University of Illinois System brings International Sustainability Research Innovation Congress to Chicago
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The University of Illinois System recently hosted the international Sustainability Research Innovation (SRI) Congress, which marked the first time it was hosted in the United States.
SRI is an annual convening focused on action-forward, knowledge-based, and inclusive approaches to sustainability. With more than 1,400 attendees from more than 80 countries converging on Chicago, SRI2025 spotlighted pathways to sustainability solutions, sharing implementation strategies, and legacies of successful approaches to critical sustainability concerns facing Chicago, the U.S., and the world. It also provided opportunities to overcome engagement, policy, resourcing, and other hurdles that slow transformation into more resilient and equitable futures.
“In hosting this event, the U of I System demonstrated that it is a leader in driving sustainable innovation and is committed to improving our world for generations to come. It is an honor that we were the first to host in the U.S.,” UIC Clinical Associate Professor Scott Banjavcic said.
During the event, Banjavcic, UIC Professor of Practice Christopher Burke, and UIUC Clinical Associate Professor Arthur Schmidt orchestrated the panel discussion “Collaborative Solutioning: What Can the Private Sector, Academia and Government Do Together to Solve Water?”
The panelists included Burke, Richard Lanyon, former executive director of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago, Praveen Kumar, UIUC professor, Kay Whitlock, vice president of Christopher B. Burke Engineering, Ltd., and Nick Kottmeyer, DuPage County director of Public Works, who provided more than 200 years of combined insight related to water resources experience.
The panelists discussed potential scalable solutions to adapt to extreme storm events, and addressed the tension between exciting research, effective policy-making, and actual real-world implementation. The objectives were to develop a list of knowledge gaps that hinder the decision-making process; develop a prioritized list of research questions that would address these knowledge gaps; and to identify technological innovations that could help to facilitate addressing these knowledge gaps.
“Solving water resources issues can be a monumental task, but the technology and expertise exists right now to make significant progress on issues such as higher intensity events, increasing demand/decreasing supply and resource recovery,” Banjavcic said. “The U of I System is poised to develop innovative solutions that will make a positive impact on the water resources issues facing the world.”