Public Lectures at Canterbury Christ Church University

What can Starmer learn from Johnson and Truss? - Sir Anthony Seldon

Sir Anthony is a bestselling contemporary political historian. He served as honorary historian of Number 10 Downing Street, chair of the National Archives Trust, and has interviewed most of the senior figures who have worked in Number 10 in the last fifty years. 

Mortal Humans, Time Machines and a Future with AI – Sarah Porter

Sarah is the founder and CEO of InspiredMinds (a global community of 220,000 high level experts in AI and emerging technology), an advisor to the UN and the EU AI Council, the previous chairperson of Women in AI, and founded ADA-AI; a not for profit focusing on the democratization of tech. In 2017, Sarah lobbied on behalf of the all-girl Afghan Robotics team vs the Trump travel ban. She founded the first STEM school for girls in Kabul and is now working to build an online school for girls still in Afghanistan. Sarah gave us an overview of current state of AI and explored what that means for our future.

Weapons of Empathy - Robin Ince

Robin Ince is best known as the host of Radio 4's The Infinite Monkey Cage with Professor Brian Cox. Since writing his book I'm a Joke and So Are You, Robin has become increasingly engaged with trying to understand the disparity between how we project ourselves to the outside world and who we are on the inside. Weapons of Empathy explored neuroscience, psychology and how books can lead us into the minds of others and help us understand their world. It also contained jokes, impressions and poetry.

Careers in Wildlife Media - Steve Backshall

Steve Backshall is a BAFTA-winning naturalist, explorer and TV presenter, who recently graduated from Canterbury Christ Church University with a MSc by Research in Bioscience. Steve gave a special careers talk for our students discussing routes into ‘Careers in Wildlife Media’ - sharing his unique experiences and advice, and taking questions from the audience.

Growing Old Gracelessly - Jo Brand

Jo Brand is a hugely popular comedian, writer and actor. Since making her start on the alternative comedy scene in the 80's, Jo is now best known for regular TV appearances on QI, Have I Got News for You and Would I Lie to You?, as well as hosting The Great British Bake Off: An Extra Slice. Jo talked about making more of a fuss, getting decent care, some proper respect and irritating people – with a few jokes too.

From AI to Eternity - Professor Dame Wendy Hall

Professor Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science, Associate Vice President (International Engagement) and an Executive Director of the Web Science Institute at the University of Southampton, discussed trends in AI and their implications for society including national strategies for AI, geopolitical pressures on AI and data governance, and future scenarios. She laid out why we need to take a socio-technical approach to every aspect of the evolution of AI in society, to ensure that we all reap the benefits of AI and protect ourselves as much as possible from applications of AI that might be harmful.

An Audience with Dame Lynne Owens

Dame Lynne Owens, former Director General of the National Crime Agency until October 2021, discussed her career highlights, what it was like to be responsible for security at the Royal Wedding and the visit of President Obama, and why students should consider a career in policing. We also explored the current challenges facing policing and the law enforcement agencies and Dame Lynne’s hopes for the future.

The Fight for Beauty - Dame Fiona Reynolds

Dame Fiona Reynolds DBE was Master of Emmanuel College, Cambridge from 2012 until 2021. She came to the college from the National Trust, where she was Director-General from 2001-2012. During her time there, she made the Trust warmer and more welcoming, bringing the houses to life and raising the profile of the Trust’s work in the countryside. 

40 Million Modern Slaves - Dame Sara Thornton

Dame Sara Thornton is the Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner with a UK-wide remit to encourage good practice in the prevention, detection, investigation and prosecution of slavery and human trafficking offences and the identification of victims.
Her lecture was titled "Did you know that there are 40 million modern slaves in the world today?" and challenged the audience to care more about the millions of people held in slavery across the globe.
Dame Sara provided an explanation of the prevalence of this crime and the responses to it, arguing that tackling modern slavery is not just a challenge for the criminal justice system, but also needs to be supported by a strong focus on the recovery of survivors and a determined preventative approach. In partic

Why investment in culture pays - Darren Henley OBE

Darren Henley OBE is Chief Executive of the Arts Council England. He has led two independent reviews into music and cultural education which resulted in England’s first National Plan for Music Education, new networks of Music Education Hubs, Cultural Education Partnerships and Heritage Schools, the Museums and Schools programme, the BFI Film Academy and the National Youth Dance Company.