of Engineers Australia and the 2017-2019 President and President and Board Chair of the World Federation of Engineering Organizations, a UNESCO affiliate, representing 100+ nations and more than 30 million engineers. From 2011-2017, she was a vice-president and board member of the International Network for Women Engineers and Scientists (INWES) and hosted the inaugural INWES Asia Pacific Nation Network meeting in Adelaide 2011, which has led to 16 thriving women in STEM national networks in 2022.

Her significant international achievements include successfully founding World Engineering Day for Sustainable Development on 4th March, with unanimous approval for the proposal by the UNESCO member states and initiating and leading the review of international engineering education benchmarks to reflect contemporary values and approaches including diversity and inclusion. She continues to lead advocacy for more women in STEM at UN Women and the Commission on the Status of Women