The World Built Environment Forum brings together business leaders, influencers and decision-makers to debate and drive action on the challenges and opportunities shaping our world. These leaders meet annually at the Summit. Held in a different global hub each year, previous Summits convened in Washington DC and Shanghai. In April 2018, the Summit came to London for the first time. I sat with Hanan Alsheikh an MSc Project Management in Construction student from the University of Salford to find out what her experience was like attending the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) World Built Environment Forum (WBEF) Summit.
So Hanan, what was the RICS Summit all about?
The 3rd international Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) World Built Environment Forum (WBEF) Summit was held in London – April 2018 to explore how industrial transformation, urbanisation and digitalisation are shaping the world we live in, and how those explorations hold the passion and power to the future. The two-day programme, developed in collaboration with internationally renowned, professional and respected industry figures, and an audience of more than 1,000 high-level delegates representing industry, finance, government, academia as well as a youthful category aiming to develop and utilise their skills and talents for a promising future.
What brought you to the Summit?
I personally represented the University of Salford MSc Project Management in Construction programme and was sponsored by Arcadis UK under the Rising Stars Programme.
How did this Summit help you?
The overall experience has given me the opportunity to meet intelligent and inspiring international figures, experienced and legal experts from the built environment as well as practitioners from the Rising Stars Programme from different educational bodies around the United Kingdom. Moreover, this summit provided a full opportunity for constructive dialogues and the understanding of professional practices around the built environment sector which have enhanced my overall design and project management knowledge and interpersonal skills and gave me the chance to expand on my professional relationship zones.
In addition, this summit was an ideal platform for my research area considering intelligent-robotic facilities in the built environment; especially for vulnerable people such as children and elderly people. Since my research area was specialised in the integration of artificial intelligence most of the topics and themes addressed during the two-day programme acted as a strategic thinking tank to my overall research strategies in order to enhance the quality lives of such societal classes.
How would you sum up your experience?
To conclude with, I would like to show my pure gratitude to the University of Salford as well as the directors and administrative figures in Project Management in Construction for nominating me to be a representative and attend this excellent and promising summit, and finally for providing me with a valuable learning experience. I extend my sincere thanks to The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and Arcadis UK for their sponsorship as well as excellent provision of information, knowledge and interaction to further enrich my experience.
Special thanks to Hanan Alsheikh for answering my questions. The RICS Summit sounded like such an educating experience!
