This International Conference is about sustainability in its wider sense. It is an important area of discourse, as it pertains to how we work and how we lead our lives while considering the lives and workplaces of future generations. The conference particularly sets out to explore some of the developments and challenges taking place in academia and industry in both the Northern and Southern hemispheres. The conference is entitled "Going north for sustainability". The North signifies progress in technology, education and other areas of human endeavour to many people. Progress requires that people learn across continents and cultures.