Global Ideas Institute  

2011-12 Expert Speaker Series

Dr. Anita M. McGahan | Dr. Yu-Ling Cheng | Ms. Ellie Avishai | Dr. Dilip Soman | Dr. Stanley Zlotkin | Dr. Murray Metcalfe | Dr. Joseph Wong

Appropriate Technologies and Reinventing the Toilet
Tuesday, November 15, 2011 | 4:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Munk School of Global Affairs, 1 Devonshire Place
Vivian & David Campbell Conference Facility

Dr. Yu-Ling Cheng
Director, Centre for Global Engineering; Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry, University of Toronto

Engineering innovations must occur with the end user in mind. This talk will focus on engineering design for the Global South and understanding the needs of users in order to support appropriate, sustainable technology. In addition to the technical design criteria of functionality, safety, robustness, and maintainability, we will explore the social, cultural,
economic, educational, environmental, and political contexts in which Third World end users relate to technology. Examples will be drawn from healthcare technologies, energy, ICT, water, and sanitation to illustrate what constitutes appropriate or inappropriate technology. The Reinventing the Toilet project at the University of Toronto will also be discussed.

Professor Yu-Ling Cheng is Professor of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry and Director of the Centre for Global Engineering at the University of Toronto. She is working on enlarging the impact of technologies on the developing world through her work as both a researcher and an engineering educator. Her research team received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation earlier this year. They will focus on reinventing the toilet in order to provide sustainable sanitation to the Global South. Th is grant has brought considerable press coverage and excitement to the University of Toronto.