Welcome Letter
Welcome to the Chicago Summit 2010 Website!
In the year 2000 the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) issued the result of its survey to identify the 20 most important engineering achievements of the 20th century. The list includes the basics of life as we know it today (electrification of homes and businesses, clean water, refrigeration and air conditioning), as well as advances in communications, electronics, materials, medicine, transportation that have changed the way we live. These 20 achievements are found on the website http://www.greatachievements.org.
So what are the challenges facing the planet and its inhabitants over this century? In an attempt to answer this question, the NAE recently commissioned a committee of engineers, scientists and futurists to solicit ideas related to the “Grand Challenges” facing the global society in the 21st century. Their list of 14 Grand Challenges is discussed on the website http://www.engineeringchallenges.org.
We and our partners are pleased to sponsor the Chicago Summit 2010, which will focus on four important topics related to the NAE Grand Challenges: clean water; carbon, energy and climate; urban sustainability; and global health. Our summit is part of a nationwide debate on the Grand Challenges, with symposia on other topics related to the Grand Challenges held across the country (http://summit-grand-challenges.pratt.duke.edu).
Our goals are:
• Enhance interest in engineering and science and highlight its role in solving major problems facing society.
• Increase the visibility and importance of engineering and science to society in general.
• Enhance student interest in engineering, science and technology entrepreneurship.
• Emphasize the importance of collaborations of engineers and scientists with professionals in business, government, law, and the humanities and social sciences to address the challenges facing society.
The program consists of eight plenary talks over a day and a half, with discussion panels following several of the talks and a wrap-up session at the end of the Summit. The panels consist of persons from diverse backgrounds, including technology, policy and government.
Our objective is not to produce potential solutions to meet the Grand Challenges, rather it is to produce legacy materials that will further the discussions and stimulate the imagination of our young people who will be invested with the responsibility of meeting the Challenges.
We invite you to be part of the exciting discussion on how technology can address the major issues of this century.
Sincerely,
| John L. Anderson, Co-Chair President, Illinois Institute of Technology |
Alan Schriesheim, Co-Chair President, Chicago Council on Science and Technology Director Emeritus, Argonne National Laboratory |