RIT Professor Selected to Appear at Meeting of Pacific Nations

Rochester Institute of Technology’s international expertise in sustainable design and remanufacturing will be showcased at a meeting of government officials representing countries throughout Asia and the Pacific.

Nabil Nasr, director of the Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies at RIT, is a member of the U.S. delegation attending the Senior Officials Meeting of Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, an international cooperative of Pacific nations designed to enhance collaboration and increase economic progress and environmental quality in member countries. The meeting is being held Jan. 15-26 in Canberra, Australia.

“I am honored to be participating in this important event,” says Nasr. “This is an exciting opportunity to participate in a discussion and dialogue leading to global policy decisions that will impact and guide our industrial practices.”

Professor Nasr was invited by the U.S. Department of Commerce and will give a presentation entitled Building a Sustainable Future through Innovative Technologies as part of a panel on the global remanufacturing industry. The discussion will focus on ways to enhance development and reduce barriers to remanufacturing and other environmentally friendly production processes. Other participants include representatives from Caterpillar Inc., General Electric Co. and the Natural Resources Defense Council.

“The future of our planet depends on all nations working together to create manufacturing systems that are more efficient, produce less pollution and create less waste,” adds Nasr. “It is imperative that the United States works closely with the international community, including its neighbors in the Pacific, to accomplish these goals.”

Nasr is a global expert in the fields of sustainability and environmentally conscious manufacturing. He currently serves as the chair of the Remanufacturing Industries Council, a national trade organization and is also a member of the National Research Council’s Board on Manufacturing and Engineering Design.

Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation was founded in 1989 as a multi-lateral economic and trade forum designed to reduce trade barriers and increase environmental and economic efficiency between member nations. The Asia-Pacific region currently includes 2.6 billion people and accounts for 48 percent of global Gross Domestic Product. For more information about the organization and the upcoming Senior Officials Meeting please visit http://www.apec.org/.