KTH Sustainability Research Day 2023
KTH Sustainability Reserach Day took place on 23 November 2023. The event focused onwhat it means to be at the forefront of research in a world with clear needs and many conflicting goals. Questions discussed included: For whom do we develop technology and innovations? How do we avoid that new solutions create new problems? And what does ethical leadership mean?
Welcome to this year's KTH Sustainability Research Day where we discuss the responsibility of research for an ethical and sustainable development of society.
Time: Thu 2023-11-23 13.00 - 17.00
Location: Teknikringen 1
KTH's research and education have a great impact on society, and with this comes a great responsibility to contribute to a sustainable transition. Our researchers have a tradition of delivering high-quality knowledge, technology and innovations that solve today's major challenges. Ethical considerations and leadership are central to the quality of research and its implementation in society.
Streaming from the event
Keynote speaker
Julia Romanowska is a researcher, doctor of medicine from Karolinska Institutet and has an artistic master's degree from the Royal Academy of Music. Romanowska has worked as a percussionist, programmer and organizational and leadership developer.
Program
Language: Swedish and English
*Note that there is an opportunity to ask the researchers questions during the program. The day ends with mingling and light refreshments. (With reservation for changes)
13:00 Welcome
Karin Larsdotter, project manager KTH Sustainability Office and deputy director of KTH Climate Action Centre
13:05 The role and responsibility of research at KTH
Annika Borgenstam, Vice Chancellor for Research, KTH
13:20 Leadership, art and human responsibility
Julia Romanowska
Within the framework of a research experiment, a group of managers is faced with a new leadership concept that differs in all respects from the traditional ones. Affected by strong artistic experiences, they are confronted with life's most fundamental questions. How does it affect their view of power and responsibility?
13:50 KTH - Broader than technology and innovation
Elisabeth Ekener (social sustainability), Sara Borgström (environmental sustainability) and Göran Finnveden (financial sustainability)
As a technical university, KTH's research contributes to society with knowledge, technology and innovation. At the same time, the question must be asked - who and what is research for? New technology and innovations are undeniably needed, but are not the only factor in creating a sustainable future. Sustainable development is based on three dimensions: the social, the environmental and the economic.
14.35 PAUSE
15:05 Navigating ethical dilemmas in research. Research for sustainble development at KTH
What ethical aspects attach when academics collaborate with the public sector and perform research in the public sphere?
Barbro Fröding, Docent in Philosophy
This talk introduces a smart city research collaboration between KTH, MIT and the City of Stockholm and gives concrete examples of how one can work with the ethical aspects in such projects in order to promote reflection, increase knowledge and provide support for the ethics work.
The benefits of integrated sustainable development planning: the example of climate and health
Francesco Fuso Nerini
, Ass. Professor, Director of the KTH Climate Action Centre
Anthropocene History
Sabine Höhler, Professor of Science and Technology Studies, Head of Department of Philosophy and History
In 2024, a new Center for Anthropocene History at KTH will start exploring the Anthropocene as a new geological age that has far-reaching implications for our understanding of humans’ place on Earth. The talk addresses our responsibilities and our possibilities as researchers facing contemporary global environmental challenges.
The Energy Footprint of Carbon Capture and Sequestration
Christophe Duwig
Dept. Chemical Engineering, KTH Energy Platform & KTH Climate Action Centre KTH
Artificial Intelligence and Industrial Transformation
Mats Engwall, Professor KTH and Emrah Karakaya, Docent KTH
This talk introduces some insights from an ongoing Wallenberg AI, Autonomous Systems and Software Program – Humanities and Society (WASP-HS) project, which aims to explore how the technology shift to artificial intelligence might transform industry in Sweden, as well as poses some open-ended questions regarding ethics and sustainability of such transformations.
16:25 Summary discussion
Annika Borgenstam, Julia Romanowska, Göran Finnveden and Wouter Metsola van der Wijngaart.