A host of VIP events
Important public figures visited the University and associated organisations this summer – chief amongst them being Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal who officially launched the 5th International Carers Conference at the Royal Armouries.
The Princess Royal, who founded The Princess Royal Trust for Carers, addressed an audience of more than 400 delegates from over 20 countries. Hosted by Carers UK in association with the University of Leeds, the three-day conference explored solutions for how to fund and manage care in the future. Also at the conference, the Rt Hon Andrew Lansley MP, the new Secretary of State for Health, made his first major speech to set out key principles for the forthcoming commission on social care.
Prime Minister David Cameron visited Yorkshire during the summer to talk about his new economic strategy for the UK and the government’s determination to help boost UK businesses. Two of the innovative companies he visited – Pace and Surgical innovations – have both been involved in knowledge transfer partnerships with the University.
Minister for Universities and Science David Willetts paid a visit to the new WELMEC joint simulation laboratory following a regional Cabinet meeting held in Bradford in June. Mr Willetts toured the laboratory in the WELMEC Centre of Excellence in Medical Engineering, accompanied by the Vice-Chancellor Michael Arthur and Deputy Vice-Chancellor Professor John Fisher. They explained how the new facilities are translating university research expertise into benefits for patients by helping companies create longer lasting hip and knee
replacement joints.
Finally, more than 180 delegates attended A Low Carbon Future – a conference organised by students at the Doctoral Training Centre in Low Carbon Technologies (School of Process, Environmental and Materials Engineering). The event brought together academics, stakeholders including representatives from industry and regional government attendees from other UK Energy Doctoral Training Centres. The conference provided a forum for leading researchers and industrialists to discuss various aspects of low carbon technologies in the context of the government’s targets of 20% greenhouse gases emission reduction by 2020 and 80% by 2050.
