Image credit: ATSE.
Astronaut, entrepreneur and global change maker, Dr Anousheh Ansari, will headline at the ACTIVATE Symposium on 25-27 October in Sydney.
The inaugural Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) event will welcome government, business and academia in sharing their vision for a technology powered, human driven future for Australia. Platinum sponsors include the CSIRO and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources (DISR).
Ansari is CEO of the XPRIZE Foundation, which designs incentive competitions that tackle global challenges in exploration, environment and human equity. To date, XPRIZE has launched 25 competitions totaling more than US$292 million in prize purses. Ansari has also pioneered several new initiatives focused on AI and machine learning, like eliminating algorithmic bias to improve diversity and inclusion in AI.
“The Academy is presenting the opportunities to act now to make changes to the lives of global citizens in this decade and the next,” Ansari said.
“The issues of climate change, the STEM skills shortage, and translating research into real world solutions are universal and each of us must consider how we can contribute to change.”
ATSE president Professor Hugh Bradlow said the Academy is thrilled to have Ansari and more than 50 other high-profile speakers join ACTIVATE.
“With the support of the DISR and CSIRO, ACTIVATE will identify immediate actions to tackle the dire skills shortage Australia faces in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM),” Bradlow said.
“We are proud to highlight Dr Ansari, the first Muslim woman in space, and the first woman private space explorer, as a change maker who is ensuring that diversity and inclusion are incorporated in solution-seeking for challenges from climate change to sustainable food supply and the digital revolution.”
Other speakers joining the ACTIVATE Symposium include:
- Alister Henskens, NSW minister for Science, Innovation & Technology;
- Professor Michelle Simmons, 2018 Australian of the Year and quantum physicist;
- Professor Tanya Monro, Australia’s chief defense scientist;
- Andrew Penn, CEO of Telstra;
- Mikaela Jade, founder and CEO of Indigital, and Cabrogal woman; and
- Professor Veena Sahajwalla, center director of UNSW SMaRT.
Professor Bronwyn Fox, chief scientist at CSIRO and ATSE Fellow said the national science agency was proud to support ACTIVATE 2022.
“Solving Australia’s greatest challenges will require diverse groups of people to harness a range of STEM skills, so events like ACTIVATE 2022 are important for collaboration and inspiring our next generation of STEM leaders,” Fox said.
For more information and to register for the ACTIVATE 2022 symposium, visit atse.org.au/activate-2022.