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Gresham College Free Public Lectures

Construction
Creative Industries
Digital Technology
Education
Financial and Professional Services
High Performance Engineering
Hospitality, Leisure and Tourism
Life Science, Healthcare and Social Care
Manufacturing
Public Sector
Space
Third Sector / Voluntary Sector
Wholesale and Retail

Gresham College’s free public lectures (running since 1597) are delivered by world-leading professors in the arts and science sectors. For teachers and students, they are a resource for developing subject knowledge and skills, careers advice, EPQ projects and UCAS statements. With a searchable back catalogue of around 2,500 lectures – there is something for everyone.

Upcoming, bookable lectures are as follows:

ASTRONOMY

A series on the History of the Universe called Cosmic Revolutions by Astronomy Professor Katherine Blundell, and The Frontiers of Knowledge by Visiting Professor Roberto Trotta; and Mars Missions 2021: Early Discoveries by Andrew Coates.

gres.hm/cosmic-revolutions gres.hm/frontiers gres.hm/mars-2021

BUSINESS / ECONOMICS

In The Principles of Finance, Business Professor Alex Edmans will give a primer on everything from how to save to risk management. A series by Visiting Professor Martin Daunton will look at Three Crises in Capitalism. See also Natural Capital series under Geography.

gres.hm/principles-finance gres.hm/three-crises

ENGLISH & MEDIA

The Powers of the Novel by Visiting Professor John Mullan will look at Plot, Coincidences and Villains; Farah Karim-Cooper will speak on Shakespeare, Race and Performance. The series on How Not To be Human: Exploring Humanity Through Science Fiction will be delivered by Visiting Professor Jim Endersby. In the Media, Trust and Society series, Philip Howard will talk about fighting disinformation on COVID-19.

gres.hm/novel-powers gres.hm/shakespeare-race

gres.hm/science-fiction gres.hm/media-trust

GEOGRAPHY

Professor Jacqueline McGlade’s series Natural Capital and the Wellbeing Economy will look at how our economy needs to change to guarantee a sustainable future for the planet. There is also a varied series on Natural World: Exploration, Extinction and Adaptation.

gres.hm/natural-capital gres.hm/natural-world

HISTORY

Among the highlights are: The Hidden History of How Protestantism Went Global, by Professor Alec Ryrie, a series on Stuart Britain, a one-off lecture on Holocaust History Under Siege, and a Black History Month series.

gres.hm/missionaries gres.hm/stuart-britain

gres.hm/holocaust-history gres.hm/black-history-month

IT

Professor Richard Harvey’s Six Tech Inventions That Changed the World will talk about IT breakthroughs everyone should know about, like GPS, Compression and Error Control Coding.

gres.hm/tech-inventions

LAW / POLITICS / CITIZENSHIP

Race, Colonialism and Power in the Legal System by Professor Leslie Thomas QC, will look at the Immigration Act 1971, the Brixton Riots, Judicial racism and more; The Misrule of Law by Visiting Professor Thomas Grant QC looks at the misuse of law, for example under segregation in the US. Visiting Professor Imogen Gold will discuss Medical Law, including lectures on freezing eggs and fertility treatment. There are also two lectures on Europe: Anand Menon on Brexit, and Patricia Clavin on Europe’s Search for Sustainable Security. Finally, the Media, Trust and Society series and the lecture, Does Philanthropy Do the Public Good? may be of interest to Citizenship teachers; along with a series on Religion and Society in the 21st Century (see Religion section).

gres.hm/race-law gres.hm/misrule-law gres.hm/medical-law

gres.hm/brexit-learned gres.hm/europes-security

gres.hm/media-trust gres.hm/good-philanthropy

MATHEMATICS

Gresham Professor Sarah Hart’s series Geometry: The Mathematics of Art will discuss beauty, perspective and more; while Hugh Hunt will give a one-off talk on The Maths of Gyroscopes and Boomerangs; and they have an event on Numbers in Different Languages and Cultures.

gres.hm/maths-art gres.hm/gyroscopes-boomerangs

gres.hm/numbers-cultures

MEDICINE

Chief Medical Officer for England Professor Chris Whitty will look at Infections and their Routes of Transmission. They also have a new series of lectures on Neuroscience: The Brain and the Mind.

gres.hm/infections gres.hm/neuroscience

MUSIC

Professor Marina Frolova-Walker will give a series of lecture-recitals on Music Under Stalin. Visiting Professor Jeremy Summerly will give a series of lectures on Music and Emotion.

gres.hm/music-stalin gres.hm/music-emotions

RELIGION

Three lecturers will explore some current issues in major world religions in Religion and Society in the 21st Century; while the Divinity Professor will look at the work of Protestant missionaries in The Hidden History of How Protestantism Went Global.

gres.hm/religion-society gres.hm/missionaries

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