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The Rustat Conferences



Overview

The Rustat Conferences are an initiative of Jesus College, Cambridge and provide an opportunity for decision-makers from the frontlines of politics, the civil service, business, the media, and education to exchange views on the vital issues of the day with leading academics. They were founded in 2009 by Jesus College, Cambridge where they are based.

In 2012 the Rustat Conferences will address the Geopolitics of Oil and Energy.

Since their foundation in 2009 the Rustat Conferences have discussed the Future of Research Intensive Universities; UK Manufacturing; Cybersecurity - An Assessment of the Threat , the Economic Crisis, The Future of Democracy, and Infrastructure & The Future of Society: Energy, Water, and Cities.

The Rustat Conferences format is a round-table discussion: academic speakers set the framework for each session by a brief exposition of points followed by a moderated discussion among all invited participants. The meetings are limited to fifty participants.

In addition to acting as a forum for the exchange of views on a range of major and global concerns, the Rustat Conferences provide outreach to a wider professional, academic and student audience through the publication of reports of the meetings in a variety of media. If you are interested in participating in a Rustat Conference or would like to receive proceedings please contact us.

The conferences are held at Jesus College, Cambridge, one of the colleges of the University of Cambridge, and are named after Tobias Rustat (d.1694), an important benefactor of Jesus College and the University of Cambridge.

Participants at Rustat Conferences
Rustat Conferences are attended by senior decision makers from industry, government, academia and the media. Previous participants include:

Professor Ian White FREng, Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Van Eck Professor of Engineering, and the Master of Jesus College, Cambridge.
Sir Kevin Tebbit, Chairman, Finmeccanica
Robert Mair CBE FRS FREng, former Master, Jesus College, and Professor of Geotechnical Engineering and Head of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Cambridge University
Sir David Omand, former Director, GCHQ
Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief Secret Intelligence Service MI6 and Master Pembroke College, Cambridge
Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, UK Govt Special Representative to Industry on Cyber Security.
Hugh Eaton OBE, Defence and Intelligence Director, Cisco
Jon Moynihan, Executive Chairman, PA Consulting Group
Lt Gen Sir Edmund Burton, Chairman, IAAC
Dr Steve Marsh, Deputy Director, Office of Cyber Security, Cabinet Office
Tim Dowse, Director of Intelligence and National Security, HM Foreign & Commonwealth Office
Paul Collacott, Director Cyber Policy, GCHQ
Dr Tristram Riley-Smith, Centre for Protection of National Infrastructure, CPNI
Lord Eatwell, Professor of Financial Policy, Cambridge University
Sir Terry Leahy, CEO, Tesco
Ray O'Rourke, Chairman and CEO Laing O'Rourke
Lord Turnbull, former Cabinet Secretary and Head of UK Civil Service
Paul Skinner, Chairman, Infrastructure UK, former Chairman, Rio Tinto
Dr John Jenkins, HM Ambassador to Iraq
Sir Samuel Brittan, Financial Times
Sally Keeble MP, Treasury Select Committee
Baroness Onora O’Neill, former President, British Academy
Dominic Casserley, Managing Partner UK, McKinsey & Co.
Simon Hayes, Chief Economist, Barclays Capital
Chris Saul, Senior Partner, Slaughter and May
David Strachan, Director, Financial Stability, FSA
Peter Horrocks, Director of BBC World Service
Lord Wilson of Dinton, former Cabinet Secretary and Master, Emmanuel College, Cambridge
John Harley, Head of Private Equity, Ernst & Young
Will Hutton, Chairman, The Work Foundation
Tony Wright MP
Peter Kellner, President YouGov
Matthew Taylor, CEO, RSA, former Chief Adviser on Strategy to the Prime Minister
Robert Chote, Director of Institute for Fiscal Studies
Lord Gus Macdonald, Macquairie Capital, former Minister for Transport and for the Cabinet Office
Lord Watson of Richmond CBE, Chairman, CTN Communications
James Wardlaw, Goldman Sachs, and Adviser, Homes and Communities Agency
John Naughton, Professor of Public Understanding of Technology, Open University, and Wolfson College,Cambridge
Chris Hope, Judge Business School, Cambridge University, Lead Author, 3rd Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change
Peter Guthrie OBE FREng, Professor of Engineering for Sustainable Development, Cambridge University
Professor Andrew Gamble, Head of Department of Politics, Cambridge University
Nick Chism, Partner and Head of Global Infrastructure, KPMG
Peter Nolan, Sinyi Professor of Chinese Management, Judge Business School, Cambridge University
Martin Daunton, Professor of Economic History, Cambridge University
Nick Butler, Chairman, Cambridge Centre for Energy Studies, Chairman of the Centre for European Reform, and Faculty Member, World Economic Forum
Kwasi Kwarteng MP, politician and historian
Jon Hutton, Director, United Nations Environment Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre



Upcoming Events

The New Geopolitics of Energy and Oil
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Jesus College, Cambridge, 4 April 2012

In April 2012 the Rustat Conferences will hold a one-day conference on the New Geopolitics of Energy and Oil.

The current global energy system is unsustainable in its present form for a variety of reasons – population growth, development, economics and investment, and geopolitics. In the absence of immediate replacement technologies and clean energy forms that are scalable and affordable, there will be a continued reliance on conventional sources of energy and related infrastructure. Against this background, the transformation of the energy outlook of a number of countries and regions - thanks to shale oil and gas, tar sand, tight oil and related technologies, breakthroughs in drilling, and rising global energy demand - is leading to a shift in some of the long-standing geopolitical relationships with implications not only for foreign and economic policies but also climate change and the environment.

This Rustat Conference will address a range of these concerns in round-table sessions with expert speakers and participants drawn from academia, industry and government. The Chatham House Rule will be applied and the meeting is by invitation only. If you are interested in participating at this meeting please contact us.

Please note, there will be a charge to attend this conference.

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Past Programme

The Future of Research-Intensive Universities in the UK and Europe
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Jesus College, Cambridge, 17 January 2012

The sixth Rustat Conference discussed the future of research-intensive universities and was jointly hosted by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge, Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz, and Professor Ian White, Master of Jesus College.

Agenda

08.15 – 09.30: Registration and refreshments.

09.30 – 09.45: Welcome and Introduction.
Professor Ian White
Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz

09.45 – 10.45: Session One: Roles and Models of Research-Intensive Universities.
What structures should universities have to 1. Provide balanced teaching, research and thought-leadership, 2. Combine depth of expertise with breadth of understanding, and 3. Promote excellence and equip those for leadership?
Chair: Professor Ian White
Speaker: Lord Rees.

10.45 – 11.05: Coffee

11.05 - 11.55: Session Two: The European Dimension.
How UK research-intensive universities might relate to their European Counterparts and vice versa; European heritage and traditions of higher learning --- from the Middle Ages to Humboldt and beyond; Potential collaborations with UK universities; Student and research exchange; Prospects of European rankings.
Chair: Sir Leszek Borysiewicz
Speakers: Professor Hans Jochen Schiewer (Freiburg, Germany), Prof Dr Kurt Deketelaere (Leuven).

11.55 – 12.55: Session Three: The Relationship between the Arts, Humanities and STEM disciplines.
The mutual benefits of the relationship between the Humanities and the STEM disciplines at undergraduate and research level. Altering perspectives on the Idea of “a” University, or “the” University form Newman to the present. The importance of research in the Humanities for undergraduate teaching.
Chair: Lord Renfrew;
Speakers: Professor Christopher Higgins (Durham), Professor Stefan Collini.

13.00 – 14.00: Lunch

14.00 – 14.50: Session Four: Knowledge Exchange and Exploitation in Research-led Universities.
Partnerships with Industry; Supporting the growth agenda; Facilitating exploitation.
Chair: Dr Herman Hauser
Speaker: David Cleevely.

14.50 – 15.40: Session Five: Teaching and Learning in Research–led Universities
The role of undergraduate, graduate and post-experience education; Models for teaching; The need for full-time education; Matching national need with personal aspiration; Funding of Teaching; Response to Government White Paper.
Chair: Sir Keith O’Nions
Speaker: TBC.

15.40 – 15.55: Tea

15.55 – 16.45: Session Six: Relationships between Research Led Universities and Society and the Economy.
The principle of “Impact”; Engagement in the community; Media impact; Contributions to policy.
Chair: Professor Louise Richardson (St Andrews)
Speakers: Sir Adrian Smith (BIS), Dame Nancy Rothwell.

16.45 – 17.15: Conclusions and Future Initiatives.
Closing Remarks from Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz.

This conference was by invitation only. For more information please contact us. _________________________________________________________________________

Manufacturing in the UK
An Assessment of the UK Manufacturing Sector
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Jesus College, Cambridge, 24 November, 2011

The fifth Rustat Conference discussed the role of Manufacturing in the UK and aimed to answer the following questions:

What contribution does manufacturing make to the UK economy? To what extent is it in decline, and does it matter? What is the UK government’s policy on the need to stimulate the manufacturing sector? Is intervention required, or should the market dictate the size of the sector? To what extent do levels of investment and provision of skills affect the manufacturing base? How does the proportion of manufacturing in the UK economy compare with that of other leading industrial nations?

The conference was chaired by Professor Ian White and featured contributions from leading figures from industry, government, the media and academia. A report will be published soon on this website.

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Cyber Security Forum 2011
Cyber Security and Britain's Economic Prosperity
A Forum for Business, Government and Academia
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BIS Conference Centre, 1 Victoria St, London SW1, 29 September, 2011
For more information on this conference visit the dedicated Cyber Security Forum 2011 website.

The Cyber Security Forum 2011 was organised by an industry-government-academic grouping in association with the Rustat Conferences. It had the official support of the Cabinet Office - Office for Cyber Security and Information Assurance OCSIA, and the Department for Business Innovation & Skills BIS, the Information Assurance Advisory Council IAAC, and the ICT KTN.PA Consulting was the lead partner and sponsors were i2 Ltd, Cisco, McAfee and Finmeccanica.

The conference explored a broad range of Cyber Security themes with a strong focus on business and private sector including: the contributions made by the private sector to ensuring national and economic security; R&D and Innovation in Cyber Security; private sector partnerships with academia and government; the economics of Cyber Security; Cyber Security leadership and corporate strategy; insider threats; data exfiltration, leaks and the prevention of corporate data loss.

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Cambridge Cybersecurity Conference
Cybersecurity - An Assessment of the Threat to National, Economic and Individual Security
3 February 2011
Jesus College, Cambridge

The revolution brought about by computer technology and the internet has delivered huge benefits and opportunities to society, but it also poses a threat as it may expose us – government, organisations and individuals – to digital attack. How real is this and how clear and present this danger? This conference set out to provide an informed judgement on the extent and nature of this threat to governments, commerce, national infrastructure and individuals.

The meeting brought together a group of leading academic experts with decision makers from government,intelligence, finance, defence, technology, the law, the media, and the security services. Follow the link for more information on the agenda, participants. The Rustat Conference on Cyber Security report is available to read here.


Infrastructure and the Future of Society - Energy, Water and Cities
10 June, 2010
Jesus College, Cambridge

The growth in global and urban populations, the increasing demand for housing, products, services, travel, food and water in both the developed and the developing worlds, will place huge demands on the infrastructure of energy, water and cities. Delivering this infrastructure presents a major challenge in terms of investment and financing, and will carry associated socio-economic costs, as well as opportunities for business. All this at a time when there is an onus on governments to achieve tough carbon reduction targets and replace fossil fuels with renewable sources of energy.

A team of Cambridge academics and practitioner experts joined decision makers from the fields of engineering, finance, energy, water, politics, sustainable development and the media for round-table discussions and debate on the most vital issues at stake in these important themes.

The proceedings of this conference are available here.

The Future of Democracy
13 October 2009
Jesus College, Cambridge

This Rustat Conference brought together some of the world's leading political theorists, historians and leaders from the worlds of politics, the media, industry and public sector to tackle the key issues at stake in the debate over the Future of Democracy.

The proceedings of this conference are published as a pdf here
Videos of the conference sessions are available in the Media Resources section
The proceedings are also available as an ebook by clicking on the title page below:
Future of Democracy - Proceedings of the second Rustat Conference
Future of Democracy - Proceedings of the second Rustat Conference


The Economic Crisis
9 May 2009
Jesus College, Cambridge
Leading academics from the fields of economics, politics, business and history discussed the key issues of the Economic Crisis with leaders from the worlds of politics, finance, industry, the public sector and the media.

Read the Economic Crisis conference brochure.

To read the conference report click on the link below.





Paul Skinner
Paul Skinner, Chairman, Infrastructure UK and former Chairman, Rio Tinto, speaking at the Rustat Conference on Infrastructure and the Future of Society

John Jenkins, HM Ambassador to Iraq
Dr John Jenkins CMG LVO, HM Ambassador to Iraq speaking at the Rustat Conference on the Future of Democracy
Sir Terry Leahy
Sir Terry Leahy, CEO Tesco, participant at the Economic Crisis conference
Terry Macalister The Guardian
Terry Macalister, Energy Editor, The Guardian, speaking at the Infrastructure for Energy, Water and Cities conference

Rustat Conference lunch
Rustat Conference lunch in the Master's Lodge, Jesus College, Cambridge
Prof Lord Eatwell
Robert Chote - Director Institute of Fiscal Studies
Lord Eatwell, Professor of Financial Policy, Cambridge University, and Robert Chote, Director of Institute for Fiscal Studies, at the Economic Crisis Rustat Conference
Ed Husain
Sir Samuel Brittan
Ed Husain, Director, Quilliam Foundation and Sir Samuel Brittan, Financial Times
Matthew Taylor
Prof Ali Ansari
Matthew Taylor,CEO RSA, and Professor Ali Ansari, Director of the Institute of Iranian Studies, St Andrews University
Sally Keeble MP
Lord Turnbull
Sally Keeble MP, Treasury Select Committee, and Lord Turnbull, former Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Civil Service.
Dominic Casserley - McKinsey & Co.
Doug Richard
Dominic Casserley, Managing Partner, McKinsey, UK and Middle East, and Doug Richard, entrepreneur
Ed Stourton and Catherine Pepinster
Ed Stourton, BBC journalist and presenter, and Catherine Pepinster, Editor, The Tablet
Sir Richard Dearlove
Sir Richard Dearlove, former Chief, Secret Intelligence Service, at the Rustat Conference on Cyber Security.
Paul Collacott
Paul Collacott, Director Cyber Policy, GCHQ
Lord Watson and Professor Robert Mair
Lord Watson of Richmond, Chairman CTN Communications, and Professor Robert Mair, Master, Jesus College and Professor of Geotechnical Engineering, Cambridge University
Lord Gus Macdonald
Julian Allwood
Lord Gus Macdonald CBE PC - Adviser to Macquairie Capital, former Minister for Transport and for the Cabinet Office, and Dr Julian Allwood, Senior Lecturer in Engineering, Cambridge University
Ray O'Rourke - Infrastructure and Future of Society - Rustat Conference
Ray O'Rourke, Chairman and CEO, Laing O'Rourke
Peter Horrocks
Peter Nolan
Peter Horrocks, Director BBC World Service and Peter Nolan, Sinyi Professor of Chinese Management, Cambridge University
David Runciman
George Brock
Dr David Runciman, Senior Lecturer in Politics, Cambridge University and George Brock, Professor of Journalism, City University