Cassandra Conference

Climate change, health, mass migration, conflict and gender inequality are five strongly interrelated crises which demand understanding, awareness and a broad, global approach to the design and implementation of solutions.

Awareness leads to concern, concern leads to engagement, engagement leads to consensus and consensus leads to the continuity of potentially effective strategies. But awareness must be based on knowledge, engagement must be the route to solutions and consensus must be founded on an understanding of society’s scientific and technological capacity to support what has often been considered as simply a socio-political debate.

Technology centres and research institutions around the world, are beginning to recognise that through their scientific and technical investigations they have a social responsibility to work in close collaboration and cooperation with society as a whole, to join forces and unite the Quintuple Helix composed of the world of research together with the public sector, the private sector, the arts and the citizen.

Building on the success of the two past editions of CASSANDRA celebrated in 2021 and in 2023, this conference intends to reflect the progress of the CASSANDRA Programme which is based on three pillars; the promotion of the local community as the true implementer of global climate-based strategies, the creation of a network of Science Embassies, predisposed to offer the benefits of their knowledge and expertise to local communities around the globe, whenever such input is required and the creation of a series of courses designed to make scientists aware of the socio-political importance of their work, whilst teaching them how to explain complex concepts in a manner that proves accessible to all social sectors.

In this way, the CASSANDRA Programme and the CASSANDRA Conference seeks to provide tangible support and answers to those who suffer the dramatic consequences of a pathway which begins with climate change, and which leads to health issues, migration, the multiplication of the effects of armed conflict and a worsening of gender inequality. There will be no PowerPoint presentations in order to encourage a fluid, earnest and revealing interaction between speakers and listeners. The event is 100% on-line and registration is free.