Water is our most important resource, and it has become more critical than ever to develop resilient and sustainable practices for future generations to thrive.
To foster collaboration and partnerships between water experts and policymakers, the University of Â鶹´«Ã½ hosted “” on October 28, at the Â鶹´«Ã½ Convention Center. Approximately 200 participants attended the conference that brought together academic researchers from UH, and UH¡¯s industry and community partners, to engage in meaningful partnerships to solve challenges, while promoting economic stability and viability in Â鶹´«Ã½.
“The University of Â鶹´«Ã½ is a research institution that has a lot of expertise on water and all types of issues,” said Vassilis L. Syrmos, . “With our laboratories and excellent faculty we can actually solve a lot of these issues.”
Cultural and historical perspectives
A major focus of the conference was on the cultural and historical approaches to water management in Â鶹´«Ã½. UH experts, including those who are involved with important cultural organizations in Â鶹´«Ã½, shared their ʻike and manaʻo (knowledge and thoughts).
“Traditional practices are actually sciences and technology and spiritualities. Water is a key component of it that was vital not just for our spiritual needs but also for us to meet contemporary society with,” said Kamuela Enos, director of the UH Office of Indigenous Knowledge and Innovation.
Enos opened the conference with an oli (chant), followed by remarks from UH President David Lassner and Juanita Kanehailua Wolfgramm, vice president of the conference¡¯s title sponsor Native Hawaiian Community Development Corporation and UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ alumna. UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ Assistant Professor Kiana Frank delivered the morning keynote address on how her connections to water in Windward Oʻahu helped shape her career path to research and connecting it back to the ʻaina (land). This was followed by the first panel on the cultural and historical significance of water in Â鶹´«Ã½.
Other sessions included: Water Policy and Strategy in Â鶹´«Ã½; Challenges, Opportunities, Strategies and Tactics to Address Water Quality Issues in Â鶹´«Ã½; and Red Hill¡Moving Forward. U.S. Sen. Brian Schatz and Edward Laws, UH ²Ñ¨¡²Ô´Ç²¹ emeritus professor of oceanography, delivered the afternoon keynote addresses.
George Yarbrough, innovation and entrepreneurship programs director at the , gave a sneak peek into (Â鶹´«Ã½ Technology Innovation Development Ecosystem), UH¡¯s new innovation incubator program that provides concierge services, seed funding and resources specifically tailored to meet the unique needs of academic entrepreneurs with UH-affiliated, technology startups.
The conference was sponsored by the UH Office of the Vice President for Research and Innovation in partnership with the Native Hawaiian Community Development Corporation and the Â鶹´«Ã½ Technology Development Corporation.