Award winning Computer Scientist, Technology Evangelist and Digital Skills Expert, Professor Sue Black recently visited Australia and New Zealand.
Professor Black's visit kicked off in Canberra where she held meeting with UNSW Canberra and The Australian National University to discuss areas of collaboration in computer science, AI, and cyber.
Sue leads the pioneering Durham TechUPWomen programme retraining women from underserved communities into technology careers. Women in Tech was a key theme of her visit. She learnt how both UNSW Canberra and The Australian National University are promoting opportunities for women in tech. Professor Black spoke at a reception hosted by the British High Commission in Canberra about the importance of Women In Tech. She also took part in a Women in Tech event hosted by Louise Cantillon, the British Consul General in Sydney. As part of the discussions, Sue met students from the University of Technology Sydney who are studying computing and are part of a BT Group mentoring programme supported there.
Professor Black also gave the key note speech ""Did Twitter Save Bletchley Park?" at the Australian Information Security Association (AISA) CyberCon conference in which she discussed the campaign she ran from 2008-2011 to save Bletchley Park, demonstrating an early use of social media to run a positive campaign.
In New Zealand, Profesoor Black spoke alongside the British High Commissioner to New Zealand, Iona Thomas and the New Zealand Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology, Shane Reti MP at a UK/New Zealand Science and Technology Celebration at the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa in Wellington, highlighting Durham's world-leading research institutes including Durham Energy Institute, Durham Quantum Light and Matter, Durham University Space Research Centre and Durham Centre for Crop Improvement Technology. And in Auckland, she met with researchers from the University of Auckland to learn more about the research programme they are undertaking which is looking at women computer science graduate experiences in the workplace.
From Antarctic research and climate change to space applications, satellite technology, and quantum, we have a long and proud history of research collaborations with with Australia and New Zealand to tackle global challenges. Our Physicists have provided input into the development of the new Square Kilometre Array (SKA) Observatory. SKA is an international mega-science project to build the world's largest and most sensitive radio telescope. Headquartered in the UK, the SKA telescopes will be constructed and operated in Western Australia and South Africa. Our Institute of Hazard, Risk and Resilience (IHRR) has undertaken work on earthquake and tsunami detection, including in the Pacific. IHRR research on volcanic ash falls on communities in Indonesia has been incorporated into New Zealand government policy on volcanic eruption responses.
