KEYNOTES

The keynote speakers and the abstracts of their keynotes for the Heads of Schools Meeting 2025 Liverpool, UK

SPEAKERS

Andrea Frank
University of Birmingham

Andrea Frank

KEYNOTE 1 - Urban and Spatial Planning - Leadership in the age of Super-complexity
RoleAssociate Professor in Urban and Regional Planning, School of Geography Earth and Environmental Science; Degree Apprenticeship Lead for College of Life Science; University of Birmingham

ExpertiseCommunity involvement/public participation, citizen science, green infrastructure, sustainable development and international comparative planning. She is also an internationally recognised expert in planning education and pedagogy. 

Education, Pedagogy and Curriculum developmente.g., Chair leading the revision of AESOP’s Core Curriculum in Planning; Co-coordinator of the Thematic Group on Planning Education focusing on activities/workshops to foster inter-disciplinarity, comparing institutional approaches to planning education and planning education in the age of AI; advisor to Irish institute of Planning; and evaluator of ERASMUS Mundus application for EU; external examiner at UCL London.

Siri Eriksen
University of Life Sciences (NMBU)

Siri Eriksen

KEYNOTE 2 - Can climate resilient development be transformative? The politics of shifting technology, practice and governance

RoleProfessor in climate and development, Faculty of Landscape and Society, Norwegian University of Life Sciences (NMBU), Norway

ExpertiseTransformative adaptation, climate resilient development, disability and climate change, inclusive adaptation governance, indigenous and local vulnerability and adaptation knowledges

LeaderNMBU Sustainability Hub and the Center for Climate Resilient Development (CRED)

IPCC experience: IPCC Sixth Assessment Report Author-Lead Author WGII Chapter 18 Climate Resilient Development Pathways, author on the Summary for Policy Makers and the Synthesis Report
IPBES Experience: Lead Author on the current IPBES Second global assessment (2025-2028), and Lead author of the IPBES Nexus Assessment (2024) that focused on unlocking synergies and transformative potential of actions that address the interlinked issues of biodiversity, water, health, food and climate change.
AMOC AssessmentChapter Lead Author on the current Atlantic Meridional Overturning Current assessment (2025-2026).
Co-chair of scientific committee Adaptation Futures 2027