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WAZA announces keynote speakers for 76th annual conference

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WAZA keynote speakers

Virtual event will feature expert speakers from across the sector

The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, and institutions, has revealed more information about its virtual annual conference, taking place online from 11 – 14 October 2021, including the line-up of keynote speakers.

Razan Al Mubarak, Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Professor Mauro Guillén and Dr Brian Davis will deliver keynote addresses at the event, which is the 76th WAZA Annual Conference.

Speakers will explore conservation, biodiversity and more

Her Excellency, Razan Al Mubarak, is the newly elected president of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). She will deliver the opening keynote of the conference on 11 October, setting out her vision for the future of the IUCN, as well as exploring how zoos and aquariums can work together with the organisation.

On 12 October, day two of the annual conference, delegates will then hear from Elizabeth Maruma Mrema, Executive Secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. In her keynote, Mrema will discuss how zoos and aquariums can support both the biodiversity agenda and the post-2020 global biodiversity framework.

On 13 October, Professor Mauro Guillén, dean of the Cambridge Judge Business School and author of 2030 How Today’s Biggest Trends Will Collide and Reshape the Future of Everything, will address the conference, presenting some insights and trends for the next decade as well as key lessons for the sector.

Finally, on 14 October, Dr Brian Davis, President and CEO of Georgia Aquarium, and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) will address the delegates. Davis will present AZA’s 5th Promise: Diversity, Equity, Access, and Inclusion and will look at how the global zoological community can advance diversity, equity, access, and inclusion practices in the profession and integrate these as values into our organisational cultures.

WAZA recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the International Zoo Educators Association (IZE), with which it has had a long-standing history of cooperation. Together, these two organisations will work to enhance the capacity of members in biodiversity conservation.

To find out more information on the conference, please visit the website here.

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charlotte coates

Charlotte Coates

Charlotte Coates is blooloop's editor. She is from Brighton, UK and previously worked as a librarian. She has a strong interest in arts, culture and information and graduated from the University of Sussex with a degree in English Literature. Charlotte can usually be found either with her head in a book or planning her next travel adventure.

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