As the Queen's Baton heads for Australia, University of Birmingham experts gather to explore solutions to global challenges University of Birmingham experts are leading a series of high-profile events
As the Queen’s Baton heads for Australia, University of Birmingham experts gather to explore solutions to global challenges University of Birmingham experts are leading a series of high-profile events exploring how researchers can help to solve global challenges.
The events celebrate the arrival in Australia of the Birmingham 2022 Queen’s Baton Relay, of which the University is an official partner.
In Australia, the virtual events feature a range of top British and Australian experts, and cover areas such as youth mental health, sports diplomacy and the role of character in sport. They include:
The Queen’s Baton Relay events are underpinned by Commonwealth-wide celebrations for staff, students and alumni and the #gamechangingbirmingham campaign.
Seven Batonbearers, including students and athletes aiming to take part in the Commonwealth Games, will carry the Baton across the University of Melbourne’s campus – on Sunday, 20 March. It will be welcomed by Professor Michael Wesley, Deputy Vice-Chancellor International.
Speaking about the Baton’s arrival in Australia, Professor Adam Tickell, Vice-Chancellor at the University of Birmingham commented: “The University of Birmingham is a civic university with a global outlook. Our Commonwealth connections are deep and wide-ranging, particularly in Australia, where we have engaged for decades in education and research partnerships with fellow founding member of Universitas 21 the University of Melbourne.
“Sport is a unifying force and, as part of our commitment to supporting the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, we are holding a series of academic, student and partner events in Commonwealth countries to coincide with the Queen’s Baton Relay visit.
“I am delighted that we can hold these exciting events, focussing on how we work collaboratively with research and education partners to tackle global challenges and help improve the quality of life for people in Australia and beyond.”
The University’s environmental scientists have helped create a hi-tech ‘heart’ for the Queen’s Baton, which contains atmospheric sensors with laser technology that analyses the environmental conditions wherever it is in the world. Augmented Reality (AR) will be used to visualise creatively data captured throughout the journey to invite conversations around air quality across the Commonwealth.
Data collected on the Baton’s journey will contribute to ongoing research projects being conducted across the globe by a team led by atmospheric scientist Professor Francis Pope who said, “Atmospheric data captured during the Baton’s global journey will be highly valuable in starting important conversations around air quality across the Commonwealth.”
Professor of Atmospheric Science
Staff profile for Professor Francis Pope. Francis is an environmental scientist with wide ranging interests in the atmospheric sciences, human health and sustainable cities. University of Birmingham
