Annual Engineering for Schools Lecture: Changing the world with engineering

Calling all STEM students from GCSE to A Level to university! Welcome to the first of our new series of Annual Engineering for Schools Lectures. Join us here at King's to learn more about what Engineering is, and what your future in engineering could be like. Delivering the 2024 Lecture is King's Entrepreneur in Residence Professor of Dawn Bonfield.

Our world is at a point of crisis, with human activity causing catastrophic damage to the environment and deepening societal issues. Join Professor Dawn Bonfield to explore how engineering can help and why we need you, as a future engineer, to help make the world a better place for everyone.

This event is aimed at those aged 16+, but younger students are welcome to attend.

Please note - you must pre-book a free ticket to attend this event. We are not able to book tickets on the door, or admit anyone without a pre-booked ticket.

Talk description
Since the beginning of civilization, humans have shaped the environment to make our lives better, from the first simple settlements to the mighty pyramids of Ancient Egypt. This kicked into overdrive in the industrial revolution, with humans truly become the dominant species on the planet, mining ever deeper, cutting down vast ancient forests and pumping emissions into the environment. As a result, over the last 100 years, human activity has caused massive damage to natural ecosystems, at the same time expanding societal issues and injustices worldwide.

Engineering might have caused many of these problems, but it can also be a force for good, to help both the planet and the people on it. In this lecture, Dawn will explore the work she has done to create a new vision for engineering. By using creativity and imagination together with environmentally and socially sustainable values she is helping to reshape engineering as a force to save the world. She’ll show how engineers hold the keys to the technologies which can help tackle the UN Sustainable Development Goals – 17 global targets to improve the world for everyone by 2030. Mostly importantly, she’ll show how you, as an engineer of the future, could have an amazingly rewarding job helping to tackle the most important issues our world has ever faced.

Event Schedule

15:15 - Doors open; registration, refreshments and activities

16:15 - Theatre doors open

16:30-16:40 - Welcome and housekeeping

16:40-17:00 - Research talk, King's PhD student

17:00-18:00 - Professor Dawn Bonfield talk and Q&A

18:00 - event finishes

About the Speaker

Professor Dawn Bonfield MBE joined the Engineering Department at King’s in January 2021 through a Royal Society Entrepreneur in Residence award. Dawn works with students on projects and ideas which look at the use of innovation and technology to help address the Sustainable Development Goals. She also provides networking and mentoring opportunities for students and working with our teams to improve inclusivity. She is also President of the Commonwealth Engineers' Council, and one of the UK representatives and Board Member of the World Federation of Engineering Organisations. In addition to working at King’s, Dawn also teaches a Masters and Degree Apprenticeship module in Professional Engineering at Aston University in Birmingham.

Dawn is a materials engineer by background and spent many years working in the aerospace industry on composite materials. She is founder and director of Towards Vision, a company which works towards a vision of diversity and inclusion in engineering, and founder of the Magnificent Women social enterprise which celebrates the history of women in engineering, and uses our inspiring heritage to encourage the next generation of engineers. She is past president and former chief executive of the Women's Engineering Society, and founder of International Women in Engineering Day.

Additional information

This event is aimed at those aged 16+. Younger attendees are welcome, but please note that attendees under the age of 14 must be accompanied by a responsible adult. For school groups, tickets are limited to 20 students per booking, to ensure a larger number of schools can attend. If you are aged 14–18 and booking for yourself, please check with a parent or guardian before booking your place.

Registration for this event will take place in reception in the main Strand Building entrance. This is on the Strand, the opposite side of St Mary Le Strand Church from Bush House. Refreshments will be served in the Engineering Quad Labs and the Lecture will take place in the Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre.

This event is organised by the Department of Engineering at King’s College London, together with the Faculty Outreach Team. If you have any questions or would like any further details, please email [email protected].

For in-person events we operate a policy of overbooking, to help manage on the day drop-out rates. Please ensure you arrive in good time to avoid disappointment on the day.

Accessibility

This talk will take place in the Edmond J Safra Lecture Theatre, on the ground floor of the King's Building. The theatre is fully wheelchair accessible, with designated spaces for wheelchair users. There are accessible bathrooms on this floor. The refreshments are being served in the Engineering Quad Labs, on the -1 level of this building. Wheelchair access is via lift.

The nearest step-free underground station is Blackfriars, but a number of bus routes stop a short distance from the Strand Campus.

Photography and privacy notice

The event you will be attending will have photography and/or videography. If you do not wish to appear in any recordings or photographs, please approach our registration team on the day of the event or email [email protected] beforehand. Photographs and recordings taken may feature in our publications or on the King’s website and social media channels. All personal data will be processed in accordance with King’s privacy policy available here.

We collect and process your personal information to help us manage and run the event. In accordance with the King’s College London Data Retention Schedule, we will keep your information until the completion of the event. To find out more about how the university deals with your personal information, including your rights, please see the university’s core privacy notice. Your personal information will be transferred to the United States via Eventbrite. Please read this article where you can find out more on how Eventbrite protects your data.