October 4, 2017

Big Ideas Festival showcases UOW research

Record crowd expected for big ideas festival. 

From the promise and pitfalls of smart cities, to autonomous robots and intelligent manufacturing, the history of human colonisation of the planet, and cost-effective strategies for fire prevention and management, the University of Wollongong (UOW) Big Ideas Festival is back for 2017 and bigger than ever.

Showcasing a highlight reel of the University’s ground-breaking research and the outstanding academic minds behind it, the third UOW Big Ideas Festival will give 11 UOW professors the opportunity to share their big idea related to their field of research to the wider community during an evening of research and entertainment on Wednesday 4 October.

In addition to 11 ten-minute talks, there will be eight interactive research stalls from key UOW research areas for guests to explore, as well as food and entertainment to enjoy. The crowd will also be given the opportunity to ask questions via Twitter.

For the first time, the evening will also feature a guest speaker, Professor Tim Flannery, one of the world’s most prominent environmentalists and the 2007 Australian of the Year.

UOW Vice-Chancellor Professor Paul Wellings said the event is a great opportunity for the wider community to explore the breadth and depth of research coming out of Wollongong.

“We have curated an insightful and relevant program that showcases the talent we have within this University,” he said.

“The big ideas being explored throughout the festival are changing lives and society for the better, everything from improving the health of pregnant women to the way the next generation of students will learn at UOW.”

UOW Big Ideas Festival will be held on Wednesday 4 October from 5pm-9pm. The event is open to the public and free to attend.

The following researchers will be attending the 2017 Big Ideas Festival event:

Professor Jun Chen: Wearable tech – turning body heat into electricity
Senior Professor Paul Cooper: Living Buildings: Towards a Restorative Future
Professor Barbara Meyer: The fishy business of neural tube development
Professor Nadia Solowij: Slender in the Grass: A scientist caught in the maelstrom
Professor Zenobia Jacobs: Lighting up the ancient human past
Professor Valerie Linton: IF…? The future of intelligent fabrication
Professor Pauline McGuirk: How smart are smart cities
Professor Maarten de Laat: Using Social analytics to change learning landscapes
Senior Professor Ross Bradstock: The future of Bushfires: Are we ready for the big burn?
Professor Nick Zwar: Playing hide and seek – why does it matter in health care?
Professor Fiona Probyn-Rapsey: Extinct & Eradicated: Animal states of Australia