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IET: Global Summit brings Bill Gates to Birmingham and Glasgow

IET: Global Summit brings Bill Gates to Birmingham and Glasgow

The Global Grand Challenges Summit, featuring Bill Gates as speaker, will be reaching out of London this year, thanks to innovative virtual hubs run by the Institution of Engineering (IET).

The unprecedented event, due to take place at IET London: Savoy Place between March 12 and 13, has sold out, so attending one of the virtual hubs is the only way to participate in the Summit. The event will be broadcast at IET Birmingham: Austin Court and IET Glasgow: Teacher Building.

Those attending the virtual hubs will be able to join the Q&A sessions and enjoy the networking opportunities of attending a face-to-face event, while accessing all the content from the main Summit at low cost.

As well as a video-link to Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates, the speakers list includes Lord Darzi, one of the world’s leading surgeons at Imperial College London, Professor Dame Ann Dowling, Department Head of Engineering at Cambridge University and Professor Frances Arnold, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Bioengineering and Biochemistry at the California Institute of Technology, alongside many more leading international engineering thinkers and innovators.

Professor Andy Hopper, President of the IET and speaker at the Summit, said: “The IET is pleased to bring this fantastic event to the Midlands and Scotland. In the context of a sustainability summit, joining the conference locally is a great way to participate. Attendees will be able to take advantage of communications technologies which we know so well and which may well make for a more sustainable world.”

This global coming together of engineers and experts hopes to address some of the world’s greatest grand challenges. Discussions at the Summit will address issues surrounding sustainability, health and the links between technological innovation and worldwide economic growth.

Sir John Parker, President of the Royal Academy of Engineering, says: “This major international event will push for a sea change in the way engineers interact with each other, with other disciplines, with policymakers and with society at large. It will also highlight the excitement of cutting-edge engineering and showcase the central role engineers will play in delivering a safe, sustainable and prosperous future.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

More information about the Global Grand Challenges Summit is available on the IET website.

About the IET:

§  The IET is Europe’s largest professional body of engineers with over 150,000 members in 127 countries.
§  The IET is a source of trusted engineering intelligence.
§  The IET is helping to plug the shortage of future engineers and technologists by working with schools to show young people the benefits of STEM careers.
§  We offer a professional home for life for our members as well as being a key source of essential engineering intelligence for wider society.
§  Follow the IET on Twitter
§  Further details will be tweeted under #ietgrandsummit

Katie Stanton
Communications Executive
The Institution of Engineering and Technology

www.theiet.org

T: +44 (0)1438 765608
M: +44 (0)7738 713867