BUIES CREEK — Campbell University’s Founding Engineering Dean, Dr. Jenna P. Carpenter, was an invited attendee last week at the 2nd Global Grand Challenges Summit held in Beijing, China.
Jointly sponsored by the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE), the Chinese Academy of Engineering and the U.K. Royal Academy of Engineering, the Summit brought together global experts and thought leaders to explore pathways for solving global themes from the NAE Grand Challenges report. Carpenter serves as chair of the Steering Committee for the NAE Grand Challenge Scholars Program.
“The Summit was an outstanding opportunity to learn about the latest developments in a wide variety of engineering arenas, including higher education, from the top experts in the world,” Carpenter said. “This Summit is an example of the type of opportunity that we can provide for our Campbell Engineering students, which serves to broaden their understanding through networking with engineering students and leaders from around the world.”
Topics at the Summit ranged from sustainability and infrastructure to energy, health, and joy of living.
Distinguished speakers included Alibaba Chairman Jack Ma, NAE Chair Chad Holliday, Lockheed Martin CTO Keoki Jackson, will.i.am of the Black-Eyed Peas, and DEKA and FIRST Robotics Founder Dean Kaman, among many others.
The event included a design competition focused on the Grand Challenge themes that featured teams of engineering students from the U.S., U.K, and China.
In addition to attending the Summit, Carpenter was invited to be part of a U.S./U.K. delegation that toured the China Aerospace Science and Technology/China Aerospace Corporation, as well as the Great Wall of China.
The next Global Grand Challenges Summit will be hosted by the National Academy of Engineering in the U.S. in 2017.
Campbell Engineering Dean Jenna Carpenter, center in gold jacket, in front of NAE President Dan Mote with Grand Challenge Scholars Program students at the Summit. Carpenter chairs the NAE Grand Challenge Scholars Program Steering Committee.