- Jude Onwudili is a professor of Chemical Engineering at Aston University
- His inaugural lecture will explore how knowledge systems shape our ability to deal with an increasingly complex world
- Professor Onwudili is based at Aston University’s Energy and Bioproducts Research Institute (EBRI) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Professor Onwudili will deliver his public inaugural lecture on 21 April 2026, examining how knowledge systems shape society’s ability to respond to complex global challenges.
An inaugural lecture marks a milestone in a professor’s academic career and offers an opportunity to share their research and achievements with a wider audience.
In an era defined by interconnected pressures including clean energy transitions, climate resilience, digital transformation, and geopolitical instability, the professor will argue that the infrastructures underpinning research and collaboration are as vital as the discoveries themselves. He will explore how knowledge flows through networks of people, institutions, technologies, and policies, and how these systems can both enable and constrain innovation.
The professor is an expert in clean energy and drawing on his experience he will highlight the role of research ecosystems in accelerating progress, while also examining barriers such as fragmented collaboration, inequitable partnerships, and institutional bottlenecks that can limit real-world impact. Rather than offering a global overview of energy transition challenges, he will use selected case studies to illustrate broader patterns in how research knowledge is created, shared, and applied.
Professor Onwudili will also reflect on the role of engineering as both a technical and societal practice, arguing for a rethinking of how universities, funders, and global partners design research environments. He will propose that more adaptive and collaborative knowledge infrastructures are needed if research is to meaningfully support sustainable futures in a time of uncertainty.
Professor Onwudili said:
“Having become a professor and a co‑director of EBRI last year, I am very much looking forward to delivering my inaugural lecture.
“Advancing the energy transition is not only about developing new technologies, but also about how effectively we design the systems that allow knowledge to move, connect, and scale across boundaries.”
The lecture will take place on Tuesday 21 April at Aston Business School, with free tickets available via Eventbrite. The lecture begins at 18:00, with refreshments served from 17:30, and will be followed by a drinks reception.
The lecture will also be streamed online.
- Notes to editors
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About Aston University
For over 130 years, Aston University has been making our world a better place through education, research and innovation. Our history is intertwined with the remarkable city of Birmingham, once the heartland of the Industrial Revolution and now the thriving base for an innovation ecosystem of global significance, which Aston is co-creating.
Our vision is to be a leading university for science, technology and enterprise, measured by the positive transformational impact we achieve for our people, students, businesses and the communities we serve.
Aston focuses on high-quality, exploitable research that has an impact on society through medical breakthroughs, advancements in engineering, policy and practice in government, and the strategies and performance of business.
The university offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes, as well as continuing professional development solutions.
Thanks to its focus on delivering excellent outcomes for students, Aston University's reputation continues to grow. It was recognised as the Daily Mail University of the Year for Student Success 2025, is second in England for social mobility (2023 HEPI Social Mobility Index), and is top 20 for graduate salaries (2024 Longitudinal Education Outcomes).
Aston University is now defining its place in the Fourth Industrial Revolution (and beyond) within a rapidly changing world.
For media inquiries in relation to this release, please contact Richard Woodall on r.woodall@aston.ac.uk