Distinguished Lecture series

CSIC has hosted a number of distinguished lectures delivered by leading members of the construction and infrastructure industries.

2024: Professor Mark Girolami FREng FRSE, Chief Scientist, The Alan Turing Institute - Sir Kirby Laing Professor of Civil Engineering. 'Engineering the Future and the Future of Engineering'

We face a number of global challenges and engineering is at the core to ‘engineering our future’ as highlighted by Lord Patrick Vallance who has said "There’s no doubt that engineering has a major central role to play in the global challenges, whichever ones you choose to pick. Just as it was in the mid-18 century, just as it was in the mid-19th century when this institute (IMechE) was formed, engineering – in all its guises – remains absolutely central to solving the big challenges of the day, and is a way in which those challenges get settled”. The question is what is the future of engineering to ensure we are effective in addressing these big questions? The role of experiment, empirical measurement, observation and data have always been core to the development of the empirical laws of the engineering sciences and associated professions. Is this future a data centric approach to engineering, and what would this actually mean? Is this yet another bandwagon of hype or is there substance behind the term? This talk will highlight the role of recent advances in the data sciences and how they are transforming the study and practice of engineering.

2023: Lord Robert Mair Emeritus Sir Kirby Laing Professor of Civil Engineering, founder of CSIC. 'Infrastructure - can't measure, can't improve?'

The Lecture reflected on the achievements of CSIC over the past 13 years. Of CSIC’s many case studies and projects, a number were selected, focusing principally on fibre optic strain sensing for field measurements; wireless sensing and satellite technology were also addressed. It covered innovative examples of (a) performance-based design improvements, (b) construction control, (c) assessment of performance of existing infrastructure assets, and (d) early warning detection systems. Reflections were provided on the extent to which Smart Infrastructure would shape a better future for infrastructure and the society it serves.

2022: Rachel Skinner CBE, Executive Director WSP. 'Sustainable infrastructure for the 2020s: what might ‘really good’ really look like?'

Rachel was the youngest president in the ICE’s 200-year history and chose the climate emergency and the vital role that civil engineers must play in achieving net zero carbon emissions as the focus for her presidency. We are at the front edge of understanding some of the most pressing challenges of our time and entering an era of thinking about infrastructure in an entirely different way. As civil engineers who create, maintain and improve the built environment, we have it in our hands to help shape the future. While 2050 is the net zero carbon emissions target date, we need to act now to understand the systems we seek to change, take ownership for what we can do and be bold in the decisions we can make to strategically create the change our sector needs. You can watch the lecture on this page or visit our YouTube channel.

2021: Professor Jim Hall: 'The data revolution in global-scale analysis of climate risks to infrastructure systems'

This year’s lecture addresses extreme events, such as floods and hurricanes, and how they can lead to systemic impacts by disrupting supply chains, industries and communities. These risks to infrastructure systems from climate change can be quantified, thanks to rapidly growing capabilities for analysing infrastructure networks at very large scales. Professor Jim Hall is Professor of Climate and Environmental Risks at the University of Oxford and Director of Research in the School of Geography and the Environment. You can watch the lecture on this page or visit our YouTube channel.

2020:& Professor Jerry Lynch: 'What is the role of the civil engineer in an increasingly automated infrastructure world?'

This year’s lecture explores the importance of civil engineers taking the role as lead innovators in the design, deployment, and accessibility of our increasingly automated built environments to serve society and advance the common good. Professor Lynch is Donald Malloure Department Chair of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Director of the University of Michigan Urban Collaboratory; he is a member of the CSIC International Advisory Group. The Distinguished Lecture 2020 is now available to watch on the Centre for Smart Infrastructure and Construction YouTube channel.

2018: Dr Anne Kemp: ‘A glimpse into the future.... by considering the past. The challenges, the opportunities – and our consciences’

Dr Kemp’s lecture draws attention to the potential of smarter infrastructure to support a healthier and more prosperous society but raises questions about the ethics required to safeguard data use and how to ensure that, as humans, we remain an essential part of the decision-making process. Watch on the CSIC YouTube channel or below.

2017: Dr W. Allen Marr: 'Managing Risks to Infrastructure with Real-Time Monitoring of Performance'

The 2017 lecture was presented in June by Dr W. Allen Marr, the founder and CEO Geocomp Corporation, a leading US-based company providing comprehensive geostructural design and performance monitoring services to clients across the United States and around the globe. Watch on the CSIC YouTube channel or below.

2015: Dr Keith Bowers: 'London’s transport; infrastructure, value and the case for innovation'

Dr Keith Bowers CEng, FICE, MIMMM, FGS is Principal Tunnel Engineer at London Underground Transport for London and a member of CSIC’s Steering Group and his lecture called for innovation in transport infrastructure.

2014: Professor Bill Spencer: 'Assessing Complex Structures'

Professor Spencer, from the University of Illinois, highlighted some of the leaps that have been made in testing and analysing critical structural components including several successful projects which illustrate recent advances and innovations and point towards future challenges and opportunities. Read more and watch a video of Prof Spencer's lecture.

2013: Professor Tom O’Rourke: 'The New Normal for Natural Disasters'

The effects of the Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Canterbury Earthquake Sequence, and Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy are discussed with respect to their impact on regional and international economics, national practices for security and recovery, and worldwide energy policy. The severity and far ranging consequences of these extreme events have established in effect a new normal for natural disasters. The lecture explains why these events require a fundamental re-thinking of the way we evaluate the risks of extreme events, as well as define and protect critical infrastructure.