Previous SDFs
SDF 2017
Artificial Intelligence: Disrupting Sustainability
The second edition of the Sustainable Development Forum was held at the Cambridge Judge Business School on the 25th of February 2017. The conference was organized with the support of MPhil in Technology Policy and Cambridge Judge Business School. The main topic of the forum was “Artificial Intelligence Disrupting Sustainability”.
The conference started with a welcoming speech at the Cambridge Judge Business School. Attendees were addressed by Professor Michael Pollitt, the Director of MPhil in Technology Policy and Kosta Zivanovic, the co-founder of the Sustainable Development Forum.
The Sustainable Development Forum was held with notable success, both in terms of organization and related activities, and in terms of the quality of the panels and discussions. The speakers were representatives of the private sector and academia. In addition to local experts (from the University of Cambridge), we had guests and speakers from Barclays Bank, Mind the Bridge, Seldon, and Weave.
After the opening speeches, a plenary lecture has been held by one of the biggest contributors to the Science in the UK, Lord Martin Rees. His lecture was followed by a discussion panel, “Smart Economy-Transformation of Job Markets”, where panelists from Barclays UK, Mind the Bridge presented amendments to the presentation. Afterward, there was a following lecture about Ethics and AI (“Ethical AI development?”) delivered by Alex Housley: CEO & Founder at Seldon.io.
Finally, The last part of the program was a round table, dedicated to disruptions within the industries. The panelists were from Barclays UK, University of Cambridge and Weave.ai. There were conversations about the implementation of sustainable development goals, potential problems along the way and how to participate together in this new agenda.
SDF 2016
Role of Education and Culture in Sustainable Development Agenda
The first International Conference of the Sustainable Development Forum was held in the City Administration of Belgrade from 24th to 27th of February 2016. Attendees were addressed by the Assistant Minister of Youth and Sport, Snežana Klašnja and by the chairman of the British-Serbian Chamber of Commerce, Sir Paul Judge. The Sustainable Development Forum was officially opened by Kosta Živanović – co-founder of The Sustainable Development Forum, Kori Udovički – Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Public Administration and Local Self-Government of the Republic of Serbia, Nikola Nikodijević – President of the City Assembly of Belgrade and Irena Vojačkova Solorano – United Nations Resident Coordinator in Belgrade.
All of the speakers were representatives of public, private and civil sectors. In addition to local experts, we had guests and speakers from Great Britain, Netherlands, the United States of America, Mongolia, Italy, Greece, Albania, Morocco, and Romania. The focus of the panels was on formal education and education on sustainability. Also, there was a discussion on innovation, economics, and entrepreneurship. The second day was dedicated to culture and its essential role in pressing world problems. The last part of the day 2 program was a round table, dedicated to a global partnership. There were conversations about the implementation of sustainable development goals, potential problems along the way and how to participate together in this new agenda. Also, the forum had supporting programs in both days in the form of workshops: Growing a Green Spirit and Zero Hunger App.
This conference was a first of its kind in Europe since the United Nations summit in New York in September 2015, where the 17 new sustainable development goals have been adopted for the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The conference sparked a dialogue between the key stakeholders, representatives of public, private and civil sectors, and the young people who will be involved in the implementation process. The conference has been able to cover 11 goals of the 2030 Agenda, through discussion panels, round tables, and workshops.
