Inaugural Lecture of Professor Kevin Harding
| When: | Monday, 09 November 2026 - Monday, 09 November 2026 |
| Where: | Senate Room Braamfontein Campus East |
| Start time: | 17:00 |
| Enquiries: | Kelebogile Tadi | Kelebogile.Tadi@wits.ac.za |
| RSVP: |
"Putting a number on it: Can we trust a claim without a number?"
Professor Ian Jandrell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Systems and Operations, cordially invites you to the
Inaugural Lecture of Professor Kevin Harding
School of Chemical and Metallurgical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Built Environment
"Putting a number on it: Can we trust a claim without a number?"
Science, engineering and many other spheres of life offer claims about technologies, products and practices that promise to benefit society, reduce pollution or improve sustainability. But as engineers, should we accept these claims without asking what evidence supports them? Industrial ecology provides a framework for investigating these claims using scientific methods and tools to quantify material and energy flows, assess environmental impacts and evaluate resource use. These methods help us understand the consequences of the systems we design and operate. By generating transparent evidence and enabling meaningful comparisons, industrial ecology helps us make informed decisions, identify opportunities for improvement and recognise potential trade-offs. However, results depend on the quality of the data, assumptions and methods used. Ultimately, industrial ecology helps engineers evaluate sustainability claims critically and make defensible decisions that reduce waste and environmental harm, improve resource efficiency, manage costs and contribute to better living standards for society.
Date: Monday, 9 November 2026
Time: 17h00
Venue: Senate Room, 2nd Floor, Solomon Mahlangu House,
Braamfontein Campus East
Click here to register:
Hybrid Event
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