Dr. Bradley Hiller

MDPI Sustainability Fundation
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Dr. Bradley Hiller is an emerging global sustainability leader. He has a strong academic foundation, upon which he is boldly applying sustainability principles and solutions across multiple sectors. Dr. Hiller has four sustainability-relevant qualifications – a PhD and Master’s degrees from the Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge, and two Bachelor degrees in Environmental Engineering (1st Class Honors) and Environmental Science from the University of Western Australia. His university research contributed to evidence-based decision-making at the World Bank; a BBC World documentary; and a debate in Western Australian State Parliament. Dr. Hiller currently has academic affiliations with the Centre for Sustainable Development at the University of Cambridge (Lead Research Consultant), the Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (Associate Research Consultant), the Global Sustainability Institute, the Anglia Ruskin University (Visiting Fellow) and the Asia Global Institute at the University of Hong Kong (AsiaGlobal Fellow). Dr. Hiller also serves as Lead Consultant at the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where he supports strategic and operational activities within the Sustainable Development and Climate Change Departments. Dr. Hiller contributes to academic and quasi-academic knowledge pieces and investments intended to improve social, economic and environmental conditions. Recent examples include the co-development and operationalization of ADB’s strategic climate change framework to 2030 (including a 6 billion USD annual climate financing commitment), the presentation of the University of Cambridge findings on one of the world’s largest diversified food and beverage companies (ultimately contributing to a sustainability commitment of 1 billion USD); and recommendations to improve the resilience of the global agrifood system to extreme weather events (as part of a UK-US Research Taskforce). Dr. Hiller’s applied research findings have been directly presented to and actioned by high profile personnel, from the HRH Prince of Wales (on green investment potential), through to the World Bank Vice President responsible for a 65 billion poverty reduction portfolio in Sub-Saharan Africa. Dr. Hiller generates numerous academic outputs – 7 journal articles (plus 1 under review, and 1 under preparation) – including 2 Sustainability articles – 4 dissertations, approximately 40 formally peer-reviewed knowledge productions/reports, 4 book chapter contributions (or co-authorships), 6 conference papers, 2 television documentaries (produced or contributed), and 2 supervised/advised postgraduate students. Dr. Hiller’s ongoing research aims to understand the dynamics of achieving transformational change at scales (around which he hopes to build a social enterprise focus on decentralized essential service provision).
Quick Q&A with Dr. Bradley Hiller about the Emerging Sustainability Award
How did this award benefit you?
I was sincerely grateful to receive the 2018 Emerging Sustainability Leader Award. The award supported my ongoing research interest to understand the dynamics of achieving transformational change at scale in support of sustainable development principles. This theme was built upon my Ph.D. dissertation, which covered the sustainability dynamics of large-scale integrated ecosystem rehabilitation and poverty reduction projects. I completed my Ph.D. at the Centre for Sustainable Development, University of Cambridge, UK. The award contributed to my applied research as an AsiaGlobal Fellow at the Asia Global Institute, University of Hong Kong, where I continued exploring sustainability in the context of social enterprise as a business model to provide essential services (e.g., water and energy supply) to Asia's un/under-served populations, at scale. I achieved a lot, including collaborating with the Australian National University, on the potential of remote engineering systems to fast-track the design of decentralized essential service systems for use in un/under-served communities.
What did this award help you accomplish?
The award contributed to me receiving three subsequent fellowships, including a G20 Global Leadership Fellowship at the KDI School of Public Policy and Management, Korea (2019), and an Asia Pacific Leadership Program Fellowship at the East-West Center, Hawaii. More specifically, during my AsiaGlobal Fellowship, the financial support from the award supported me to develop a short technical animation for my decentralized essential service concept. The award also supported my role as a Conference Committee member of the 8th World Sustainability Forum (https://wsf-8.sciforum.net/).
Would you recommend it to future researchers in sustainability? Why or why not?
Based on my experiences, I would recommend that future researchers nominate for this award. It strengthened my network in academic fields (including within the MDPI community). It also enhanced my confidence to transition from an "emerging" sustainability leader to a "fully fledged" sustainability leader.