Presentations and Invited Talks

Science and Engineering at The University of Edinburgh

School of GeoSciences

Professor Paul van Gardingen

Presentations and Invited Talks

A full list of presentations is available and provides links to PDF documents with copies of recent presentations (since 2008). (Download PDF version of the list)

A number of recent major presentations are described below: (Click on the presentation's title to download a PDF of the presentation)

Title	Event	Description
What is our common future?	Science Policy Success. (Keynote) Event organised by Knowledge Scotland to highlight challenges for the Scottish science and policy communities in responding to global challenges	The most recent in a series of invited presentations in 2009 which address major global challenges ("Perfect Storm" issues). This presentation considers how society needs to respond to global challenges and the role of science in providing the evidence required to build a common vision for the future and greater understanding of what society needs to do if it is to adapt in a very rapidly changing world. The presentation calls for new additional scientific effort to build scenarios for our common future.
Ecosystem services, biodiversity and poverty reduction. Is conservation the answer?	Invited presentation at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.	The second in a series of presentations considering global challenges. The main theme of this presentation is that the rate and extent of global change is such that society's responses will need to be placed within the context of what is achievable in the future, rather than trying to conserve the past. The presentation concludes with a call to think beyond 2015 for international development, and to consider, why, what and how we should conserve biodiversity in a rapidly changing world.
Society, environment and development	Natural Capital Initiative (Keynote) Launch event of the Natural Capital Initiative, Invited by ESRC to represent the social dimension of science relating to ecosystem services.	The first in the series of presentations considering global challenges. This presentation suggests that people need to be considered to be part of their ecosystems. It concludes with the statement that conservation needs to be for the benefit of people (and society) and that people need be to considered to be part of the solution providing sustainable ecosystem services, and not the problem.
Global challenges and the University of Edinburgh	Sustainability and Environmental Advisory Group workshop.	A keynote presentation designed to define the challenges facing the University and the implications for the development of a sustainability strategy and the implementation of this through core business plans.
International development. Activities and opportunities. Scottish Higher Education and Research Institutes	Presentation to the Scottish Government Chief Scientific Officer. (Requested by the SG-CSA)	A presentation on behalf of the Scottish Tertiary sector to the Scottish Government on the current and potential contributions of the Scottish Tertiary Education and research sectors to international development. This presentation led to the establishment of the Scottish Initiative in International Development (SIIDS) which reported back in 2009 with a recommendation to establish a new collaborative initiative to enhance the impact of activities in Scottish institutions.