11th UQ Latin American Colloquium:
energy for a sustainable future

The Annual Latin American Colloquium 2017 looked to the future of Australia and Latin American relations and considered approaches and opportunities to a globally relevant and increasingly pertinent issue: energy for a sustainable future.

The Colloquium drew on speakers to offer a range of perspectives relevant to this topic including innovations in global energy solutions, and socio-political and environmental considerations within Australian and Latin American contexts.

Panel sessions

Panel 1: Transforming global energy solutions

This session explored the latest policy, research, development and industry innovations in renewable technologies to deliver cutting-edge solutions and approaches that are transforming the energy sector globally.

Panel 2: Responding to changing global needs

This session considered a range of social, political and environmental issues that are driving the demand for improved energy solutions, and highlight the need for engaging with communities to develop innovations appropriate to the local context. Perspectives were drawn from Australia, Latin America and internationally.

Panel 3: Greater connections, greater power: successes and opportunities

The final session drew together the threads of the previous panels by looking to the future of Australian and Latin American relations. It explored possibilities for building on successful collaborations to date, as well as consider new opportunities to combine knowledge, expertise and resources to deliver solutions and technologies that are mutually beneficial for both regions.

Participating Heads of Missions

Her Excellency Dr Clemencia Forero-Ucrós
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Embassy of the Republic of Colombia
His Excellency Dr Hugo Javier Gobbi
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Embassy of the Argentine Republic
His Excellency Dr Ricardo Javier Varela Fernandez
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Uruguay
Mr Fernando Acosta
Chargé d'Affaires Embassy of Paraguay
His Excellency Mr Manuel Innocencio de Lacerda Santos Jr
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Federative Republic of Brazil
Her Excellency Ms Connie Taracena Secaira
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Guatemala
Mr Daniel Gasparri-Rey
Chargé d’Affaires a.i., Embassy of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela
His Excellency Mr Miguel Julian Palomino de la Gala
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Peru
His Excellency Mr José Jairo Herandez Milian
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Costa Rica
Ms Paula Moreno
Trade Commissioner of Chile to Australia, Embassy of Chile
His Excellency Mr Juan Rodrigo Salazar Sancisi
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of the Republic of Ecuador
His Excellency Mr Jose Manuel Galego Montano
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Embassy of Cuba

Presenters

Professor Sandro Roberto Valentini
President, São Paulo State University – UNESP
Ms Barbara-Anne Bensted
Chief Digital Officer, Energy Queensland
Mr Rod Welford
Managing Director, Integrated Resource Planners
Ms Kirsty McNeil
Assistant Secretary Canada and Latin America Branch, Americas Division, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Ms Tracy Collier
Financial Inclusion Advisor, Good Shepherd International Foundation
Professor Neville Plint
Director, Sustainable Minerals Institute
Professor Robert Henry
Director, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture & Food Innovation
Professor Chris Greig
Director, UQ Energy Initiative
Director, Dow Centre for Sustainable Engineering Innovation
Professor Karen Hussey
Director, Centre for Policy Innovation
Dr Vigya Sharma
Research Fellow, Energy & Poverty Research Group
Mr Juan Ossa Moreno
PhD Candidate, Sustainable Minerals Institute - Centre for Water in the Minerals Industry
Ms Paula Calvo
PhD Student, Queensland Alliance for Agriculture and Food Innovation (QAAFI)

Program overview

Time Activity
9.00am - 9.10am Welcome address: Professor Peter Høj, President and Vice-Chancellor, UQ
9.10am - 9.20am Ambassadorial welcome address
9.20am – 10.00am Plenary speaker followed by Q&A
10.00am – 10.15am Embassy work experience: student case study
10.15am – 10.45am Morning tea
10.45am – 11.45am Panel one: transforming global energy solutions
11.45am – 12.45pm Panel two: responding to changing global needs
12.45pm – 1.40pm Networking lunch 
1.40pm - 2.40pm Panel three: greater connections, greater power: successes and opportunities in Latin American-Australian energy collaborations
2.40pm - 2.50pm Ambassadorial closing remarks
2.50pm - 3.00pm Closing remarks by Professor Iain Watson, Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (External Engagement)

Resources

Group photo

Image of heads of mission

Event contact

For more information about the event or UQ's engagement in Latin America, contact

Ms Victoria Bick, Manager, International Visits and Events, UQ Global Engagement, UQ

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