Category: 2017 Speaker

Andrea Cullen has had a number of years industrial experience as a computer programmer and systems analyst working on projects throughout the UK where she has been responsible for the development and implementation of many software systems. She later received a 1st class degree in Computing with Management here at the University of Bradford in the Department of Computing and PG Diploma in Research methods at the School of Management; a PG Certificate in Higher Education and a PG Certificate in Management and Leadership. Her PhD studies were conducted at the University of Bradford School of Management where she investigated technology within the pharmaceutical supply chain of the National Health Service (NHS). 

Andrea joined the Department of Computing in 2003 as a Lecturer in Computing. She is a founder member and Director of the Cyber Security Interdisciplinary Centre (CSIC) at the University of Bradford and continues to work on joint projects with colleagues within Computer Science, Engineering, Mathematics, Peace Studies, Management, Law and Social Science. Her main research areas are the security of business systems, ISO27001, social engineering and the implications of security for organisations. She is a certified ISO/IEC 27001 Lead Implementer (Information Security Management Systems) and an ISO/IEC 27001 certified trainer. 

Andrea is currently an external examiner at the University of Derby and has previous experience at Huddersfield University Business School and the University of Manchester. She is currently the British Computer Society (BCS) departmental contact. Andrea is an MBTI practitioner and a trained workplace mediator.

Felician is a Professor in Automotive Reliability Engineering and Director of the Automotive Research Centre. He holds a PhD in Reliability from Brunel University (1998) and a Mechanical / Manufacturing Engineering Degree from Transilvania University (1990). Worked in the bearings industry before joining Academia as a lecturer in manufacturing automation. Has joined University of Bradford in 1998 as a Research Fellow, and progressed to Senior Research Fellow (2000), Senior Lecturer in Competitive Design (2005), and Professor in 2011. Has led the Bradford Engineering Quality Improvement Centre (since 2000) which is a major hub for collaborative applied research and knowledge transfer. Has led several major programmes of workplace based research and postgraduate development including the MSC by research / MPhil / PhD in Engineering Quality Improvement (partnership with Ford Motor Company) and the MSc in Engineering and Process Excellence (partnership with Jaguar Land Rover – Technical Accreditation Scheme) – underpinned by a programme of research led short courses.

Felician has extensive track record of leading research and knowledge transfer collaboration with the global automotive industry, including companies like Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Tata Motors, Honda, Cummins Turbo Technologies, Webasto, and Gates Corporation.
Current research interests revolve around modelling complex systems, including model based methods for reliability and robustness of complex systems design, multi-disciplinary design optimization applied to complex systems, modelling complex product development processes.
Major recent research projects have focused on engine and powertrain modelling and optimisation, and automotive systems engineering design based on Failure Mode Avoidance.

Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society, Member of the Design Society, Committee member of the MMEP DS SIG.

Professor Alec Cameron commenced as Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of Aston University in September 2016. He previously held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Western Australia from January, 2013 to August 2016. In this role, he led the University’s academic programs and the institution’s education mission. He oversaw the use of information technology, course structures, international activities, student recruitment and engagement, and relationships with key education partners. Prior to joining UWA, Professor Cameron was President of the Australian Business Deans Council. He was the driving force behind the Australian School of Business, after being appointed the School’s inaugural Dean in 2006, and overseeing its emergence from the integration of academic units at the University of New South Wales. Professor Cameron has also previously held the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resources and Infrastructure) at UNSW, and several senior corporate positions in the IT and telecommunications industry – including at Sun Microsystems Australia, Alcatel Australia, COMindico, and Telstra. A Rhodes Scholar, Professor Cameron holds a Bachelor of Science degree and a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with First Class Honours. He also holds a University Medal from the University of Sydney, a Doctor of Philosophy degree in robotics from Oxford University, and a Master of Science degree in the Management of Technology from Polytechnic Institute, New York University. In December 2012, The Professor Alec Cameron Prize for Excellence was established at UNSW in recognition of his significant contribution to the institution and community.

As Director of Standards Jeremy leads on the development and management of professional standards for BCS. These standards currently include the BCS-owned Chartered IT Professional (CITP) and Registered IT Technician (RITTech) as well as other licenced standards such as Chartered Engineer (CEng) and Chartered Scientist (CSci).

Jeremy has been at BCS since 2003 and has previously managed the development of some of BCS’ leading qualifications and managed relationships with key stakeholders in the qualification sector. More recently Jeremy led a number of high profile projects within the BCS Academy of Computing before moving on to the role of Director of Standards in August 2015.

Dr. Azzazy is a tenured full professor of Chemistry (2003-present) at the American University in Cairo (AUC). He served as the Chairman of Chemistry Department and Associate Dean for Graduate Studies & Research at the School of Sciences & Engineering, AUC.

Prior to joining AUC, Dr. Azzazy was a postdoctoral fellow and assistant professor at University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD (1995-2002). He holds two board certifications in Clinical Chemistry and Molecular Diagnostics from the American Board of Clinical Chemistry, Washington, DC. Dr. Azzazy has over 26 years of experience in biomedical research and currently leads the Novel Diagnostics & Therapeutics research group at AUC. Dr. Azzazy authored 77 publications in refereed journals, 70 conference presentations, and 25 book chapters. He has co-edited two books on “diagnostic enzymology” and “Innovation & Entrepreneurship in Egypt”. According to Scopus, he has H-Index of 21 and 1887 citations. Dr. Azzazy is the co-founder & CTO of the startup company D-Kimia Innovative Diagnostics, LLC which develops affordable diagnostic solutions. He is also the founder and CEO of NanoEbers, LLC which focuses on development of biocompatible nanofibrous wound dressings. Dr. Azzazy is the recipient of several awards including State Prize in Advanced Technological Sciences, Excellence in Research & Creative Endeavors Award (AUC), Global Innovator Award (Texas Christian University), and Arab Innovation & Entrepreneurship Award (UAE).

Dame Mary Archer DBE started her career as a physical chemist and taught Chemistry at both Oxford and Cambridge Universities. She was chair of Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for ten years and is currently chair of the Science Museum Group and Cambridge Early Music. She is President of the UK Solar Energy Society and the Guild of Church Musicians, a trustee of Britten Sinfonia and iCould, and a non-executive director of Hydrodec Group plc. In 2012, she was appointed DBE for services to the NHS.

Justine is part of the national Education and Skills leadership team for KPMG. Based in Leeds, until 2015 Justine led KPMG’s work across the Public Sector in the North, encompassing Local Government; the NHS; Higher Education and Social Housing. Since then, whilst keeping more than one foot in the North, her substantive role is a national one as the Market Director for KPMG’s Education and Skills practice – responsible for the development of our work in this sector, encompassing schools, 14-19, Higher Education and increasingly the wider skills agenda linked to Northern Powerhouse and devolution. She leads our work with some of the largest Education providers nationally as well as being at the forefront of our work in the skills space.

Justine is passionate about the evolving role of public service and the potential of working across an economic geography to change the way we currently deliver and receive services. She has a particular interest in the strategies cities and places can utilise to grow economically and the role of collaboration to achieve that.

Justine studied English Literature and Language at New College, Oxford and has a Masters from Essex in the Study of Contemporary Japan. She is Senior Independent Governor at Leeds Trinity University; on the Leeds and York Chamber of Commerce Leadership Board and a Fellow of the RSA.

Adam joined Rolls-Royce’s in 2007 to establish its multi-disciplinary Low Carbon Technology unit with responsibility for identifying and evaluating renewable and clean-tech opportunities across the group.

He is currently Head of Business for Rolls-Royce’s Future Technology Group – the unit that acts as the prime technological early warning system for the company as well as having responsibility for generating future concepts and developing, protecting and transferring cutting edge disruptive technologies across all of the Rolls-Royce businesses. This role involves considerable university and academic interaction, particularly on geared R&T programmes funded by the European Union, Innovate UK and the UK and US Governments. Other aspects of the role include technology road-mapping, business case development, relationship building, strategy buy-off and management of collaborative programmes.

As well as a Masters degree from Swansea University, Adam has an MBA from Imperial College and a Masters in Finance from Erasmus University, Rotterdam.

Executive Summary

Over the last 30 years, Rolls-Royce plc has developed a unique model of University-Business collaboration through its network of University Technology Centres (UTCs) and manufacturing research centres. This has delivered long-term capability and access to key talent and intellectual capability, essential for continuing success in extremely challenging technical fields. The company also benefits from the challenge and dialogue borne from diversity and a multi-sector perspective. In the session the speaker considers how this model may have to further evolve over the long term.

Rovani Sigamoney is a chemical/environmental engineer from South Africa who started in the platinum refinery/mining sector and then moved on to researching bioenergy systems and biofuels for Africa.

She joined the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) HQ in Paris, France in 2007 in the Natural Sciences Sector and later ran the Chemistry programme and International Year of Chemistry 2011. She thereafter took over the UNESCO Engineering programme. The Engineering Programme is working with Member States (UNESCO has 195 Member States), international partners and program experts to strengthen engineering education through curricula development, hands-on training and capacity building. In line with UNESCO’s global priorities on Africa and Gender Equality, it focuses on women and Africa but also has activities around the world. Rovani is passionate about women in engineering and encouraging more youth to pursue careers in engineering.

She previously worked at the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Paris on a biofuels strategy and also at the Wuppertal Institute of Climate Change in Germany on a policy document for the European Parliament on the security of energy supply.

Professor MacCraith holds a Personal Chair in Physics at DCU. He was founding Director of both the National Centre for Sensor Research (NCSR) and the Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (BDI) at DCU. He is a member of the Royal Irish Academy and a Fellow of the Institute of Physics. He was appointed President of DCU in July 2010 and will hold this position for 10 years. As President, he has advanced DCU’s mission as a research-intensive, globally-engaged University of Enterprise that emphasises innovation in teaching, learning and research.

During his time as President, DCU has been ranked among the world’s leading young universities and is included both in the QS Top 50 under 50 and the THE 100 under 50.

Professor MacCraith has a strong commitment to student entrepreneurship (both social and commercial) and recently Chaired the National Review of STEM Education in Ireland for the Irish Government.