NEWS & EVENTS

On the 18th and 19th of November Ghent University hosts the 1st ENLIGHT Teaching and Learning conference. During the formal opening our we are glad to welcome keynote speaker Eric Mazur, Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and Area Chair of Applied Physics at Harvard University.

Eric Mazur is renowned for his teaching methods, which developed a large following, both nationally and internationally, and has been adopted across many disciplines.

On occcasion of his visit to Ghent Eric Mazur will give two additional student hybrid lectures in the morning of Friday 19 November

Forests are considered one of the most important instruments in the fight against climate change. They have high potential to absorb carbon emissions and play a major role in biodiversity conservation. This session looks at the impact of climate change on forests and their adaptation to environmental changes.

To mark the end of the first Taiwan Studies Programme cycle Ghent University hosts a series online lectures together with the University of Göttingen and the University of Groningen. The lectures are given by the Taiwan Chair holders who were selected during the past five years in the framework of the Taiwan Chair agreement.

The European Solid Mechanics Conference is the major event for the solid mechanics community in Europe, and provides a unique forum for scientists and engineers from Europe and across the world to exchange ideas on the current state-of-the-art in the mechanics of solids, on new concepts and ideas and to identify new research directions. The 11^th European Solid Mechanics Conference will be held at NUI Galway, Ireland, 4^th – 8^th July, 2022 (ESMC2022). The conference is being held under the auspices of the European Mechanics Society (EUROMECH).

Solid mechanics is the bedrock of engineering design in areas such as mechanical engineering, civil and structural engineering, and biomedical engineering. It is a critically important element in the design and development of almost all technologies and products in these areas, such as aircraft, automobiles, buildings, bridges, and medical implants and devices. Further, solid mechanics is a key enabler in the development of new technologies that address the major global challenges of our time in sustainability, renewable energy and health.

The organising committee have assembled a truly outstanding group of international invited lecturers for the conference, covering the General Lecture and five Plenary Lectures.

The conference has general sessions and over 50 mini-symposia on a wide range of solid mechanics speciality areas so there should be something for everyone over a wide range of interests in the solid mechanics domain, for abstract submission.

The NUI Galway organising committee would be delighted for the ENLIGHT member institutions to encourage staff, researchers and graduate students in engineering, applied mathematics and physical sciences, and more broadly across the sciences, to submit abstracts to the conference and for them to visit Galway to attend the conference next summer.

Welcome to a digital Uppsala Health Summit, October 18-21st 2021, that will focus on mental health and wellbeing – considered one of the most important global health challenges of our time. Fostering and protecting mental wellbeing requires multi-sectoral action at all levels of society, but there is often a need for better understanding of available approaches and how they can be successfully implemented and benefit more people. The meeting will provide a unique interdisciplinary platform for researchers, experts and practitioners to present and discuss innovative ways to prevent and intervene for better mental health globally. Topics include Psychological flexibility, Hormones and mood, Towards a new understanding of mental health and wellbeing, and Innovative strategies for closing the treatment gap. 

Some of the confirmed speakers include:

• Professor Vikram Patel, Professor of Global Health at Harvard Medical School
• Dr Ledia Lazeri, Mental Health Advisor at WHO
• Professor Steven Hayes, Founder of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
• Mr Benjamin Perks, Head of Campaigns and Advocacy at UNICEF

The plenary sessions are free of charge and open to everyone who has pre-registred. Participation in the workshops are limited, and require pre-registration and includes a fee. Please register here. 

As higher education institutions, the ENLIGHT partner act as regional, national, and global innovators preparing society for necessary transformation through appropriate governance, research, education and transfer activities, as well as sustainable operations and facilities.

One of the major goals of the European University ENLIGHT is the continuous reduction of CO₂ emissions in all areas of the partner universities, which has been emphasised by the signing of the ENLIGHT Sustainability Engagement Agreement in 2021.

National and international travel at higher education institutions contributes significantly to carbon emissions. To address this, it is crucial to encourage employees and students to adopt more sustainable travel practices. The ENLIGHT Green Network has developed a Sustainable Travel Policy to promote environmentally friendly travel among the ENLIGHT partner universities.

On the ENLIGHT sustainable travel and living platform, the partners provide instutional and network information with regard to sustainable mobility and living as well as CO₂ calculation and offsetting opportunities.