Sustainability at the 58th Universities' Transport Studies Group conference in Surrey
Sustainability is at the core of what we do at Surrey! This was also reflected in the 58th Universities' Travel Studies Group (UTSG) conference which was held at out Stag Hill campus this summer.
The Universities’ Transport Studies Group conference was opened by the Mayor of Guildford and the Surrey Business School (SBS) Dean, while activities kickstarted with a high-level panel discussion including distinguished panellists:
- Professor Patricia Thornley, the Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department for Transport
- Deirdre O’Reilly, the Customer Insights and Behaviour Change Group Leader at National Highways,
- Sarah Borien, the Regional Head of Sustainable Growth at Network Rail.
They all stressed the significance of remaining focused and work towards sustainability during the warmest summer ever recorded in the UK. Moreover, they embodied the importance of the social pillar of sustainability, including gender balance across sectors, which is of particular interest in transport and travel.
Academics from Surrey Hospitality and Tourism Managment (SHTM) and SBS, as well as from other faculties, contributed to the conference organisation as members of the Local Organising Committee, which was chaired by Dr Nikolas Thomopoulos. This conference was also a unique opportunity for a group of five MSc International Events Management students to gain valuable hands-on experience about organising large events. They were supported by the SBS Office, alongside Early Career Researchers from Brazil hosted at SHTM, who all worked together to deliver a sustainable event.
A wide range of distinguished keynote speakers featured at the conference, including from the Transport Research Laboratory, Trinity College Dublin and the University of Oxford. Such events highlight the need for collaborative research to meet the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and provide useful opportunities for our MSc Air Transport Management and BSc International Airline and Airport Management students to be informed about the latest developments.
The Chair of UTSG, Prof. Charles Musselwhite said:
“It was great to see the long-standing Universities’ Transport Studies Group conference return to Surrey only for the second time in its history after 52 years! Numerous thought-provoking sessions were held following a record number of abstract submissions. Conference attendees provided excellent feedback about the conference and noted highly the wonderful Surrey welcome and hospitality. This event certainly raised the bar for our 59th UTSG conference to be held at the University of Manchester Summer 2027.”
Related sustainable development goals
