Materials science is central to the sustainable development of new products and processes, from applications spanning clean energy technologies to water purification, to industrial-scale processes that are energy-efficient and benign to the environment and human health. The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasised the importance of materials science and how it scaffolds humanity.

Meeting the challenges of sustainable development will require a materials science workforce that is well-educated and trained in the principles of sustainability and how they interface with the broader context of related scientific fields, industrial-scale up, socioeconomics, and policy. Since sustainable technologies must ultimately be adopted by the public to be successful, public perception and outreach are also critical components to enabling a sustainable future.

Many of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), which originated at the United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development in 2012, intersect with the field of materials science. The UN SDGs also inform and underpin the research funding landscape, and represent an opportunity for companies, NGO’s and university researchers and educators to contribute to sustainable development.

This symposium will bring together materials researchers and educators, industry and sustainability leaders, and science communications and outreach specialists. They will share and explore innovative pedagogy, curriculum materials and resources, skillsets required for the future workforce, and public outreach for integrating and employing sustainable systems thinking to ultimately help transform our world.

Education government policy and funding informal education outreach