De Witt addresses the next generation of scientists on sustainability
March 27, 2025
Magnus de Witt, center, discusses sustainability at the Fletcher Marine Arctic Conference at Tufts University in March.
ACEP’s Magnus de Witt served as an invited panelist on sustainability at the eleventh annual Fletcher Maritime Arctic Conference on March 7 at Tufts University.
The panel of four discussed sustainability from different angles, ranging from reindeer husbandry (Anders Oskal) and food security (Shane Mederic Chartand) to tourism (Blaine Mirasty) and energy (de Witt).
De Witt emphasized that energy is the backbone of modern society and that energy security and affordability are crucial for economic development, from tourism to food production and processing.
He also noted that energy sustainability is essential for the well-being of Arctic communities and that renewable energy resources could be a part of the solution to provide secure and affordable energy to people across the Arctic.
While the panelists had a variety of angles on the topic of sustainability, there was an interwoven thread that tied them together — that traditional knowledge collected over millennia could help find solutions in all the areas and that listening is key to achieve it.
From left to right: Panelists and participants Shane Mederic, Deloras Blackmon, Blaine Mirasty, Alyona Gerasimova and Magnus de Witt pose for a photo at the Fletcher Marine Arctic Conference at Tufts University in March.
For engineering, listening could help incorporate traditional knowledge into engineering design requirements.
“Listening helps to understand what the community needs and how engineers can support the community in solving issues. Working together is vital to find solutions that benefit the community,” de Witt said.
This conference is a highlight for de Witt every year. Because the conference is organized by students, it demonstrates the areas of interest for the next generation of scientists, which can vary from year to year.
