Events

The Imperial Global Development Lab seeks to bring together representatives and practitioners from government/policymaking organisations, academia and industry to tackle sustainable development challenges.  Events provide platforms to demonstrate Imperial’s global impact on sustainable development as a world-leading STEMB institution.

Upcoming Events

Prioritizing Infrastructure Investment: From Current Assets to Future Growth 

Imperial Global Development Lab Special Lecture with Guest Speaker Dr. Stéphane Straub

Date: Tuesday 28 April 

Time: 10.00 – 11.00 

Location: ICBS LG101 Lecture Theatre, Imperial College Business School, South Kensington Campus, SW7 2AZ

Infrastructure underpins economic growth, shapes development trajectories, and determines how effectively societies deliver value to their people. Yet decisions around infrastructure investment are rarely simple; often constrained by incomplete data, unclear returns, and competing priorities.

In this lecture, Dr. Stéphane Straub, Chief Economist for the Infrastructure Vice-Presidency at the World Bank Group, will present the findings of a new WBG report - Prioritizing Infrastructure Investment. The report draws on a comprehensive analysis of infrastructure assets across approximately 200 countries, examining the social rates of return on infrastructure investment and how countries can optimise their investment mix to maximise value for people.

The report and its accompanying datasets are designed to equip governments, practitioners, and development finance experts with the tools to prioritise infrastructure investments more effectively. Among the key questions it addresses:

• How much infrastructure capital do countries currently have?
• How much does it cost to build more, and what drives these costs?
• How does the composition of infrastructure stock evolve along the development path?
• What are the implied social rates of return of additional investments?
• Where is there evidence of supply gaps, and where should countries invest as a priority given the constraints they face?

Dr. Straub will present the report's findings and reflect on the World Bank Group's broader learning from infrastructure projects around the world, followed by a Q&A session.

Agenda:

• 10.00-10.05 - Welcome from Dr. Mirabelle Muuls
• 10.05-10.30 - Presentation by Dr. Stéphane Straub
• 10.30-10.50 - Q&A Session, chaired by Dr. Mirabelle Muuls
• 10.50 - Close

This is an in-person only event. No registration is required.

About the Speaker

Dr. Stéphane Straub is a distinguished economist and scholar renowned for his extensive contributions to the fields of economics, infrastructure development, and institutional economics. As the Chief Economist for the Infrastructure Vice-Presidency, Stéphane brings his wealth of knowledge and expertise to drive forward the analysis of transformative infrastructure projects and policies.

With an illustrious academic career, Stéphane has served as professor of economics at the Toulouse School of Economics at Université de Toulouse Capitole, where he remains an associate member. His academic journey has spanned across multiple continents, encompassing teaching and research positions in Latin America, the United States, the United Kingdom, and France.

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Distinguished Enterprise Lecture | Building climate innovation platforms at scale – a perspective from the Global South

Speaker: Nalin Agarwal, Founding Partner at the Climate Collective Foundation (South Asia’s largest climate tech startup support platform); and, a Founding Partner at the Climate Seeds Fund (an upcoming pre-Series A VC fund for Indian climate tech startups).

Talk: Building Climate Innovation Platforms at Scale – a perspective from the Global South
This Distinguished Enterprise Lecture reflects on a journey from serial founder-entrepreneur to co-founding Climate Collective Foundation, South Asia’s largest climate tech startup platform – now expanding across the Global South.

The keynote focuses on a central question: how do we move from building successful companies to building ecosystems that consistently produce climate innovation at scale?

Further information here: https://www.imperial.ac.uk/events/207027/distinguished-enterprise-lecture-building-climate-innovation-platforms-at-scale-a-perspective-from-the-global-south/

Past Events

Global Development Lab Annual Lecture: From Science to Decisions: Weather and Climate Intelligence as Strategic Infrastructure with Professor Celeste Saulo

Professor Celeste Saulo, Secretary-General of the World Meteorological Organization gave the Imperial Global Development Lab Annual Lecture in March 2026. 

This lecture argued that equitable access to actionable weather and climate intelligence is not a technical luxury but strategic infrastructure: essential for risk management, sustainable development, and resilience in an increasingly volatile world.

Watch the full stream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zqdiYGi9M4 

Global Development Lab Annual Lecture: In conversation with Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr

Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE Mayor of Freetown and Co-Chair of C40 spoke with Prof. Frank Kelly at the Global Development Lab Annual Lecture in September 2024.

Yvonne highlighted the challenges of rapid urbanization in Freetown, focusing on the need for sustainable planning, reforestation, and addressing the impacts of climate change and rural-urban migration. From her perspective as Co-Chair of C40 Cities, Yvonne emphasised the need for global collaboration and accountability.

Watch the full stream here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DIwVrMZeBxU 

How collaborative innovation can upscale partnerships for an inclusive global recovery of Covid-19 and drive action on Sustainable Development Goals - ECOSOC Partnership Forum - January 2023

The UN’s ECOSOC coordinates the economic, environmental, social, and related work of the 15 United Nations specialised agencies.

As part of Imperial’s new relationship with ECOSOC, the Global Development Hub held an event with the UN Partnership Forum about upscaling partnerships during the global recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

The panel discussion will inform key recommendations that will be presented to leaders at the UN Secretariat.

To read the full story, and watch the event recording, click here.

Increasing Access to Science Education Through Unconventional Approaches - January 2023

To celebrate the International Day of Education, Imperial’s Global Development Hub hosted a speaker panel to discuss Science Cafés – an unconventional approach to education.  

The event featured an open discussion about methods to raise awareness and engagement in science, with a special look at the role of Science Cafés.  

The full story can be read here.

Inaugural Global Development Hub Annual Lecture 2022 - Transforming Food Systems: An Agenda for Science, Policymaking & Investment - November 2022

In November 2022, Dr Agnes Kalibata, President of AGRA, gave the inaugural Annual Lecture of the Global Development Hub at Imperial College London.

Dr Kalibata set-out a food systems change agenda for government, the private sector and policy makers, and underlined the role for science and technology in driving innovation and informing evidence-based food systems interventions.

You can see the full story, and watch the lecture recording here.