Humanitarian Engineering Conference 2022

Project Engineer Dr Laura Montano and Scientia PhD Candidate Maryam Farzadkhoo participated as industry speakers in the annual inter-university Humanitarian Engineering Conference 2022 (HEC20200).

More than 60 students from five Australian universities (UNSW, UTS, University of Sydney, Macquarie University and Western Sydney University) gathered to experience a mix of educational and social activities which included workshops and guest speakers who work in the humanitarian engineering field.

During the session, Laura and Maryam inspired the students with a collation of humanitarian engineering experiences from the WRL team. Our valuable WRL members have worked on several projects to assist communities by providing humanitarian engineering aid in water sanitation, water supply, coastal protection and climate change and river management in different regions worldwide including regional communities in Australia, the Pacific Islands, Africa and South Asia.

While humanitarian aid has some challenges, working toward a more equitable world and sharing knowledge is a driver to keep contributing to our more remote communities. 

The talk was finalised with water-related design challenges where the students had to propose humanitarian-centred design alternatives that were sustainable and appropriate. Each group identified the solution holistically, considering engineering requirements and cultural and environmental values. The success of the activity demonstrated the significance of engineering diversity and creative thinking to effectively address humanitarian issues as long as the solution is sustainable and appropriate.

This conference was an excellent opportunity to showcase WRL's experiences in humanitarian engineering and the pathway required to work towards sustainable development goals. The HEC2022 participants gaining inspiration by WRL's experiences, reinforcing their passion for continuing on the humanitarian engineering journey.