Public panel event series 2024

During the first week of April 2024 the University of Melbourne and partner universities in India jointly hosted a series of four public panel events in India.

The events brought together thought leaders from academia, industry and government to discuss high-profile issues related to four pertinent topics, provide evidence-based insights and contribute to raising the quality of debate in both countries.

Can we climate-proof water security of our growing cities?

Many countries around the world including Australia and India are predicted to face a water crisis within the next 50 years. Worst-case scenarios for Melbourne suggest demand could outstrip supply by 2028. Growing population and variable climate put increasing pressure on the finite water resources leading to water shortages. All the while we dispose of large volumes of contaminated stormwater from our catchments and domestic wastewater into our waterways, leading to a multitude of water pollution issues around the world.

The big question we are facing is: How do we provide reliable water services to our cities, that are subjected to population growth, climate variability and climate change; and in an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective manner?

Research suggests the answer might lie in diversification of our water sources by utilising so called waste streams (stormwater and wastewater), also known as Integrated Water Management (IWM) that will not only provide additional water supply source but can also prevent flash flooding and waterway pollution. The panel will explore the challenges and opportunities associated with IWM and how cities can learn from each other’s experience and move forward.

Monday 1 April, 3:00 – 4:30pm


Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khaz, New Delhi
Co-organised by IIT Delhi and the University of Melbourne
Panel discussion followed by networking reception with catered refreshments from 4:30pm

Panel:

  • Professor Amanda Ellis - Chair
    Head of School, Chemical and Biomedical Engineering
    Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Melbourne
  • Professor Meenakshi Arora
    Director Melbourne India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA)
    Infrastructure Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Melbourne
  • Professor Dhanya CT
    Hydro-climatic eXtremes Research Group (HydroX) Group Lead
    Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi
  • Dr Renu Khosla
    Director, Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence (CURE) India
  • Dr G Asok Kumar, Ex Director General, National Mission for Clean Ganga
  • Professor T.G. Sitharam
    Chairman All India Council for Technical Education

AI ethics: from principle to practice

While potential risks of the rapidly evolving Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities worldwide are discussed in the media and other public forums, the focus seems to be on the AI doomsday scenarios: AI’s predicted impact on the future workforce and job losses, cyberattacks and deepfakes, Chat GPT and compromised academic integrity. There is much less debate on how companies are forced to make ethical decisions everyday and how societies need to create and implement ethical frameworks and regulations with the same lightning speed as the technology develops.

The gap is not just a technical one, but also a cultural one between technologists, users, and managers. There is a lot of talk about AI ethics but not a lot of action. The panel will discuss how we need to move from principles to practice and what this will require from different stakeholders across academic, corporate, and public sectors.

Wednesday 3 April, 3:00 – 4:30pm


Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, Faculty Hall, Main Building
Co-hosted by IISc Bangalore and the University of Melbourne
IISc Bangalore, CV Raman Road, Bengaluru
Panel discussion followed by networking reception with catered refreshments from 4:30pm

Panel:

From trash to treasure: gasification and pyrolysis as viable, value-add waste stream management solutions

The climate impacts of our waste are becoming harder and harder to ignore. The waste sector is one of three key methane emitting sectors — following agriculture and oil and gas — and is responsible for about 20 per cent of human-driven methane emissions globally. Solid waste emissions from landfills and dumps represent the majority of methane emissions from the waste sector. Globally, about 65 per cent of waste generated is organic, with food and green waste as the largest share. But waste composition can vary widely between countries, generally depending on income level. As countries develop, this percentage decreases as paper, plastics, and glass use become more common. These themselves then become a waste stream that also must be processed so that it does not enter and contaminate our land and water ways. Gasification and pyrolysis are thermal processes for converting carbonaceous substances into tar, ash, coke, char, and gas.

The big question we are facing is: How do we better utilise waste and lower emissions during its disposal or recycling, while finding ways to value-add to the gasification/pyrolysis waste streams. Can this be achieved through innovative technologies, such as batteries, water treatment, soil remediation, and syngas and energy loops, in an environmentally sustainable and cost-effective manner?

Thursday 4 April, 3:00 – 4:30pm


Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Delhi Avenue, Chennai
Co-hosted by IIT Madras and the University of Melbourne
Panel discussion followed by networking reception with catered refreshments from 4:30pm

Panel:

Smart cities: from sensors to sustainable development

Cities around the world face a wide range of challenges due to dramatic population increases and continuing urbanization trends.

These challenges include the need for optimal transport, reliable energy supply, health services, asset management, and location-based services. Managing these challenges and fulfilling the growing expectations of societies is possible with smart city vision. This vision is already applied in many cities but with varying success.

As a futuristic approach to Smart Cities, digital innovations with accurate spatial and temporal information of locations and the environment can help to construct and to transform the technology and vision. These transformations rely on data science, smart sensing (ground, air, and space), AI, and machine learning and are integrated with Sustainable Development and Net Zero goals.

Friday 5 April, 10:30 – 12:00pm


IISER Tirupati, Srinivasapuram, Yerpedu Mandal, Tirupati Dist, Andhra Pradesh
Co-hosted by IISER Tirupati and the University of Melbourne
Panel discussion followed by networking reception with catered refreshments from 12:00pm

Panel:

  • Professor Meenakshi Arora - Chair
    Director Melbourne India Postgraduate Academy (MIPA), Department of Infrastructure Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Melbourne
  • Associate Professor Jagannath Aryal
    Lead Earth Observation and AI Research Group, Department of Infrastructure, Faculty of Engineering and IT, University of Melbourne
  • Associate Professor Ekambaram Balaraman
    Chemistry, Sree Rama Engineering College, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Tirupati
  • Professor Shekhar Mande
    Distinguished Professor, Bioinformatics Centre Savitribai Phule Pune University, former Director General, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research
  • Professor Krishna Prapoorna, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Tirupati

First published on 20 March 2024.

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