Knowledge for Sustainable Development 2023 - How to make impact
On 7th of November 2023, the 3rd Lund University Conference on Knowledge for Sustainable Development was held at Stadshallen in Lund. The conference highlighted sustainability research at Lund University and different ways to go from research to impact: looking at possibilities that ranges from strategic collaboration with industry, via influence on policy making, to art and music.
Opening of the conference
Over 150 people were gathered for the conference at Stadshallen in the centre of Lund. The conference opened in the plenary hall Konsertsalen, with welcome greetings by Lund University Vice-Chancellor Erik Renström, followed by a keynote speech by Professor Markku Rummukainen with the title Push and pull in climate science and policy.
Parallell Sessions and Poster Presentations
Divided into three venues, the conference continued with parallel sessions of research presentations by Lund University researchers. With four presentations in each, the first parallel session were divided into three themes:
I. Transition from a regional perspective
II. The how-to of impact
III. Conserving biodiversity
After a coffee break with 13 poster presentations by LU researchers in the common area of Stadshallen, the second parallel session started with the themes:
I. Climate impact
II. Tools for impact
III. Air and water
and a performance of Violin with Þytur by artist-reserarcher Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir.
Afternoon Session - How to make impact
After a joint lunch, the afternoon session started in the plenary hall Konsertsalen where Heiner Linke, Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Engineering and part of the conference organisation committee, introduced this years theme How to make impact.
The afternoon session included talks by seven invited speakers with different expertise and perspectives on the conference theme:
- Hampus Jakobsson, Co-founder Pale blue dot
- Henrik Smith, Professor at CEC and member of the Swedish Climate Policy Council
- Steinunn Knuts Önnudottir, PhD candidate at the Malmö Theatre Academy
- Hjalmar Åhman, LTH graduate and sustainability consultant
- Yasemin Arhan Modéer, CEO and Founder of Altitude Meetings
- Annika Olsson, Dean at the Faculty of Engineering, LTH
- Dr. Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir, Artist-researcher at the Malmö Academy of Music.
The afternoon session was concluded with a panel discussion on the topic From research to impact - How can we get better?, moderated by Richard Walters, Senior Researcher at CEC. The panel consisted of Yasemin Arhan Modéer, Per Mickwitz, Kimberly Nicholas, Dr. Halla Steinunn Stefánsdóttir and Hjalmar Åhman.
The day ended with a summary of the conference by Pro Vice-Chancellor Per Mickwitz.