Government Science & Engineering events
A key benefit for members of Government Science & Engineering (GSE) is the series of topical events hosted by the Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA). As well as incorporating useful presentations and workshops aimed specifically to address the barriers the science and engineering community faces, they also provide valuable networking and linkage opportunities.
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5th Annual GSE Conference, February 2013
The fifth GSE annual conference will take place on 5 February 2013 in London. Details of speakers, session themes and timings are available here: Programme for GSE annual conference 2013
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GSE at Civil Service Live, London, July 2012
GSE ran a workshop for over 200 staff at Civil Service Live 2012 on Tuesday 3 July 2012. The event provided an introduction to systems thinking and featured a mix of presentation and discussion. Chaired by Dr Claire Craig, Director of GO-Science, the event featured expert speakers: Professor David Oxenham (Chief Systems Engineer at the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory), Duncan Kemp (former Chief Systems Engineer at Department for Transport) and Dr David Cope (Head of Profession for Operational Research, Defra). Speakers explained key concepts in systems thinking and discussed case studies from operations and policy areas to illustrate the approaches that can be used. Delegates were invited to participate in an action learning set on systems thinking - please got to the contacts page to request more information. A report of the event is available to download from the GO-Science Publications page.
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4th Annual GSE Conference, February 2012
The fourth GSE annual conference took place on 7 February 2012 in London. Themed “Science and Engineering matter”, the event was an opportunity for GSE members to celebrate achievements and work together on some of the challenges facing them as a professional community. It was chaired by Sir John Beddington, Government Chief Scientific Adviser. Keynote speaker Moira Wallace, Permanent Secretary of the Department of Energy and Climate Change, explained the ongoing changes in her department to bolster the role of science and engineering. Keynote speaker Colin Smith, Director of Engineering and Technology at Rolls-Royce gave an insight into engineering in the private sector. Following a lively panel discussion, delegates had the opportunity to visit an exhibition showcasing outstanding civil service projects while they networked with colleagues and Chief Scientific Advisers. GSE members also participated in workshops and heard from David Willetts, Minister for Universities and Science, on the important role played by expert scientists and engineers in government. A report of the conference and presentations are available to download from GO-Science Publications page.
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GSE at Civil Service Live, London, July 2011
GSE ran a workshop for over 100 members at Civil Service Live 2011 on Tuesday 5 July 2011. The event focused on one of Civil Service Live’s key themes for this year, efficiency, and featured a mix of presentation and discussion. Chaired by Sir John Beddington, the event featured keynote speakers: Alex Burns, CEO of Williams F1 and Prof. Cary Cooper, Chair of Academy of Social Sciences and Distinguished Professor of Organizational Psychology and Health at Lancaster University. Alex gave delegates a fascinating insight into the world of an F1 team whereas Prof. Cooper enlightened delegates about wellbeing at work, the problems and solutions. Find out more.
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3rd Annual GSE Conference, February 2011
The third annual conference for GSE members took place on Thursday 3 February 2011 and focussed on the importance of international collaboration in science and engineering. As well as the usual appearance from Sir John Beddington, the delegates were also joined by the Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts MP, and the Chief Scientist at the Foreign Office, Prof. David Clary. Breakout sessions included: EU Research Funding Explained; Lessons from the Space Industry; Science and Innovation for International Development; and Where next for global science?
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Planning for our Future, London, July 2010
On 14 July Professor Sir John Beddington hosted a workshop for 200 GSE members which focused on science and engineering careers in the civil service. The event gave the science and engineering community a chance to consider how to respond to the challenges that the new Government has set and to engage in discussion and debate with others across the Government scientific community, and think longer term about career paths and goals.
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The Science of Safety, Buxton, May 2010
The Science of Safety took 60 GSE members to the state-of-the-art Health & Safety Laboratories in Buxton, Derbyshire. Delegates toured the indoor laboratories as well as the 550 acre outdoor facility where larger scale energetic experiments take place. They also took part in an innovative and hands-on knowledge management workshop.
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2nd Annual GSE Conference, London, January 2010
On Monday 25 January 2009, Professor Sir John Beddington hosted the second annual conference for the Government Science & Engineering (GSE) community. Attended by 270 delegates, this year’s conference theme was UK infrastructure and comprised: a panel debate featuring Prof. Beddington, and Brian Collins; a series of workshops on infrastructure covering energy, transport, communications and more; and a keynote speech from the Chief Technical Officer at IBM, Rashik Parmar.
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Getting Your Message Across, Bristol, October 2009
In its first venture outside of London, the GSE Seminar on communicating science and engineering was held on 19 October 2009 and attracted over 180 GSE members, with many from the South West. Communicating complex concepts and ideas to civil servants, politicians and the general public is an integral aspect of any Government scientist or engineer’s professional career. This seminar comprised presentations from policy experts, including a specific case study of the Severn Tidal Power Project, and advice from expert communications practitioners. A writing guide aimed at scientists and engineers in Government was produced in conjunction with this workshop.
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Planning for Uncertainty, London, July 2009
The seminar held on 14 July 2009 attracted over 150 GSE members and focussed on how Government plans for uncertainty and ways in which this could be improved. The event incorporated a number of workshops focusing on different aspects of uncertainty and risk management, such as communicating risk and uncertainty, ambiguity in policy making and the role of research in reducing uncertainty.
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Annual GSE Conference, London, January 2009
The first ever GSE annual conference was held on 20 January 2009 and brought together over 300 scientists and engineers from across Government. Key speakers included the GCSA, Professor Sir John Beddington, Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, and the Minister of State for Science and Innovation at the time, Lord Drayson. This was a hugely successful event, with delegates benefiting from numerous networking opportunities and access to leading figures within Government.
