The Water Institute at the University of Waterloo is set to host its 7th international Water Institute Research Conference from September 26 to 28, spotlighting the theme Water as a foundation for healthy communities and sustainable livelihoods.
This three-day international conference will explore progress against the UN’s SDGs at the intersection of water, health, food and gender. Hear from international experts and early career scholars from Canada, Africa and Asia who will share research experiences and lessons learned from a variety of multi-sectoral projects led by academic and local partners.
Keynote speakers this year include:
- Zulfiqar A. Bhutta, Inaugural Robert Harding Chair in Global Child Health at the Hospital for Sick Children and Director of Research at the SickKids Centre for Global Child Health, Toronto, Canada
- Inga Jacobs-Mata
Country Representative Southern Africa, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Pretoria, South Africa - Dawit Mekonnen
Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), Washington, USA - Deepa Joshi
Gender, Youth and Inclusion Lead in the CGIAR Research Program on Water, Land and Ecosystems, International Water Management Institute (IWMI), Colombo, Sri Lanka
The program is put together based on a wide variety of projects from the Queen Elizabeth Scholars (QES) program “Water as a Foundation for Healthy Communities and Sustainable Livelihoods”, implemented by the Water Institute over the past 5 years. The program is filled with lively panel discussions among QES scholars, partner institutes and research placement partners. Each day features a high-profile keynote speaker and panel discussion addressing the SDG theme of the day including: Lessons learned in achieving SDG6 – Clean water and sanitation for all, SDG3 – Good health and wellbeing and SDG10 – Reduced inequalities.
The conference is designed for academics, practitioners and policymakers and is free to attend.