CDALS PhD Student Goes Down Under

CDALS PhD Student Goes Down Under

In October 2022, Georgina Robinson of Durham University’s Centre for Death-Life Studies travelled to Melbourne to speak at the Redesigning Deathcare Conference hosted by the DeathTech Research Team at the University of Melbourne.

Georgina was awarded a generous bursary by the University of Melbourne and was further supported by CDALS to enable her to travel to Australia for the conference. The International Redesigning Deathcare Conference aimed to bridge the divide between research and practice at the end of life and death through dynamic conversations about the challenges facing deathcare and how to build a better system.

Georgina’s paper, ‘Sustainable Deathstyles: Alkaline Hydrolysis in the United Kingdom’ fell within a panel of world-class scholars on the fascinating topic of ‘Redesigning Future Dead Body Disposal Technologies’. The panel included Dr John Troyer, Professor Heather Conway, Dr Kate Falconer, and Dr Philip Olson. The Redesigning Future Dead Body Disposal Technologies panel of experts discussed contemporary concerns around ecologically sustainable dead body technologies, alongside other issues including the law, and the questions: ‘How ecologically sustainable is death?’ and ‘Why are some final disposition methods considered green and others natural?’. The panel examined the alkaline hydrolysis process, aerobic decomposition, and old-new systems such as organ donation and cryogenics. The panel was full to the brim, both in person and online, spurring a great Q&A session. Georgina’s paper was very well received, and she established fruitful connections with academics and funeral professionals from around the world.