Watson Institute for Internation and Public Affairs
Brown International Advanced Research Institutes

BIARI at Brown 2014

Connections and Flows: Water, Energy, and Digital Information in the Global South

Water, energy, and digital information are key resources for all societies in the 21st century, demanding a range of products, services, and infrastructure to provide secure, equitable distribution and delivery. Operating in a studio format built around participants’ ongoing projects, and with input from visiting practitioners and scholars, this institute had two main goals: first, to explore emerging concepts in engineering, design, and development through a focus on platforms, prototypes, and projects; and second, to delve into the implications of their design and development in society. Participants in this innovative interdisciplinary institute were a diverse group of young engineers and engineering faculty, as well as from engineering education policymakers and those working in agriculture, environmental studies, urban studies, or related fields. 


Conveners

GERI AUGUSTO

Visiting Associate Professor in Africana Studies at Brown University
Her current interests are science and technology policy and higher education policy in the Global South; the interaction between the technosciences and indigenous local knowledges, particularly in Southern Africa, Brazil, the US, and the Caribbean.

CHRISTOPHER BULL

Senior Research Engineer, Senior Lecturer at Brown University
Chris' research interests include: alternative transportation, sustainable design, neural recording and stimulation systems, and experimental mechanics.