An inaugural lecture - Professor Jude Onwudili

• Registration and refreshments: 17:30
• Lecture: 18:00
• Drinks reception: 19:00 - 19:30

Navigating Uncertainty: Knowledge and the Energy Transition

Professor Onwudili’s Inaugural Lecture examines how the systems that produce and mobilise knowledge shape our collective ability to navigate an increasingly complex world. As societies confront intertwined challenges, from clean energy transitions to climate resilience, digital transformation, and geopolitical instability, the lecture argues that the infrastructures supporting research and collaboration have never mattered more. Drawing on experiences from interdisciplinary and international clean‑energy research, the lecture explores how knowledge moves through networks of people, institutions, technologies, and policies. It highlights the ways in which research ecosystems can accelerate innovation, but also how structural bottlenecks, fragmented collaborations, and inequitable partnerships can limit impact.

Rather than offering a comprehensive survey of global transitions, the lecture uses selected cases to illuminate broader patterns in how knowledge is created, shared, and applied. It positions engineering as both a technical and societal practice, and invites a rethinking of how universities, funders, and global partners design the conditions under which research can genuinely shape sustainable futures. With a forward‑looking perspective, the lecture offers suggestions on building knowledge infrastructures that are adaptive, collaborative, and capable of supporting meaningful impact in an age defined by uncertainty and transition.

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Host or Publisher Aston University