The World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the global alliance of regional associations, national federations, and institutions, has revealed the list of keynote speakers for the upcoming 81st WAZA Annual Conference.
The four speakers will offer perspectives on wildlife trade and international policy, empathy and intercultural communication, emerging conservation technologies, and species rewilding.
Together, they will challenge attendees to reflect on what it means to be Stewards of Tomorrow.
Speakers on what it means to be Stewards of Tomorrow
On Monday 26 October, Dr Mona van Schingen-Khan, will present Conservation Across Borders and Sectors: A CITES Perspective on Integrated Species Conservation.
This session will explore how governments, scientific authorities, zoos, and the wider conservation community can work more effectively across borders, focusing on CITES-led collaboration and the role of integrated species conservation.
Tuesday's keynote, Habituating the Mind Towards Empathy: Learning What It Is Like to Live by Someone Else’s Light, will be presented by Professor Carolyn Calloway-Thomas, who will discuss how empathy can help overcome ‘us versus them’ thinking.
This will cover empathetic literacy, intercultural competence and how we can better understand perspectives different from our own.
On Wednesday 28 October, Professor Philip Seddon FRSNZ will present Is Extinction Really Forever? The Hope and Hype of De-extinction.
Mammoths, moa, dodo — scientific advances are transforming what may be technically possible. Professor Seddon will take attendees beyond the headlines to examine the opportunities, limitations and conservation implications of de-extinction.
Finally, Thursday's keynote is ReShark: Empowering Today’s Aquariums and Zoos to Be Stewards of Tomorrow’s Sharks and Rays by Dr Mark Erdmann.
From aquarium breeding programmes to sharks returning to the waters of Indonesia and Thailand, Dr Erdmann will share ReShark's story and explore how zoos and aquariums can directly support the rewilding of threatened marine species.
WAZA also recently announced that the 82nd WAZA Annual Conference will be held at the Cape Town International Convention Centre (CTICC) in South Africa.
Charlotte Blanco 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.
