"Overcoming the impossible? Climate, Circularity and Change"

Venue: Norcroft Lounge, University of Bradford, Great Horton Road, Bradford.  BD7 1DP.

Speaker: Professor Amir Sharif

Date: Monday 2 March, 2020
Registration: 5.30-6:00pm
Evening Speaker: 6:00-7:30pm
Networking and Refreshments:  7.30pm onwards 

Further details on the session:

As the world is becoming increasingly aware, we have to change our approach to how we use and consume products, reduce waste, and our overall impact and relationship with the natural and the man-made world. Current and future environmental, ecological and economic shocks are occurring with increasing frequency. 

But how do we manage and cope with this situation? 

This talk explores how we might approach the trilemma of climate emergency, circular economy and managing rapid and unforeseen changes. By adopting a systems-based view; including diverse concepts from Artificial Intelligence, peace studies and sustainable development; three key approaches useful to businesses and individuals to address some of the challenges will be presented in an interactive knowledge transfer session – in order to progress from a “science of the dismal”, towards a more pragmatic, “science of the possible”. 

About Professor Amir Sharif

Amir M. Sharif joined Bradford in August 2017 and is currently Associate Dean (International & Accreditations) and Professor of Circular Economy. A previous Head of Brunel Business School (Brunel University London), he has also held numerous leadership and management roles including as Acting Dean, Assistant Head, Director of MBA and Doctoral programmes, and Director of Teaching and Learning. 

Prior to academia, Amir was a practitioner working in the professional and financial services sector for leading global corporations including JPMorgan, UBS Investment Bank and KPMG. An engineer by first degree, Amir has built deep consulting experience across technology, manufacturing and the public sector also. 

Amir continues to research and teach in the areas of food security, circular economy, operations / supply chain management, leadership, decision-making and humanitarian logistics (and was also an AI researcher early in his academic career). 

Amir is regularly called upon by international research funding bodies including: UKRI (EPSRC and ESRC), EU, the national research foundations of China, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Qatar and Switzerland as well as the British Council and British Academy. He is a Board member for the Network Universities / Higher Education advisory group for the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, is a Member of the UKRI Future Leaders Fellowships Programme, has previously served as Governor for Glyn School, in Epsom, Surrey and most recently has become a board member of the Stronger Communities Partnership Board for Bradford Municipal District Council. Amir continues to support a number of UK as well as Pakistan-based charities aligned to education and healthcare (including cancer and eye care).

Amir is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, the Chartered Institute for Logistics and Transport, the Institute of Leadership and Management and is a Member of the Chartered Management Institute.