Events

Businesses are increasingly aiming to be “Nature Positive” in order to play their part in delivering national and international commitments for biodiversity recovery. This implies a need to calculate their impacts on biodiversity, and make a plan for mitigating them. Nature is complex and there exists a confusing array of nature metrics and little guidance on when and how to use them.

Emerging nature markets require a fungible “unit” of biodiversity, analogous to tCO2E that is used to calculate impacts on the climate. In this talk, Professor Dame E.J. Milner-Gulland explores the complexities of devising a unit of biodiversity and using it to track losses and gains. She illustrates these issues using the UK’s Biodiversity Net Gain policy, the University of Oxford’s nature positive commitment, and the nascent biodiversity credit market. She concludes with a perspective on whether it’s possible to have “one true metric for biodiversity” and if not, how businesses can still move forward with ambitious Nature Positive goals.

This lecture is presented as part of the Miegunyah Distinguished Visiting Fellowship Program, established in 1993 by the University of Melbourne’s Council on the recommendation of the Russell and Mab Grimwade Miegunyah Fund Committee. The program invites internationally distinguished scholars to visit the University of Melbourne, enriching the University’s academic, intellectual and cultural life. Miegunyah Fellows typically spend several weeks on campus, presenting a public lecture and specialist seminars, engaging with students and staff, and often collaborating on research initiatives. The program is made possible through the generous support of the Russell and Mab Grimwade Miegunyah Fund.

Guests are invited to join us in the foyer after the lecture for light refreshments and networking. Please note that this is an in-person event only, and there will be no hybrid option available. A recording of the lecture will be shared on our channels following the event.

Please join us for the Melbourne School of Design’s opening Dean’s Lecture Series for 2026.

Speaking at the University of Melbourne for the first time, Kjetil Trædal Thorsen, architect and co‑founder of Snøhetta, will introduce the evolving history and guiding philosophy of the global architecture and design practice. Founded in Oslo in 1989 and inspired by the UN’s Our Common Future report, Snøhetta is built on the belief that design and architecture can strengthen the relationship between people, nature, and the built environment.

Today, Snøhetta is a transdisciplinary practice spanning architecture, landscape architecture, interior architecture, art, and product design, with seven studios across Europe, the United States, Asia, and Australia.

In this keynote lecture, Thorsen will explore how architecture and design can act as catalysts for cultural transformation and social sustainability. Through the lens of cultural precincts and performance spaces, he will highlight the creative potential of built environments in shaping inclusive futures. In addition, the talk will introduce the evolving role of public art, inviting the audience to imagine speculative futures. It will also examine the nuanced interplay between landscape and architecture as a foundation for cultural resilience.

Image: Render by MIR / Snøhetta

The Glasshouse Theatre (Queensland Performing Arts Centre), currently under construction, due for completion in 2026.In May 2019, Snøhetta was announced the winner of the Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) design competition together with local Meanjin (Brisbane) based partner Blight Rayner.