OxTalks will soon be transitioning to Oxford Events (full details are available on the Staff Gateway). A two-week publishing freeze is expected to start before the end of Hilary Term to allow all future events to be migrated to the new platform. During this period, you will not be able to submit or edit events on OxTalks. The exact freeze dates will be confirmed on the Staff Gateway and via email to identified OxTalks users.
If you have any questions, please contact halo@digital.ox.ac.uk
Are the European and Inter-American human rights systems moving toward recognising abortion as a Convention right? Recent case law suggests a more complex trajectory than a straightforward expansion of reproductive rights. While both the European Court of Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights have significantly strengthened the protection of reproductive autonomy through doctrines relating to privacy, personal integrity, equality, and access to healthcare, neither Court has yet recognised a substantive right to abortion under their respective treaties. This talk offers a comparative analysis of recent jurisprudence to argue that both systems display a pattern of incremental doctrinal development combined with institutional hesitation. The European Court continues to frame abortion primarily through procedural access guarantees, while the Inter-American Court –despite developing a strong autonomy-based reproductive rights framework– has recently shown signs of doctrinal caution in abortion-related cases. These developments raise broader questions about the future of abortion protection in international human rights law and the extent to which current global backlash against gender equality may be shaping judicial strategies of restraint.
Join Baroness Thangam Debbonaire in conversation with Oriel College Provost and former UK government Culture Commissioner Lord Mendoza. Debbonaire is a Labour peer and was a Labour MP for Bristol West from 2015-2024. During her time as an opposition MP, she held a number of shadow cabinet positions over a period of four years. Most recently she was the Shadow Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. CEO of the UK Opera Association, Debbonaire is also the Chair of the judges for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction 2026 and CEO of Red Frock Ltd, which provides strategic advice in the arts and culture sector. The event is free to attend and open to everyone. Please register in advance by emailing rebecca.bricklebank@oriel.ox.ac.uk.
Python is one of the most popular programming languages for data science, both in academia and industry. It is also a good entry programming language for anyone trying their hand at coding for the first time. This gentle introduction to Python is aimed at all students or staff around campus with little to no prior experience with Python or programming wanting to take that first step. The course will cover all the basics needed to get future coders started on their journey. By the end of the session, you will have written your first bits of code and be ready to explore what Python can do for your own data or personal projects. The training will be delivered by Matthieu Miossec, Head of Computational Genomics Group, Centre for Human Genetics, University of Oxford. The course is divided into two sessions: Session 1, 23 February, 9:00 am – 11:00 am Session 2, 26 February, 9:00 am – 11:00 am This will be an interactive session where participants will be expected to follow along with the demonstration, coding throughout the session. Topics to be covered: -Why use Python? -Data types and data structures in Python. -Conditional statements and loops. -Writing flexible functions. -Reading and writing to files. -Putting it altogether in a simple bit of code. Intended Audience: Staff and students with little to no prior experience with Python or programming in general. Objectives: -Become more comfortable with Python and programming in general. -Have a basic understanding of the main data types and structures in Python. -Have a basic understanding of error messages and how to resolve them. -Write some code to automate the resolution of a small problem. -Be able to write a short bit of code to extract or write information from a file. -Learn how to break a bigger problem into smaller problems through divide and conquer approach. -Know where to find additional information on Python. Requirements: Participants are expected to bring their own laptops so they can follow along with the interactive session. Pre-course work: None. There will be a small challenge in between the two sessions for participants to attempt. Software required: Python with Python IDLE or similar Register - https://forms.office.com/e/hsUZ3FHdMw?origin=lprLink
Convened by Carlo Emilio Biuzzi (EPHE) "This workshop explores the formulation and expression of social thought within Christian communities of the First Millennium, a field that has recently attracted renewed scholarly attention. Bringing together researchers working on different regions and traditions, it seeks to reassess the conceptual tools commonly used to describe Late Antiquity when applied to medieval societies, particularly beyond the familiar settings of imperial courts, major urban centres of the Christian East, or Byzantium. The workshop asks how narratives of society might be constructed outside political treatises; what visions of social order emerge from monastic relationality or from rural and peripheral communities; and whether notions such as the “body of the Church” can illuminate not only ecclesiastical structures but also bonds such as marriage or the household. It further considers the role of urban space in relation to the chōra, the evolution of elites beyond the city, and the transformation of social concepts inherited from Roman tradition within Eastern Christianity. The day is structured around three movements: a methodological reflection on writing social history with ancient categories; a discussion of context and chronology across the medium and longue durée; and an exploration of renewed approaches, with particular attention to gender." https://mfo.web.ox.ac.uk/event/workshop-beyond-body-church-formalisations-social-ideas-medieval-christianity
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; taught student; researcher and research student
All welcome, and to join us for lunch afterwards.
TEXTCOURT lecture on Chinese Humanities Professor Huang Shizhong is a Professor in the Department of Chinese Language and Literature and Director of the Institute of Chinese Classical Literature Studies at Sun Yat-sen University. His research primarily focuses on the collation and study of Chinese drama and popular literature texts. His monographs include Pipa ji yanjiu 琵琶記研究, Zhongguo xiqu shi yanjiu 中國戲曲史研究, and Riben suocang Zhongguo xiqu wenxian yanjiu 日本所藏中國戲曲文獻研究, etc. He has also collated and compiled major textual collections, including Zidishu quanji 子弟書全集 and Qing Chewangfu cang xiqu quanbian 清車王府藏戲曲全編. The seminar is part of the TEXTCOURT lectures on Chinese Humanities series. The TEXTCOURT project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 819953). Learn more about TEXTCOURT on our website https://textcourt.ames.ox.ac.uk/.
This is a hybrid seminar.To join via Zoom: Please register in advance: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/8MGko0oaTI2laa2pNU123g After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
Neural circuits that regulate energy balance also influence immune readiness, shaping inflammatory tone across the body. This talk will explore emerging systems-level principles linking metabolic sensing brain circuits to innate immune function, and discuss how central representations of internal state tune immunity in anticipation of energetic needs. The implications of this brain–immune coupling for physiological adaptation and inflammatory disease will be considered.
Join us for a comprehensive briefing by representatives from the Education Division of the Taipei Representative Office (TRO) on scholarship opportunities provided by the Ministry of Education (MOE), Republic of China (Taiwan). The session will focus on the Huayu Enrichment Scholarship (HES) for Mandarin studies and the MOE Taiwan Scholarship for those interested in pursuing a degree in Taiwan. Additionally, attendees will receive information about the Test of Chinese as a Foreign Language (TOCFL) and gain insights into the overall experience of studying in Taiwan. Other opportunities, such as the Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program (TFETP) and the Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) for working in Taiwan, will also be introduced. Furthermore, HES alumni Estey Chen and Issy Wells will be present to share their experiences of studying in Taiwan. Take advantage of this opportunity to learn firsthand about studying, working, and immersing yourself in Taiwan’s vibrant academic and cultural environment!
Photoresponsive drug delivery strategy can enhance the accumulation of therapeutic agents at targeted sites where light is applied, thereby maximizing therapeutic efficacy while minimizing side effects. Currently, this strategy faces challenges in clinical applications, such as limited light penetration depth in biological tissues. In this talk, I will present our research on the development of simple photoresponsive drug delivery systems for the treatment of cancer and eye diseases. Moreover, I will discuss the approaches we have developed to overcome the challenge of limited light penetration within the body. By exploring these advancements and solutions, we aim to further the potential of photoresponsive nanomedicine in treating a wide range of diseases. Speaker biography Dr Weiping Wang is an Associate Professor at Department of Pharmacology and Pharmacy & Dr. Li Dak-Sum Research Centre, The University of Hong Kong. He obtained his PhD from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. He conducted postdoctoral research at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Medical School. Dr. Wang has received multiple honours and awards, including 2018 Nano Research Young Innovator Award in Nanobiotechnology, 2022 NSFC Excellent Young Scientists Fund, and three Gold Medals from 2022 & 2024 International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva. His current research interests include photopharmacology, nanomedicine, ocular drug delivery, and stimuli-triggered drug delivery. Dr. Wang is an Associate Editor for Medicinal Research Reviews.
The use of market-based mechanisms to address environmental externalities is a major source of enquiry in environmental economics; so I hope it may be of interest to explore the history and creation of one local nature market in detail. In 2024 the English government introduced a new policy aiming to ensure that all new developments in England leave biodiversity ‘10% better off’ than before development, with a market enabling the creation of new habitat to be sold to developers constituting part of the policy. I have been involved in the academic study of this market (primarily from an ecological perspective) and as an advisor to several UK and EU government bodies, since 2020, and have had an overview of exactly how this market has been created and developed in practice. This is not a traditional economics lecture; it is an in-depth case study into the realities of contemporary environmental policymaking and market creation.
*Readings* Primary source: Francisco Negrão, _Origem de toda a theologia gentilica, e da Trindade divina, que os gentios adorão_ (1617) Ângela Barreto Xavier, _Religion and Empire in Portuguese India: Conversion, Resistance and the Making of Goa_ (2022), 244-277 (Ch. 6: ‘The Martyrs of Cuncolim and Other Episodes of Resistance’) (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/35n82s/alma991027379042007026) Catherine Infante, _The Arts of Encounter: Christians, Muslims, and the Power of Images in Early Modern Spain_ (2022), 89-114 (Ch. 4: ‘Marian Images of Conversion’) (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/35n82s/alma991025489954507026) Pete Sigal, ‘Franciscan Voyeurism in Sixteenth-Century New Spain’, in _Ethnopornography: Sexuality, Colonialism, and Archival Knowledge_, ed. Pete Sigal, Zeb Tortorici, and Neil L. Whitehead (2020), 139-168 (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/35n82s/alma991027040158007026) Justyna Olko and Julia Madajczak, ‘An Animating Principle in Confrontation with Christianity? De(re)Constructing the Nahua “Soul”’, _Ancient Mesoamerica_ 30, 1 (2019): 75-88 (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/ao2p7t/cdi_proquest_journals_2208307317) Sanjay Subrahmanyam, _Three Ways to Be Alien: Travails and Encounters in the Early Modern World_ (2011), 73-132 (Ch. 2: ‘The Perils of Realpolitik’) (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/35n82s/alma991027379440607026)
My doctoral project in Comparative Literature examines the earliest detective fiction of Japan and Argentina. The novel comparative axis between Asia and South America aspires not to transpacific studies but rather to a decentralised re-evaluation of literary networks between the West and the wider world. Emerging from the pages of Vidocq, Poe, Gaboriau and Conan Doyle, detective fiction spread rapidly in a self-referential chain that reached around the world. On close inspection, the earliest practitioners in Japan and Argentina display remarkable parallels despite limited direct contact. My research looks behind the canonical figures of these literatures (Jorge Luis Borges, Edogawa Ranpo) to focuses on the pioneers whose similarities have been hitherto unnoticed. Little examined in national scholarship, writers such as Kuroiwa Ruikō and Hamao Shirō (from Japan) have never before been read in conjunction with Luis Varela and Felix Alberto de Zabalía (from Argentina). Yet they reveal echoes in the narrative, translation and publishing practices of the genre that complicate a hegemonic literary history. These are acts of adaptation and resistance which demonstrate a complex relationship between crime narratives, modernity, and law enforcement. Oliver Eccles is in the last year of his PhD in Comparative Literature at University College London. He completed a MA (also in Comparative Literature) at King’s College London, and a BA in French and Spanish at New College, Oxford. The broad scope of his doctoral research has seen his academic interests range over narratology, memory studies, queer studies and translation studies. His research has been supported by the London Arts and Humanities Partnership, the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, the British Association for Japan Studies and the Literary Encyclopedia.
Evidence for high-income countries suggests that greater political trust, defined as confidence in state actors, relates to more openness towards immigration. We argue that in contexts of weak state governance, trust in non-state actors, such as the church or international organisations, could also be relevant. To explore this, we conduct face-to-face surveys, each including a conjoint experiment, in three border locations experiencing large inflows of Venezuelans: Boa Vista (Brazil), Cúcuta (Colombia), and San Fernando (Trinidad and Tobago). Results indicate that individuals with higher levels of trust in international organisations have lower preference for communities with a closed door to immigration. The findings suggest that a nuanced conceptualisation of trust that accounts for non-state actors helps explain how public attitudes toward immigration are shaped in settings of weak state governance. This implies that national-level or state-centric analyses are insufficient, and that analyses must be tailored to local governance settings to capture the role of non-state actors. Finally, the results show that in regions with weak state governance, international organisations may act as trusted intermediaries to enhance openness to immigration. Please join either in person or online. For in-person attendees, the talk will be preceded by a light lunch at 12.15pm. Please email comms@sociology.ox.ac.uk with any questions.
I will present two studies examining preservice teachers’ dialogic teaching practices within an immersive virtual reality (VR) classroom simulation powered by a large language model (LLM). Study 1 investigated 23 preservice teachers’ perceptions of authenticity, situational interest, and self-efficacy during VR-based classroom debates, and analyzed their talk-move patterns using a hidden Markov model. Study 2 explored whether repeated simulation experiences combined with peer feedback influenced 22 preservice teachers’ beliefs about classroom ownership of ideas and activities. Together, the findings suggest that AI-driven VR simulations offer authentic and scalable environments for capturing dialogic teaching practices and fostering more student-centered instructional beliefs among preservice teachers.
Professor Guy Thwaites University of Oxford https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/team/guy-thwaites
In this event we will introduce the Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology industries, providing information on the types of roles available, the skills needed and ideas on how you can build experience There will be opportunities to ask questions.
affecting over 230 million people worldwide across 68 developing countries. This seminar will focus on two areas of our research on Schistosoma mansoni that open new possibilities for the development of novel anti-schistosome therapeutics: (i) the unravelling of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) as a vital signalling hub in the parasite; and (ii) the development of a novel in vitro stem-cell focused drug screening platform using the developing liver schistosomula stage. HSP90s are molecular chaperones often produced by cells in response to hostile conditions. We discovered that HSP90 was upregulated in the developing schistosomula, and phenotype assays revealed that various HSP90 inhibitors profoundly attenuated parasite viability/development. In vitro liver-stage, ex-vivo adult male/female worms and eggs were also killed. Strikingly, stem cell proliferation in the skin, lung and liver schistosomula, and the testicular lobes and ovaries of adult worms was blocked. SiRNA-mediated knockdown of the cytoplasmic HSP90 alpha isoform 2 (Smp_072330) also attenuated stem cell proliferation and restricted schistosomulum growth, supporting the importance of this HSP90 isoform. Phosphorylation of schistosomula Akt/protein kinase B, extracellular signal-regulated kinase, and p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase were also modulated by inhibition, suggesting HSP90 regulates core ‘system-based’ signalling pathways in the parasite. Building on our interest in schistosome stem cell biology we aimed to develop a novel drug screening platform employing non-synchronous in vitro grown liver-stage schistosomula with high-content quantitative analysis of dividing somatic neoblasts within the parasite to define phenotype. Drug screening employed a stem cell focused library containing 280 compounds, 44 of which supressed stem cell proliferation by at least 75%. Sixteen ‘hit’ compounds from the primary screen were prioritised for further testing/confirmation with testing done in both simple and complex media. Six compounds were finally selected for further investigation, all of which killed developing schistosomula and abolished both somatic and germinal stem proliferation in adult male and female worms. In addition to identifying a panel of new anti-schistosomal compounds with associated predicted targets, the findings provide mechanistic insights into the somatic stem cell biology of schistosomes. Bio Sketch: Tony Walker is Professor of Cell Biology in the School of Life Sciences, Pharmacy and Chemistry at Kingston University (KU) London. Since starting at KU over two decades ago, his research has aimed to better understand the basic biology of schistosome parasites and how they interact with their mammalian and snail hosts. Using techniques such as protein kinase assay, immunohistochemistry, confocal laser scanning microscopy, RNA interference, and phenotype assays, his research seeks to define the fundamental mechanisms by which cellular proteins regulate schistosome form and function. The research could result in the identification of candidate proteins for the development of novel anti-schistosome drugs to help control the neglected tropical disease, human schistosomiasis.
The Oxford Department of International Development (ODID) has partnered with the Social Sciences Division (SSD) to organise an ODID Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Research Spotlight event. SSD EDI events are intended to shine a spotlight on the contribution of SSD researchers to the broad field of scholarship on equality, diversity, and inclusion. The aim is to highlight that EDI is not just a matter of management of people and organisations, but also an intellectual challenge and a thriving academic field in which SSD researchers play a leading role within the University and beyond. This Hilary Term the event will showcase research undertaken by staff and doctoral students at ODID. PROGRAMME 12.30-1.30pm Lunch Session 1: Discrimination • Catherine Briddick, ‘Resisting Domestic Violence’ • Carolina Rota, ‘Discrimination at Work: Migrant Domestic Labour in Urban India’ • Kazmel Hamweemba, ‘Rethinking ‘Crisis’: Manhood, Precarity, and the Limits of Our Concepts’ • Matthew Gibney, ‘Denationalisation and Discrimination’ Session 2: Decolonisation in Development Studies • Clement Amponsah, ‘Decolonising Resilience’ • Amir Lebdioui, ‘Decolonising Economics’ • Dan Hodgkinson, ‘Co-producing history and the ethics of audio-visual archive in Africa’ 5pm Refreshments Convenors: Nandini Gooptu and Clement Amponsah Please note that this is primarily an in-person event. However, we recognise that for some this format might be difficult. If you inform us in advance, we can send you a link to enable you to watch online. Please contact aradhana.cheruparavadekkethil@some.ox.ac.uk Registration is free, but essential for catering purposes.
Are you planning to present a poster at an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This introductory session will provide you with some top tips on how to create a poster presentation which will help you to communicate your research project and data effectively. There will be guidance on formatting, layout, content, use of text, references and images, as well as advice on printing and presenting your poster. This session will also provide help with locating resources such as templates, free-to-use images and poster guidelines. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of templates, formatting, text and images; and plan, prepare and present your poster. Intended audience: Medicine and NHS; Researcher and research student
Consider a Brownian motion constrained to remain within a cone in the plane, and conditioned to exit it at its apex. As it explores this space, its path can be divided into sections living within smaller subcones with random apexes: cone excursions. Cutting out these excursions produces a process with jumps, and the procedure can be iterated indefinitely within the cut-out sections. What emerges is a growth-fragmentation, a type of branching process with infinite activity. We demonstrate this and characterise the law of the growth-fragmentation for a particular choice of apex angle. The resulting process can be seen as describing the boundary lengths of certain SLE curves drawn on a quantum disc, and mirrors parallel developments in the field of random planar maps. A key element in the work is an interesting pathwise construction of the 3/2-stable process conditioned to stay positive. This is joint work with Ellen Powell (Durham) and William Da Silva (Vienna).
During this forum speakers from Bodleian Open Scholarship Support and across Oxford will discuss current changes in the field of open scholarship. Including subjects like data, open access, open monographs, copyright and more. It is advised that attendees of the forum have previously attended the Fundamentals and Logistics courses to improve understanding. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
This paper looks at the history of Britain’s first community-based mental health charities, focusing on the Mental After-Care Association (MACA), founded in 1879. It looks at how these charities approached recovery from mental illness, and consequently sheds light on the birth of British psychotherapy. It shows how psychotherapy emerged from a collection of interpersonal practices developed by philanthropists and medical professionals to engender and sustain mental health. It reveals how women working in administrative and professional psychiatric capacities were influential in this process. Appreciating early psycho-medical charities’ involvement in the germination of British psychotherapeutics uncovers how philanthropists’ ideals regarding the good and healthy self, the moral virtues of certain kinds of friendship, and Chrisian social duties, were actively woven into practices adopted and claimed by psychiatric professionals, and which have since become presented as value-free medical interventions. *Dr Hannah Blythe* is a historian and health humanities researcher with a background in policy and public affairs. Her research focuses on mental health, psychiatry, psychology, charity, and the National Health Service. At Leeds, she works on the Constructing Moral Babies project, using interdisciplinary methods to explore the history and policy of the infant mind. Before joining Leeds, Hannah was a Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, where she researched the role of charity in the British National Health Service. Before that, she completed her PhD at the University of Cambridge, with an affiliation at the Birkbeck Centre for Interdisciplinary Research on Mental Health. Her PhD examines the history of Britain's first community mental health charities, 1879-1939, with a focus on their approaches to recovery from mental illness and their roles in the birth of British psychotherapy. She has also worked in policy and public affairs in the charity sector, local government and UK Parliament.
There has been increasing recognition that anxiety disorders and symptoms are very common in the perinatal period (from pregnancy to the first year postpartum). Anxiety has been defined in the DSM as apprehension, tension, or uneasiness that stems from the anticipation of danger, which may be internal or external. It is important to consider perinatal anxiety in the context of increased threat and dysregulation due to physical, social and emotional changes at this time, and the interface with the tasks and demands of caregiving. This can be particularly difficult in the context of unwanted intrusive thoughts of infant harm, especially when appraised that the risk is from the parent themselves. Presenting data from a range of studies, this talk will centre on the phenomenology of anxiety in the perinatal period, considering the interactions between parenting, perceived parenting and mental health, and how psychological treatments need to be adapted to attune to these factors to optimise outcomes for parent and child.
The seminar will be followed by drinks.
Osmel Manzano is Regional Economic Advisor for the Country Department for the Andean Countries at the Inter-American Development Bank (IADB), Nonresident Fellow for Latin American Energy Studies at the Center for Energy Studies (CES) at Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, Adjunct Professor at the Walsh School of Foreign Service, Georgetown University, and Professorial Lecturer at the Elliott School of International Affairs at George Washington University. Previously he was the Regional Economic Advisor for the Country Department for Belize, Central America, Haiti, Mexico, Panama and Dominican Republic. Before joining the IADB, he was Assistant Director, and Coordinator of the Research Program at the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF). He was also Adjunct Professor at the McCourt School of Public Policy at Georgetown University, and Universidad Catolica Andres Bello and IESA Business School -in Venezuela, and has been invited to teach at different Latin American universities. He was a Visiting Fellow at the Mossavar-Rahmani Center for Business and Government of the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. He holds a Ph.D. Degree in Economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.Sc. in Economics from Universidad Catolica Andres Bello. Daniela Valdivia is a Researcher at the Instituo de Estudos Peruano (IEP) and before was a Research Fellow at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), specializing in the political economy of natural resources and the social impacts of extractive industries. Her work examines distributive justice, inequality, and the role of social license in shaping community-company relations in resource-dependent regions. She has co-authored studies on mining royalties, education, and inequality in Peru and the wider Andean region.
Taiwan Undaunted, an award-winning documentary, explores the emergence of Taiwanese nationhood and identity from colonial and dynastic times through the democratic awakening. Drawing on over 80 in-depth interviews with ordinary people, experts, and politicians, director-presenter Neal E. Robbins captures Taiwanese aspirations, dreams, hopes, and fears. At the centre of his account lie the tensions between Taiwan's indigenous heritage, immigrant roots and the geopolitical complexities across the strait. With China's territorial claims intensifying, the documentary and Robbins’s eponymous book, out in February, reflect on the resilience of Taiwan's democracy and the uncertain future that lies ahead. The film and the Q & A with the director afterwards will also afford the opportunity to consider the challenges posed by documentary and book creation on the same topic. “In documentary I could let viewers fly like a bird over the land, stand in the trenches of World War II battles and take VIP seats at military parades in Beijing while commentary flowed over the scenes,” says Robbins. “The images had emotional impact but at the expense of truncated intellectual breadth and depth. The book echoes the documentary, but refocuses on nuances, interconnections and subtleties, creating a much fuller, more organic vision.” About the Speaker: After doing a degree in Chinese at Washington University in St Louis, Neal E. Robbins studied the language in Taiwan from 1976-78, when he also collected Taiwanese short stories later published by Yale University Press. After graduating from Columbia University in journalism in 1979, he worked as a foreign correspondent in Hong Kong, New Delhi and Washington. He was a professor of journalism at Roosevelt University in Chicago from 1986 and from 1991-93 at National Taiwan University (NTU). While in Taiwan he contributed to The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and the BBC. From 1993–1995 he was Europe correspondent based in London for the Taiwan newspaper China Times, and from 1997 launched a community website for Cambridge, England, where he lives with his family. After completing a Taiwan Studies degree at SOAS, University of London, in 2023 he returned to Taiwan in 2023-24 as a visiting scholar at NTU.
What are the implications of AI for state and non-state threats, conventional and hybrid warfare, and our international relationships?
Week 6 Monday 23rd February 5.15pm 10.019 Christy Wensley, University of Oxford ‘So strange a dreaminess did there reign’: Herman Melville’s Economies of the Drift
Operational Threats in the High North: Deterrence, Domain Awareness, and Emerging Technology | Strategic Orientation & Candidate Signup The High North is re-emerging as a strategically contested military theatre. From expanded naval patrols and domain awareness to long-range strike, ISR competition, and the militarisation of dual-use infrastructure, the region is increasingly central to deterrence, escalation management, and alliance posture in an era of renewed great-power rivalry. The Emerging Threats Group is convening an introductory seminar to identify participants for a focused working group hackathon that will develop a preliminary threat assessment ahead of a major closed international conference with government, academia, and industry. This will be an in-depth, discussion-driven session designed for graduate students, postdocs, and advanced undergrads able to translate strategic analysis into actionable policy insights. Participants will engage with core operational challenges spanning NATO innovation initiatives, regional maritime defence architectures, grey-zone activity, autonomous and drone warfare, and the resilience of critical Arctic infrastructure. Those selected will be invited to join the full threat policy hackathon on 1 March, where their analysis will directly inform a dynamic closed conference engaging senior stakeholders across government, industry, and academia.
The Revd Dr Rosalind Lane was a Prison Chaplain from 1996-2012. She was awarded her Doctorate in 2016 for a thesis entitled 'Imprisoned Grief: A theological, Spiritual and Practical Response'. In her research, she highlights the role of the Prison Chaplain as one who 'shepherds away from home' and argues that Chaplains are uniquely placed to support those who are disenfranchised in their grief whilst in prison. Her epistemological standpoint is one of a practitioner/researcher as a practical theologian, and arises from theological reflection on the experiences of those in her care. Her research highlights that those in prison as well as being disenfranchised whilst grieving can become imprisoned in their grief in many different ways. She investigates the distinctive work of the chaplain, what is spiritual, religious, symbolic, and/or theological about it, and in so doing what areas of prisoner lives could be enfranchised and liberated in addressing these painful parts of their lives. She offers a unique insight to how faith operates in this hidden part of public life. A response to her talk will be given by The Revd Paul Cowley, MBE, drawing on his own experience of both serving time in prison and of working through various organisations to help ex-offenders reintegrate into society. As a young man, Paul Cowley spent time in HMP Risley; he then served for seventeen years in the British Army. On leaving, he had a career in business, before changing his vocation to become a priest in the Church of England, serving at Holy Trinity Brompton. In 2005 he founded the charity Caring for Exoffenders, which has helped over 2,000 men and women re-integrate and re-join the workforce, and for which he was awarded an MBE in 2016.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is responsible for assessing most medicines launched in England, diagnostics, devices and digital products and creating clinical guidelines that identify the most clinically and cost-effective care. We’ll discuss how NICE assesses clinically and cost-effective care, including an interactive session where we work through different scenarios, such as a very expensive medicine for a few people and a very cheap medicine for many people. Finally, we’ll end with what kinds of innovations NICE are seeing now and anticipate in the near future, what they may mean for the health and care service, the practice of medicine and NICE assessment.
*OxMEND* is pleased to invite you to an evening with *Dr Yasmeen Abu Fraiha* and *Professor Oren Yiftachel* (A Land for All), in conversation with *Dr David Borabeck* (University of Oxford). Together, our speakers will examine the political and theological assumptions that shape how Israelis and Palestinians relate to the land. Moving beyond conventional policy frameworks, the conversation will explore whether the land must be imagined primarily through sovereignty and ownership - or whether alternative traditions of belonging and shared affinity might open new political horizons. This is an opportunity to engage directly with leading thinkers and practitioners, exchange ideas in an open setting, and reflect on practical pathways for meaningful activism. Can’t make it to the event but want to hear about future OxMEND events? Stay in the loop by filling out this short form: https://forms.gle/83TE5qQwMAmtL5C58
The ASCEND Network is hosting a leadership workshop on ‘Research Ideation – Finding the White Space’ and ‘Funding Pathways Beyond the Obvious’. This workshop will aim to give participants one or two new ideas or directions for their research and a new list of funding options, with one of those options having been explored in more depth. Please note, you must be a member of the network to attend the workshop. You can join the network here: https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/about-us/who-we-are/departments-networks-clinical-trial-units/networks/ascend-1/membership-and-joining
Clinical prediction models are used routinely in the general population to support primary prevention of adverse cardiometabolic outcomes. Yet, a wide body of evidence has shown that existing population-based tools are inadequate for people with severe mental illness (SMI), particularly younger populations with early SMI where elevated cardiometabolic risk is already detectable. Moreover, despite a huge growth of research activity in clinical prediction models in psychiatry over recent decades, there is a dearth of translation into clinically available tools. In this talk, Ben will present the latest work from the psychosis metabolic risk calculator (PsyMetRiC) project. First developed in 2021, PsyMetRiC was originally developed to predict upto six-year risk of developing metabolic syndrome in young people with psychosis spectrum disorders. The original PsyMetRiC models have subsequently been validated in 11 countries across four continents. Now, as part of an NIHR Advanced Fellowship, the PsyMetRiC project has been transformed with multi-disciplinary components spanning data science and the inclusion of over 25,000 early psychosis cases to refine the PsyMetRiC models; health economic modelling; qualitative components focused on risk communication and behaviour change; comprehensive stakeholder engagement and involvement including training lived experience co-researchers; software design emphasizing comprehensive graphical and animated results visualisations; and collaboration with regulatory medical device experts. The resulting work, due for upcoming publication in Lancet Psychiatry, will coincide with the release of the new PsyMetRiC web application, which is among the first regulatory certified prediction tools in the field of psychiatry, thus one of the first in the field to be available for routine clinical use. PsyMetRiC can support a shift in cardiometabolic care for young people with SMI from reactive management – associated with persistently poor outcomes – to earlier, proactive prevention supported by shared decision-making. This work also provides a translational template for moving prediction models from statistical equations to regulated medical devices that can be trusted by clinicians and patients. This seminar is online only, please use Zoom details below: https://zoom.us/j/93311812405?pwd=9kbjSbEcO2fa7n7gFLZVqrChvr467B.1 Meeting ID: 933 1181 2405 Passcode: 169396
Are you looking for a streamlined approach to gathering, managing and citing your references? Join us for this interactive online session in which we introduce Zotero, a reference management tool that helps you to collect and manage references and insert them into your word-processor document as in-text citations or footnotes, as well as generating bibliographies. The demonstration will be on Windows although Zotero is also available for Mac and Linux. By the end of the session, you will understand: how Zotero can help you; how to add references to Zotero from a range of sources; how to manage your references; how to add in-text citations and/or footnotes to your documents; how to create bibliographies; and where to get help with Zotero. Please note that, whilst this session is mostly aimed at beginners, there will be a chance at the end to ask more specific questions about how to use Zotero. Intended audience: taught student; researcher and research student
Join us for a digital scholarship coffee gathering - tea and coffee will be provided. At this session we'll have a talk titled Spectral Analysis and the Shelley Circle: Towards a New Digital School of Textual Criticism About the speaker Michael J. Sullivan is a literary critic at the University of Oxford and General Editor of The Complete Works of Alfred Tennyson for Oxford University Press. His interests span the poetics and verse cultures of the late eighteenth to twentieth centuries, with publications on Victorian and Romantic literature and special interests in poetic drafts and the transnational drift of verse forms. His work in digital editing includes the project Recovery of Literary Manuscripts, which is among the first sustained applications of multispectral imaging to the study of modern anglophone literature. The project’s work on Tennyson received recent media coverage in The Smithsonian magazine and Artnet among others, and a video on Recovery of Literary Manuscripts was released by the University of Oxford in 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IvIqW-qj7eA. He is currently finishing Tennyson: A Life in Manuscripts for Princeton University Press and writing Transnational Verse Forms: The Making of Stanzas in Modern Poetics. These will be held in the Visiting Scholars Centre, so to attend you’ll need to bring your Bodleian Card and to leave your bags in the lockers - this event is only open to University staff and students.
Postgraduate students, fellows, staff and faculty from any discipline are welcome. This group aims to foster frequent interdisciplinary critical dialogue across Oxford and beyond about the political impacts of emerging technologies. Please contact Callum Harvey (callum.harvey@oii.ox.ac.uk) in advance to participate or with any questions. Attendance is online only. You do not currently have to be affiliated with the University of Oxford to attend and participate in discussions.
Narrative CVs are being adopted by many funders, nationally and internationally, to give researchers the opportunity to showcase a wider range of skills and experience than is possible in a traditional academic CV; an example is the UKRI Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI). Writing a narrative CV requires a different way of thinking about and describing your skills, experience and contributions to research and innovation compared to a traditional CV. Writing your first narrative CV will take some time and effort; you might not be sure about what activities to include, and how to describe their quality, relevance, and your involvement in them. This presentation will try to demystify and simplify narrative CVs by providing advice, prompts and suggestions for how to write one. Speakers Mary Muers Research Culture Facilitator, MSD Kanza Basit Senior Research Facilitator, SSD Gavin Bird Head of Research Facilitation and Support, SOGE, SSD Susan Black, Careers Adviser, Oxford Careers Service Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22970&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUOUhSTjVFMExHUzlVSkU1WFZER1JKTU9VTy4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
This session explores how interviews can be used effectively as a Voice of the Customer tool in CI work, helping teams capture what customers say, need and experience. While they offer rich, honest insight into customer needs and behaviours, interviews are often underused; this session shares practical techniques, inclusive approaches and real world lessons from CI practitioners.
Join us for a discussion on the challenges that women still face in science, and how to fix it. All welcome! Lunch will be provided. Please register using the following link: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/e/cqd115252m
In the era of accelerating global climate change, freshwater is increasingly becoming a strategic and contested resource. Few regions illustrate this more clearly than Tibet: the source of some of the world’s most important rivers that sustain nearly half of the global population. This lecture will explore the emotional dimensions of water politics in China–India relations, focusing on the narratives of pride, anger, fear, and national identity regarding the Himalayan region and shared river systems. Moreover, the lecture will shed light on how the 75-year territorial dispute between the world’s two most populous countries is intrinsically intertwined with the emerging conflict over water security. Finally, the presenter will assess the role of emotions in possible future trajectories in China–India relations and beyond. Dr Antonina Luszczykiewicz-Mendis is an educator, author, and commentator on China–India relations and Indo-Pacific affairs. She is currently a visiting scholar at the University of Oxford China Centre. Antonina previously served as a Fulbright senior scholar at Indiana University in the United States. A former Taiwan fellow of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of China (ROC), she was also a Confucius Institute scholar at Xi’an Jiaotong University in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and a Kosciuszko fellow in the United States. She is an assistant professor at the Jagiellonian University in Krakow, a research fellow at the Central European Institute of Asian Studies in Slovakia, and an associate fellow of the World Academy of Art and Science. She received her graduate education and research training at the Jagiellonian University and the University of Cambridge.
Join us for a special discussion to hear two very different stories about the Women of Bletchley Park – a personal account and a researcher’s perspective. Sir Dermot Turing is the award-winning author of X, Y and Z – the real story of how Enigma was broken and Enigma Traitors, which reveals the failings of Allied cipher security during World War II. He will share insights from his latest book, Misread signals, which highlights the crucial, often overlooked roles of women at Bletchley Park. We are also honoured to welcome Mary Stewart, who will tell us about her experiences serving as a bombe operator in the Women’s Royal Naval Service (WRNS) during the Second World War. The Wrens, as they were known then, were the female branch of the British Royal Navy, formed initially in 1917 (WWI) and reformed in 1939 (WWII) to release men for sea service by filling crucial land-based roles like clerks, drivers, wireless operators, and codebreakers, serving globally and integrating into the Navy until officially disbanding in 1993 as women joined the Navy directly. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided immediately before the talk, from 11.30am. Dermot Turing Sir Dermot Turing Sir Dermot Turing is a Visiting Fellow of Kellogg College, and the acclaimed author of Prof, a biography of his famous uncle, The Story of Computing, and most recently Misread Signals. Mary Stewart was a Bombe operator during the War. Bombe machines were designed by Alan Turing and Gordon Welchman to break German Enigma codes. Operators were mostly women from the Women’s Royal Naval Service (Wrens), who worked shifts in a tedious but vital role that involved setting up the machines, identifying “stops,” and passing potential settings to codebreakers, Mary Stewart Mary Stewart Bletchley Park Week: This event is part of our annual Bletchley Park Week (22-27 February) programme of events celebrating a partnership between Kellogg College and Bletchley Park. This year’s theme is: “The Age of AI”.
Hybrid. Email oxchildpsych@psych.ox.ac.uk to request the link to attend online.
Across Western Europe and North America, immigration is a high-profile issue at the center of election campaigns. Yet, we do not know whether people are committed to their immigration preferences, and how that varies across people who support or oppose immigration. We address these questions with four original surveys from Germany, the United Kingdom and the United States. One key finding is that people with pro-immigration preferences are more civically engaged to support immigration. However, we also find that people with anti-immigration preferences are more likely to support politicians on the basis of their immigration proposals. In addition, people with anti-immigration preferences are more likely to support politicians who agree with them on immigration but violate democratic norms. These differences in electoral prioritization are largely explained by ideological extremity. Our findings have numerous implications for understanding immigration divides and political engagement more generally.
24 February, 12.30pm (room 00.056, Schwarzman Centre) Thomas Leonard-Roy (Università degli Studi di Sassari), 'Writerly Hate'
Media and public discourse on digital technology use in early childhood often highlight narratives of concern about children’s screen time, online safety, digital choices, and emotional and behavioural challenges surrounding their digital activity (e.g., ‘techno-tantrums’ when requests for digital devices are denied or when required to transition away from a digital device). Our recent meta-analysis suggests that children’s self-regulation is associated with these digital behaviours and reactivity from childhood through to adolescence, although its role is nuanced. Unfortunately, most research has focused on associations of self-regulation with screen time and problematic patterns and risky forms of digital engagement, providing low clarity regarding when, for what, and under what conditions self-regulation is involved in different types and contexts of young children’s digital engagement. This seminar will unpack those meta-analytic findings on the role of self-regulation in young children’s digital activity, and add emerging research and essential future research directions that further consider interactions of individual, educational, digital design, and contextual factors – which may point to better solutions to prepare children for the digital demands of their present and future. Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3825967966058?p=oaa4boDA3tu5ZnqMja
We study the bounds of mediated communication in sender-receiver games in which the sender’s payoff is state-independent. We show that the feasible distributions of beliefs under mediation are those that induce zero correlation, but not necessarily independence, between the sender’s payoff and the receiver’s belief. Mediation attains the upper bound on the sender’s value, i.e., the Bayesian persuasion value, if and only if this value collapses to the lower bound, i.e., the cheap talk value. Mediation is strictly above this lower bound when the sender has countervailing incentives in the space of the receiver’s belief, as captured by a failure of a weak single-crossing condition. We apply our results to asymmetric-information settings such as bilateral trade and lobbying and explicitly construct mediation policies such that the informed and uninformed parties are better off than under unmediated communication.
13:00: Xintong Li Title: “Mental health and cardiovascular disease: A comprehensive exploration of the psycho-cardiological interface” 13:10: Luveon Tang Title: “Socioeconomic and Behavioural Predictors of Adverse Perinatal Outcome using OXGRIP dataset” 13:20: Maisy Higgs Title: “PANS/PANDAS: Potential Disease Drivers, Immune Dysfunction and Pathogenic Triggers” 13:30: Jared Suruky Title: “Sexual and Reproductive Health Knowledge and Recommended Educational Interventions Among Q’eqchi’ Guatemalan Women: A Qualitative Study” 13:40: Aria Hariadi Title: "Improvement of Cancer Organoids using Microfluidic System to Study Metabolic Rewiring in Therapy Resistance" 13:50: Chloe Guo Title: “Investigating FAO inhibition as a therapeutic strategy against High-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer relapse”
Bio: Stephan Sanders is Professor of Paediatric Neurogenetics in the Department of Paediatrics at the University of Oxford, a member of faculty at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), and an affiliate of the New York Genome Center (NYGC). He trained as a paediatrician before undertaking a PhD and Postdoctoral studies in Genetics and Bioinformatics at Yale University. In 2014, he started his lab at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) before moving to Oxford in 2022. His group specialises in the genetics of autism spectrum disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders, including genomics, functional genomics, and therapeutics. Dr. Sanders is the Director of the MRC Centre of Research Excellence in Therapeutic Genomics, co-leads the Genetics Medicine Frontier Hub of the Aligning Research to Impact Autism (ARIA) project and is a leader of the Autism Sequencing Consortium and a SFARI Sex Differences Collaboration project. Join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YTlmOWQyODgtYzJhMS00NDQyLWExYmQtOTkzNmFiZWRmMWEy%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22902ce32a-9317-4399-9f23-a83c7907d4bd%22%7d
Discover how to combine creative problem-solving with AI-powered tools in this fast-paced, hands-on workshop. You’ll learn the essentials of Design Thinking, practice refining real-world challenges, and explore how AI can accelerate ideation and solution development. Bring a problem from your research area—or use one we provide—and collaborate with peers to generate innovative ideas.
Unlock the full potential of your literature review with Scopus, a vital database for social sciences, medical sciences, and physical and life sciences. This interactive session will cover basic and advanced searching, highlighting features unique to Scopus and recent updates to the database. Ideal for new researchers and a great refresher for experienced researchers, with plenty of hands on searching and time for questions. By the end of the session you will be able to: construct simple and complex searches; navigate filters; understand effective search query techniques; save and export results; and extract further information from your results. Intended audience: taught student; researcher and research student
1. Storti B et al. Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers in cerebral amyloid angiopathy with and without spontaneous lobar hemorrhage. J Am Heart Assoc 2025;14:e042445 2. Piccarducci R et al. The role of amyloid-?, tau and α-synuclein proteins as putative blood biomarkers in patients with cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Journal of Alzheimer’s disease 2022;89:1039-1049
TBC Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/33810063282855?p=drc3Y5xteIW6y0P8sG
Discover the hidden journey of research as researchers share the challenges and lessons from their paper’s journey, with a live audience survey to test your guesses against their story.
Digitization in ‘New India’: A Material and Moral Technology Dr Nafis Aziz Hasan (University of Amsterdam) As a material, ideological, aesthetic and moral force, digitization of public administration in India, has, over the past four decades, intervened in the social, political and technological life of the state, broadly conceived. In this talk, drawing on an ethnography of public bureaucracy as it encounters the multiple infrastructures of mobile apps, dashboards and databases as the interfaces through which forms of algorithmic software and now AI meet prior writing and documentary technologies, I describe some key effects of the charisma of new technology on a diverse constituency of actors and institutions – local bureaucrats and their offices, senior bureaucrats and new forms of expertise and national pride and the everyday hopes and despairs of people interacting with a digitizing state. Undergirding these descriptions are anthropological concerns about the shaping and re-shaping of collective and individual identities in ‘New India’. Dr. Nafis Aziz Hasan is an assistant professor in the department of Anthropology at the University of Amsterdam (UvA) specializing in the human and organizational effects of digitization in the Global South. Prior to joining the UvA, he was a postdoctoral research fellow at the Center for the Advanced Study of India at the University of Pennsylvania. His articles have appeared in American Ethnologist, Science Technology and Human Values and South Asia: Journal of South Asian Studies, among other venues. Along with Ashish Rajadhyaksha and Nishant Shah, he is also the author of the open access book Overload, Creep, Excess: An Internet from India. Dwelling in Ambiguity: Tanzanian-led AI Innovation and the Technological Otherwise Tom Neumark (University of Oslo) This talk draws on my ethnographic research among Tanzanian computer and data scientists working on healthcare and medical technologies. I begin by posing a simple question: should Tanzanian-led digital technological innovation fill us with despair or inspire us? Debates that hinge on the idea of a technological otherwise often polarise. Critics see sameness in a derivative Silicon Valley solutionism, techno-fixing, and neoliberal capture. In contrast, others emphasise difference, pointing to local, situated knowledge, forms of care, or technological self-determination. I argue that both perspectives are as problematic as they are illuminating, and we must focus more consistently on ambiguity. My argument is not simply descriptive – that ambiguity exists in practice – but normative and methodological: we should retain and centre it in our explanations and political response. I show how centring ambiguity potentially offers new opportunities for learning with not only our interlocutors but also other disciplines. Tom Neumark is a social anthropologist whose research focuses on interventions to alleviate poverty and ill health in East Africa. He is the author of Caring Cash: Free Money and the Ethics of Solidarity in Kenya, published by Pluto Press, and holds a PhD in Social Anthropology from the University of Cambridge.
The idea that new species can arise as a by-product of natural selection acting on ecological and morphological traits is gaining increasing support from studies of recently diverged species. In this seminar, I present evidence for rapid ecological and morphological divergence in cichlid fishes living in small, isolated crater lakes in Tanzania. I begin by describing phylogenomic evidence for a striking case of body size–related speciation among predatory, open-water cichlids in crater Lake Kingiri (approximately 600 m in diameter). I then turn to a second example from crater Lake Masoko (approximately 700 m in diameter), where speciation appears to be linked to habitat differences. Here, I focus first on the role of visual adaptations in driving divergence, before presenting quantitative evidence showing how natural selection acts on ecological and morphological traits. Together, these case studies help to clarify how natural selection can drive ecological speciation, a process that likely underlies the remarkable and much more extensive cichlid mega-radiations of the East African Great Lakes. Martin Genner is an ecologist and evolutionary biologist, with interests in the origins of diversity (speciation and adaptive radiation), how it is maintained (species coexistence) and how it is influenced by changing environments (climate and invasive species). His research focusses on fishes, and he has worked most extensively on species from East African freshwaters, European seas and the Southern Ocean. His research uses a wide range of approaches, including field surveys of biodiversity, analyses of long-term fisheries data, experimental field studies, quantitative observations of behaviour, and analyses of morphology. He also uses analyses of environmental DNA, stable isotope ratios, and genome/transcriptome/methylome data for the study of biodiversity, genetic structure and evolutionary adaptation.
Join us at Oxford Edge for a Humanities Beyond Academia Skill Workshop with *Dr Pegram Harrison*. This session will focus on "Skills for Teams", teaching valuable skills on how to build teams and foster teamwork. All welcome.
Beyond the dramatic and consequential attacks by the Trump administration, American higher education is under pressure to demonstrate its effectiveness in enhancing student success and employability. There has been criticism that students don’t learn enough, are disengaged, and are not getting value for money. This presentation presents the results of a recent study The Multi-Engagement Model: Understanding Diverse Pathways to Student Success at Research Universities that provides a unique data driven and holistic perspective on understanding the undergraduate experience at large U.S. public research-intensive universities. Leveraging 11 years of survey and institutional data collected by the Student Experience in the Research University (SERU) Consortium, our research shows the significance and interconnectedness of various college experiences — academic engagement in and outside of classroom settings, research activities, extracurricular, civic, and career development — and that this results in distinct and diverse pathways to success. This research contradicts the narrative of students being academically adrift popular in the media, and offers a path for institutions to better understand the experience of students from diverse backgrounds, and to better articulate to stakeholders the robust nature of their educational enterprises. This study also found that student engagement across the areas we measured declined during the pandemic and had yet to fully recover in 2023. My co-authors and I also found inequities in experiences and opportunities for students from lower-income families and underrepresented groups.
After having worked for two years at the Ministry of Health’s Blair Research Institute (now the National Institute for Health), on malaria research in the Zambezi Valley, Tim Freeman established Malair (Pvt) Ltd, a private consultancy company that operated from 1993 to 2000. Under sponsorship from EMNET (Pvt) Ltd, Freeman implemented the Gokwe Malaria Project, taking exclusive control of mosquito-net distribution in the district. In his project report, Freeman framed rural communities as largely ignorant of malaria, positioning himself as a necessary intermediary. Yet his motives were far beyond humanitarianism as he explicitly sought to turn Gokwe into a profitable market space for mosquito nets, treating them as commodities to be sold the same way pharmaceuticals sell drugs. In this talk, I will be drawing on this to speak about the blurred and often contested boundary between public health interventions and market profit. I argue that Freeman’s project exemplifies how malaria control has repeatedly been shaped by the entanglement of humanitarian rhetoric with market‑driven imperatives.
The event will be followed by a drinks reception.
Professor Miguel-Aliaga studies how the gut communicates with the brain and other organs
Facing a fiscal threat from mass suburbanization, Sun Belt cities expanded their municipal boundaries nearly six-fold between 1945 and 2000, while Northern cities, constrained by state annexation laws, saw little expansion. Using newly digitized data on city boundaries, we estimate that the average expansion increased municipal population by over 35%, adding whiter and higher-income neighborhoods than the pre-existing core. Through a stacked difference-in-differences design comparing annexing cities to similar non-annexing cities, we evaluate how boundary expansions impacted municipal finance and public good provision. While total revenues and expenditures increased after annexation, per capita levels declined by roughly 25%, with the largest declines in current expenditures and labor-intensive services like fire and policing. However, proxies for public good provision show no decline post-annexation, suggesting cities maintained service quality by leveraging economies of scale in high fixed-cost sectors. Despite contemporary claims that annexation would spur broader economic growth, we find no evidence of increased county-level employment.
Alarmism persists over a growing Chinese Navy, yet Chinese naval strategy suggests defence rather than offence. The root of the problem is inferring too much from Beijing’s naval building programme. Simple capability analysis is too scientific – there is no room for analysis of Chinese maritime intent amidst counting new hulls and long-range missiles. If the West overreacts to a growing Chinese Navy, the risk of a damaging arms race in the Western Pacific increases. Ever more capable warships operating in the confined waters of the East and South China Sea risk a war begun by miscalculation. In this talk, Lt Cdr Ward will reprise his theme of ‘the mirroring fallacy’, first described at a CCW lunchtime lecture in Trinity Term 2024. Now informed by operational experience from 2025, Andrew will show that inferring Chinese naval intent as a mirror of Western naval intent is fallacious. Andrew Ward was the 2023-24 Royal Navy Hudson Fellow and a Visiting Fellow at CCW. Andrew joined the Royal Navy in 2012, serving at sea in destroyers HMS DRAGON and DUNCAN in the Middle East. Recently he has been working in international policy at the Ministry of Defence and Northwood Headquarters. He read Philosophy, Politics and Economics at University College, was a visiting student at Washington & Lee University and completed an MA in Defence and Security Studies (Maritime) at King’s College London in 2021. His paper on the Royal Navy and the Early Cold War was published in January 2022. In 2025 Andrew sailed with the aircraft carrier HMS Prince of Wales on deployment to the Asia-Pacific region.
Former Irish Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy offers a rare, deeply personal look into the realities of modern political life in a candid fireside chat based on his bestselling book Running From Office: Confessions of Ambition and Failure in Politics. The event will feature a a moderated conversation with Michael McMahon, Professor of Economics, and David Doyle, Professor of Politics, and an audience Q&A.
This talk argues that divine and mythical beasts were not decorative motifs but core translational operators in the French Jesuit Figurists’ early Qing re-making of the Yijing and related classics into a Christian-readable archive. Building on previously underexamined manuscript corpora—Yi yao 易鑰, Yi yin 易引, and Yi gao 易稿—the talk shows how Joachim Bouvet, Jean-François Foucquet, and Joseph Henri-Marie de Prémare deployed animal figures to construct a shared “antiquity–salvation” time-space, through which Christian notions of God, evil, and salvation could be negotiated within the Yijing and adjacent classical traditions. Focusing on Bouvet’s and Prémare’s writings on hexagrams and mythic geography, I show how their figural hermeneutics treated beasts as evidence-bearing signs embedded in Chinese cosmology. Mystic figures such as 亢龍 (Kang Long, the Rebel Dragon), 陸吾 (Lu Wu, the Nine-Tailed Tiger), 滕蛇 (Teng She, the Soaring Snake), and 鬼斗 (Gui Dou, the Nine-Headed Bird) are reread as anticipatory signs of Satan and the drama of angelic rebellion, temptation, and the fall of humanity. At the same time, dragon imagery associated with the Qian 乾 hexagram is mobilized to craft a counter-figure: a divine, sage-like dragon that foreshadows Christ as the flying dragon, mediator, and savior. By tracing these paired constructions of “good” and “evil” beasts, the paper argues that the Figurists did not merely borrow Chinese zoomorphic motifs; they reshaped the mythological bestiary into a moral and theological cartography. Mythical creatures become moving points within a shared symbolic field where biblical and Chinese cosmologies intersect. Bringing together translation studies, the history of religions, and myth criticism, the talk contends that Jesuit reimaginings of Chinese divine beasts are not ornamental curiosities but a crucial site where early modern global Christianity and Chinese classicism co-produced a new, hybrid grammar of the sacred and the demonic.
This talk introduces Dissociative Realism as a framework that has emerged through Abbas Zahedi's practice across sound, sculpture, performance, and collective encounters. Drawing on recent projects and institutional contexts, the talk reflects on how artistic labour, care structures, and infrastructural systems intersect, particularly in relation to grief, trust, and forms of public service, offering a reflective overview of my practice to date, alongside the questions and tensions that currently shape it.
Usually translated as the “admirable,” “noble,” or “fine,” to _kalon_ in Plato is generally parsed as “Beauty in itself” and counterposed to what is _poikilon_, the “ornamentation,” “embroidery,” “variety,” or “diversity” perceived by the senses. In _Hippias Major_ and other dialogs, by contrast, including in the context of the democratic souls and constitution under scrutiny in _Republic_, kalon appears to be embedded with poikilia. This lecture argues for a phenomenological understanding of beauty in Plato and explores the implications of this understanding for the dialogs’ political philosophy.
The seminars will take place on Tuesdays during term time, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi College in Merton Street. Please ask the porters for directions. No registration is required. For more details: https://tolkien50.web.ox.ac.uk/event/tolkien-seminars-ht-2026
Professor Geraghty's lecture will revisit one of the great moments in British architectural history – the emergence of the English baroque style in the years around 1700. It will look afresh at the principal architects involved – Christopher Wren, Nicholas Hawksmoor, and John Vanbrugh – and it will offer new interpretations of their haunting, compelling designs. More specifically, the lecture will show how each of these architects grounded their work in a distinctive set of philosophical first principles, and how it was the coming together of these discrete artistic personalities that brought the English baroque into being. The lecture will thereby revisit two of the main research areas associated with Sir Howard Colvin: the centrality of the Office of Works in the history of British architecture, and the place of biographical analysis within the discipline of architectural history. *Anthony Geraghty* is Professor of the History of Art at the University of York. He is best known for his work on Sir Christopher Wren and the architecture of the English baroque, including a catalogue of the Wren drawings at All Souls College, Oxford (2007) and a history of Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford (2013). His most recent book is a study of the Empress Eugénie in England (2022).
This talk examines the intersection of China’s 'Industrial Party' (gongye dang 工业党) ideology and time-travel fiction in contemporary Chinese popular culture. The 'Industrial Party' refers to a distinctive composition of Chinese netizens who champion technocratic governance and rapid industrialization as pathways to national strength. Sharing similar conservative views as the US and European alt-right, they also position themselves as critics of the identity politics of what they term the 'Emotional Party' (qinghuai dang 情怀党). One of their most prominent cultural expressions is speculative time-travel fiction, in which protagonists leverage future knowledge to accelerate China’s development. My analysis focuses specifically on Qi Cheng’s 齐橙bestseller novel Daguo zhonggong 大国重工 (Great Power Heavy Industry, 2021), which, although formally a work of speculative fiction, combines a technomodernist pretense to scientific objectivity and rationality with the mythologization of (infrastructure) metrics as indicators of economic and political success. Reading Qi’s novel within the metric-driven logics of online literature platforms and the broader fantasy fiction boom, this talk argues that speculative fiction has become a key meta-political site for negotiating history and national identity, and considers the implications for how we conceptualize popular literary culture in China today. Jessica Imbach is Assistant Professor of Sinology/contemporary China at the University of Freiburg, Germany. Her research focuses on modern and contemporary Chinese literature, narrative theory, new media, and the aesthetics and politics of genre fiction, particularly fantasy and science fiction. Her recent publications include Digital China: Creativity and Community in the Sinocybersphere (Amsterdam University Press, 2024) and Rethinking Literary China: Essays in Honor of Andrea Riemenschnitter (DeGruyter, 2025). She is the PI of the ERC-funded research project SINOFANTASY, which investigates the contemporary Chinese fantasy fiction boom.
Both a love story and a coming-of-age tale that spans countries and continents, 'Fire in Every Direction' balances humour and loss, nostalgia and hope, as it takes us from the Middle East to London, and from 1948 to the present. Tareq Baconi crafts a deeply intimate, unforgettable portrait of how a political consciousness – desire and resistance – is passed down through generations. In 1948, Tareq’s grandmother would flee Haifa as Zionist militias seized the city. In the late 1970s, she would flee Beirut with her daughter, as the country was in the throes of a civil war. In Amman, the family would eventually obtain the comfort of middle-class life – still, a young Tareq would feel trapped: by cultures of silence, by a sense of not belonging, by his own growing awareness that he is in love with his childhood best friend, Ramzi. After relocating to London, Tareq hopes to put aside his past. Yet as the Iraq War radicalizes young people around the world towards anti-war protest, history comes back to him. Living between the region and London, Tareq fits in neither and feels alienated from both. Queerness is policed back in Amman, just as his Palestinian-ness is abroad. These gradual estrangements escalate, forcing him to grapple with what it means to live in liminal spaces, and rethink the meaning of home. https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/tareq-baconi/fire-in-every-direction/9781399739634/
The tenth anniversary of the EU referendum is fast approaching and many will be focused on how Brexit has, or has not, changed the economic and political world. But what if the most important change was not to institutions, political parties and the economy, but to us? This lecture series explores how the referendum, and its aftermath, sparked a form of ‘tribal politics’ that reshaped how people saw themselves, each other and the wider world. This final lecture explores the resilience and future of tribal politics in Britain. Why did some people embrace their identity so fervently while others did not, and what does this tell us about both the future of British politics but also political divides in other countries at other times?
Lena Rethel is Professor of International Political Economy at the University of Warwick. She is the principal investigator of the ERC-selected/UKRI-funded FINDEM project, which explores the impact of middle-class expectations on financial policy and politics in Indonesia and Malaysia.
This seminar will explore the feasibility of making the UK energy system fully renewable across electricity, transport, heat and industry. Much is achievable where there are political or regulatory barriers. However other segments present much more of a challenge. This seminar will explore both.
Fayḍī Fayyāḍī (1547–1595), the poet laureate of the Mughal emperor Akbar, was a celebrity of his time. In addition to having prompted praises and criticism from his contemporaries throughout the Persianate world, he left a substantial body of writings on his life (prefaces in Arabic and Persian, letters, qaṣīdas) and comments about himself scattered in his poetry (rubāʿīs, ghazals, and mathnawīs). In this presentation, I will discuss the generic background of these autobiographical writings, how they can help us shed light on the history of the compiling of his dīwān, and what they teach us about the way Fayḍī fashioned his persona, envisioned his oeuvre, and composed his poetry.
Dr Yasmeen Abu Fraiha and Professor Oren Yiftachel will be presenting the joint Palestinian-Israeli peace initiative entitled 'A Land for All: Two States. One Homeland.' - a viable political framework rooted in lived reality and shared human values. You can read more about the initiative at www.2s1h.org/en. The presentation will be followed by questions and discussion with the audience. After the formal discussion, all attendees are warmly invited to remain and converse with one another into the evening. Food, drinks, and comfortable seating will be provided. Peace – Salaam - Shalom. Dr Yasmeen Abu Fraiha (BSc, MD) is a medical doctor, recipient of the 2024 Health Innovators to Watch Award (the Boston Congress of Public Health), named by Globes Magazine as one of Israel's 50 most influential women, and included in Forbes Magazine’s prestigious ‘30 Under 30’ list. She has served as the Health Policy Director at the Task Force for Health Promotion and Equity in the Arab Society at the Israeli Ministry of Health and serves on multiple Boards of Directors of NGOs aiming to improve Bedouin lives in Israel, as well as the advising committee of ‘A Land For All.’ Professor Oren Yiftachel is a professor of political and legal geography, urban studies and urban planning, holding the Lynn & Lloyd Hurst Family Chair in Urban Studies at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, and an honorary professor at University College London (UCL). Yiftachel has published 11 books and over 110 scholarly articles translated into six languages. He is a tireless activist for human rights, social justice and peace, and is a co-founder of the Palestinian-Israeli peace movement ‘A Land for All.’ This event will take place in accordance with the framework developed by a number of Oxford colleges, including Worcester College, to promote free speech at Oxford. Details of this framework and 'tips' for productive discussion of difficult topics are to be found at: www.worc.ox.ac.uk/fos. By attending this event, attendees agree to adhere to these guidelines and the terms and conditions of the event which uphold Worcester College's commitment to freedom of speech: www.worc.ox.ac.uk/fos/
Emma Sibbald (Trinity) - 'She makes each place where she comes a Library': Women Users of Oxbridge University Libraries, 1600-1850
*Dr Yasmeen Abu Fraiha* and *Professor Oren Yiftachel* will be presenting the joint Palestinian-Israeli peace initiative entitled ‘A Land for All: Two States. One Homeland’ – a viable political framework rooted in lived reality and shared human values. You can read more about the initiative at https://www.2s1h.org/en. The presentation will be followed by questions and discussion with the audience. *Reception for all attendees* After the formal discussion, all attendees are warmly invited to remain and converse with one another into the evening. Food, drinks, and comfortable seating will be provided.
Join us for an inspiring Publishing and Entrepreneurship event with *Alice Curry*, founder and CEO of Lantana Publishing, an award-winning independent press championing diversity and inclusion in children’s literature. Named after lantana camara, ‘a flowering plant in the Verbena family with many-coloured petals on a single stem’, used as an allegory for children of all colours reading happily on one earth, Lantana’s mission is to promote diversity and inclusion in children’s literature. The award-winning publishing house gives authors and illustrators of colour a platform to publish, and gives children of diverse backgrounds ‘a chance to see themselves in the books they read’. Since launching in 2014, Lantana has published 28 titles, many of which have earned their own awards. In 2017, Curry was awarded the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize for women of promise in publishing, and in 2018, Lantana was selected for the Oxford Foundry’s L.E.V8 accelerator for high-potential ventures. Curry earned a BA in English Language and Literature from St. Hilda’s College, Oxford, in 2005, and went on to earn an MA and PhD in Children’s Literature from Macquarie University in Sydney, Australia, where she also worked as a lecturer.
Join Kellogg President Professor Jonathan Michie for a conversation with Jacqueline de Rojas, Chair of Bletchley Park Trust, and Bletchley Park Fellow at Kellogg College. Jacqueline de Rojas is a leading figure in the technology sector, with a distinguished career spanning software, digital innovation and tech leadership. She is a prominent advocate for diversity and inclusion, and has advised both industry and government on digital transformation and navigating technological change. Their conversation will draw on her extensive experience to give insights into “The Age of AI” – how we got here and what it means for our future. All event attendees are invited to arrive from 5pm, when tea and coffee will be served, and to stay for a drinks reception, which will immediately follow the event. Bletchley Park Week: This event is part of our annual Bletchley Park Week (22-27 February) programme of events celebrating a partnership between Oxford and Bletchley Park. This year’s theme is: “The Age of AI”.
You’re invited to explore the History of Science Museum after dark through guided creative writing. Everyone’s welcome, from history, science, or writing buffs to complete newbies in any or all of those. In this workshop you will: - Discover the astrolabes up close with a museum curator - Take part in a writing workshop with a published poet and experienced teacher to create something that delights you - Collaborate in a friendly supportive atmosphere to create a poem about the museum’s astrolabes – no experience necessary All in the magical space of the museum’s vaulted Basement Gallery and sweeping Upper Gallery, after dark.
This Week's Focus: From Congresses to Authorities. Representation, leadership, and Palestinian politics beyond the nation-state. Reading Group: Palestine(s): Rethinking Politics of Fragmentations This reading group examines the political, geographic, economic, cultural, and linguistic fragmentations that have shaped Palestinian life over the past century, from the West Bank, Gaza, and the ’48 territories to the multiple Palestinian diasporas. By engaging with scholarship across history, political theory, and cultural studies, this reading group interrogates how these divisions have been produced, institutionalised, and normalised, and how they continue to shape Palestinian belongings, identities, and futures. Our aim is to consider both the unity that persists within fragmentation and the fragmentation that structures the very notion of Palestine. Central Question: How are ideas of Palestine and Palestinian collective identity shaped, challenged, and rearticulated under conditions of fragmentation? Structure: The group will convene biweekly throughout Hilary and Trinity Terms 2026, with each session lasting two hours
COURSE DETAILS Topics will include presenting your CV, how to approach employers, writing covering letters and interview skills. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand: How to improve your CV. How to approach employers. How to write a covering letter. How to plan for an interview. How to interview well.
COURSE DETAILS The supervisory relationship is key to the success of your DPhil and we know that positive and effective relationships contribute to the timely completion of the doctorate. As with many things, the more you put into the relationship with your supervisor, the more you will benefit from it. There is much you can do to be proactive and play and active role in the relationship. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the session participants will be able to: Find information about University, divisional and departmental regulations and the supervisory relationship. Be aware of the student's areas of responsibility in the relationship. Take appropriate responsibility within the relationship. Develop a range of skills and strategies to manage relationships effectively. Find and make appropriate use of additional sources of help and support.
*Please email "$":mailto:mori.reithmayr@history.ox.ac.uk to join the reading group mailing list.* *Session Theme: TBD*
This seminar lecture examines challenges of transport, mobility, and traffic in and around Homs, a central Syrian city in the post-war and reconstruction era. At the intra-city scale, the presentation focuses on Homs' historic core; the Old City in addition to the Homs University Campus, exploring issues of accessibility, congestion, and the coexistence of pedestrians, public transport, and private vehicles. At the inter-city scale, the lecture reflects on the Homs–Hama corridor, with particular attention to the damage to a strategic bridge shelled during the war and its wider implications for regional connectivity and flow. The presentation concludes with an interactive discussion aimed at engaging participants to identify potential solutions, policy directions, and context-sensitive interventions to improve mobility and resilience in post-war contexts.
Join us for a conversation with Dr Hazem Zohny, to explore some of the ethical questions for academics as AI makes instant text generation a new normal in the expression of ideas. Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided immediately before the talk, from 11.30am. Dr Hazem Zohny is a Senior Research Fellow in Practical Ethics, Neuroscience, and Society at the Oxford Uehiro Centre for Practical Ethics.
Classical liberals argue that the expansion of market access promoted prosociality, hard work, and thrift, while according to more critical schools of thought, markets ushered in a more self-interested, secular, and unsatisfied homo economicus. We examine these ideas in a field experiment involving 4,200 individuals across 300 Congolese villages that provided free motorcycle transportation to the largest urban market in the province one day per week for six months. Market access increased household income by 15% nine months after the intervention by facilitating enduring connections to urban traders and stimulating trade in cash crops. However, it eroded subjective wellbeing on average and made participants feel further away from their desired income, likely by generating within-village inequality and altering the reference points of market ``losers.'' Market access also has a secularizing effect: participants view religious faith as a less important moral value and a weaker determinant of success in life. Instead, they believe more in their own agency and in the value of hard work, productivity, education, income, and saving. An urban placebo treatment arm helps attribute these effects to market access, separate from exposure to the city and urban social networks more generally. Written with Ngoma M, Sievert C, Jaravel X, Nunn N, Weigel
TBC
This session will help you to understand what IP is, who "owns" it, and the things to think about when you think you have created IP. Whether you're an undergraduate, masters or DPhil student, or Staff at the University of Oxford, it is important to understand your rights and responsibilities when it comes to intellectual property (IP). This session will help you to understand what IP actually is, who "owns" it, and the things to think about when you think you have created IP. Case studies will also be presented to help explain the University's policy. Come prepared to ask any IP related questions in the second half of the session, where our expert presenters will give you the official University answers to any of your queries. In collaboration with Research Services, Oxford University Innovation, and The Careers Service. The talk will be from 12:30-1:30pm. If you have specific questions, the presenters will be available to answer questions until 2pm. Note: The sign up is through Inkpath, you will need to create an Inkpath account to sign up if you’ve not already got one.
This talk will introduce the concept of democratic trustworthiness of AI, shifting the focus from thinking about AI users to protecting citizens; and from output expectations to protected interests within AI systems. Most contemporary debates on Trustworthy AI (TAI) emphasise technical and output-oriented criteria such as accuracy, robustness, safety, and lawfulness. While necessary and valid, this talk argues that these markers are insufficient from a strictly democratic perspective on citizen interests. Drawing on Roger Hardin’s concept of trustworthiness as “encapsulated interest,” Eugenia reframes trustworthiness in AI as a relational and political question: whose interests are structurally taken into account by AI systems? Can everyone equally afford to trust AI, independent of its reliability? The central claim is that dominant TAI frameworks tend to adopt a perspective in which the trustworthiness of AI is more about accurate information and less about power and representation. Trustworthiness is treated as a property of systems or outputs rather than as a socially distributed quality that varies across citizen groups. This obscures how AI systems systematically exploit the epistemic vulnerability of some, particularly marginalised citizens. Yet empirical research on algorithmic discrimination shows that women, people of colour, and non-binary people are disproportionately affected. Keeping this in mind, Eugenia therefore argues that AI should only be considered trustworthy if it demonstrably encapsulates the interests of those affected by it, especially those of vulnerable groups.
Camille Neufville (University of Strasbourg), The Transnational Origins of Soviet Tea: Foreign Expertise and Foreign Presence on the South Caucasian Tea Plantations Before and After the Establishment of Soviet Power (1915-1935) When the Bolsheviks took over the Georgian Democratic Republic in 1921, they inherited, among the country’s most valuable (and little-known) assets, its tea-growing and tea-making industry. This budding branch of the rural economy had been established in Western Georgia in the 1880’s-1890’s, following the conquest of the formerly Ottoman region of Adjara. Tea culture was promoted as the perfect tool for imperial integration, as it made the landscape more « legible » through agronomy, soil sciences and plant biology, and enabled better control over an unruly and elusive local workforce composed of ottomanized Muslim Georgians (Adjarans), Greek, Armenian and Gurian peasants, and Kurdish nomadic groups. The founding of a South Caucasian tea industry was made possible by the tireless efforts of a few Russian scientists and adventurers who travelled to the main tea-producing regions of Asia, in order to extract knowledge, tools, seedlings, and even men who could help them in their enterprise, like the Cantonese tea master Liu Jenzhou. The South Caucasian tea industry was therefore a transnational enterprise from its very inception, having taken inspiration from both traditional Chinese tea farming, and the colonial tea plantations established by the British in Assam and on Ceylon, and by the Dutch in Java. But how did this transnational character evolve past the critical years of World War I, the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Civil War ? Could the tea industry survive the severing of international ties that followed the Bolshevik takeover of the country ? And was this transnational heritage ideologically compatible with the Soviet ideal of proletarian self-sufficiency ? I will show how local actors of the tea industry (workers, managers, as well as plant scientists) and local, regional and national authorities tried to navigate the hardships of post-war disorganisation, and the conundrum of having to build a highly modern and productive Soviet tea industry from the rubbles of a once cosmopolitan one. Amrit Deol (California State University, Fresno), A Bridge Between Empires: Anticolonialism, Labor, and the Geopolitics of Labor and Surveillance in Panama This paper situates Panama as a critical yet under-examined site in the global and transnational history of the Ghadar movement, foregrounding the intersection of migrant labor, anticolonial politics, and imperial surveillance in the early twentieth century. Centered on South Asian laborers who traversed the Panama Canal Zone and surrounding port cities, the paper argues that Panama functioned not merely as a transit space but as a politically charged site where imperial infrastructures of labor extraction and intelligence gathering converged. The Canal, then, simultaneously generated transnational working-class solidarities and heightened anxieties among colonial and imperial authorities. Drawing on British India Office records, U.S. news/media publications, and scattered references in revolutionary correspondence and intelligence reports, the paper demonstrates how Ghadar ideology circulated through maritime routes, labor camps, and emerging diasporic social networks in Panama. British and U.S. officials closely monitored South Asian workers, viewing them as mobile political threats whose anticolonial consciousness exceeded the territorial boundaries of empire and nation-state alike. This paper reveals how cooperation and tension between British and U.S. surveillance regimes shaped intelligence sharing, deportation practices, and racialized categories of suspicion (particularly as the United States emerged as a hemispheric imperial power after 1904). Methodologically, the paper bridges labor history and the history of surveillance, treating censorship, policing, and intelligence not as reactive measures but as foundational features of imperial governance. By centering Panama, this paper challenges nationalist historiographies of Ghadar that privilege North America or South Asia alone, and instead advances a transoceanic framework attentive to infrastructure, mobility, and state power. In doing so, it repositions Panama as a vital site in the making of global anticolonial radicalism and the early architecture of modern imperial surveillance.
*Camille Neufville* (University of Strasbourg) *The Transnational Origins of Soviet Tea: Foreign Expertise and Foreign Presence on the South Caucasian Tea Plantations Before and After the Establishment of Soviet Power (1915-1935)* When the Bolsheviks took over the Georgian Democratic Republic in 1921, they inherited, among the country’s most valuable (and little-known) assets, its tea-growing and tea-making industry. This budding branch of the rural economy had been established in Western Georgia in the 1880’s-1890’s, following the conquest of the formerly Ottoman region of Adjara. Tea culture was promoted as the perfect tool for imperial integration, as it made the landscape more « legible » through agronomy, soil sciences and plant biology, and enabled better control over an unruly and elusive local workforce composed of ottomanized Muslim Georgians (Adjarans), Greek, Armenian and Gurian peasants, and Kurdish nomadic groups. The founding of a South Caucasian tea industry was made possible by the tireless efforts of a few Russian scientists and adventurers who travelled to the main tea-producing regions of Asia, in order to extract knowledge, tools, seedlings, and even men who could help them in their enterprise, like the Cantonese tea master Liu Jenzhou. The South Caucasian tea industry was therefore a transnational enterprise from its very inception, having taken inspiration from both traditional Chinese tea farming, and the colonial tea plantations established by the British in Assam and on Ceylon, and by the Dutch in Java. But how did this transnational character evolve past the critical years of World War I, the 1917 Russian Revolution and the Civil War ? Could the tea industry survive the severing of international ties that followed the Bolshevik takeover of the country ? And was this transnational heritage ideologically compatible with the Soviet ideal of proletarian self-sufficiency ? I will show how local actors of the tea industry (workers, managers, as well as plant scientists) and local, regional and national authorities tried to navigate the hardships of post-war disorganisation, and the conundrum of having to build a highly modern and productive Soviet tea industry from the rubbles of a once cosmopolitan one. *Amrit Deol* (California State University, Fresno *A Bridge Between Empires: Anticolonialism, Labor, and the Geopolitics of Labor and Surveillance in Panama* This paper situates Panama as a critical yet under-examined site in the global and transnational history of the Ghadar movement, foregrounding the intersection of migrant labor, anticolonial politics, and imperial surveillance in the early twentieth century. Centered on South Asian laborers who traversed the Panama Canal Zone and surrounding port cities, the paper argues that Panama functioned not merely as a transit space but as a politically charged site where imperial infrastructures of labor extraction and intelligence gathering converged. The Canal, then, simultaneously generated transnational working-class solidarities and heightened anxieties among colonial and imperial authorities. Drawing on British India Office records, U.S. news/media publications, and scattered references in revolutionary correspondence and intelligence reports, the paper demonstrates how Ghadar ideology circulated through maritime routes, labor camps, and emerging diasporic social networks in Panama. British and U.S. officials closely monitored South Asian workers, viewing them as mobile political threats whose anticolonial consciousness exceeded the territorial boundaries of empire and nation-state alike. This paper reveals how cooperation and tension between British and U.S. surveillance regimes shaped intelligence sharing, deportation practices, and racialized categories of suspicion (particularly as the United States emerged as a hemispheric imperial power after 1904). Methodologically, the paper bridges labor history and the history of surveillance, treating censorship, policing, and intelligence not as reactive measures but as foundational features of imperial governance. By centering Panama, this paper challenges nationalist historiographies of Ghadar that privilege North America or South Asia alone, and instead advances a transoceanic framework attentive to infrastructure, mobility, and state power. In doing so, it repositions Panama as a vital site in the making of global anticolonial radicalism and the early architecture of modern imperial surveillance.
Confession is perhaps the most misunderstood of all the sacraments. It is a new beginning, a means of renewing one’s hope for eternal glory, and of encountering again the forgiveness of the Father. Concerns about the Church’s care for the vulnerable, safe-guarding, means that the absolution confidentiality of what is said in private confession, the ’seal’ of confession, is both misunderstood and attacked by many today, both within and outside the Church. In what is sometimes called a ’therapeutic’ society, which self-care is understood and the hope of repentance is not, how what is the connection between what secular and ecclesial counselling and forgiveness? Finally, in an age which there are calls for the Church, organisations, and governments to apologise for things which took place in previous generations or centuries, how do we understand corporate responsibility, guilt, and forgiveness? Although the practice and theology of confession have varied among the different traditions of the universal church, and yet there is enough in common for Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox Christians to be united in cherishing the same gift. Our conference will gather an ecumenical array of speakers from these different traditions to consider some of the pastoral challenges and contemporary issues that are being faced by clergy today in the ministry of hearing confessions, and by the Church and Christians more generally. This will include, among other concerns, how confession relates to the commitment to safeguarding and the protection of the vulnerable, to the inviolability of the seal, and to the wider significance of confession in a culture that preaches tolerance without practicing forgiveness. We hope that this colloquium will be not only interesting, but also a source of encouragement for ordinands, seminarians, and clergy across different ecclesial traditions. This conference can also serve as a form of formation or education for those preparing to hear confessions, seeking renewal in this ministry, or looking to the hope which the Church offers the world through the gift of renewal and reconciliation. Further details: https://www.puseyhouse.org.uk/conferences/confession
This paper examines the global adoption of technology in the late nineteenth century. We construct several novel datasets to test the idea that the codification of technical knowledge in the vernacular was necessary for countries to absorb the technologies of the First Industrial Revolution. We find that comparative advantage shifted to industries that could benefit from these technologies in countries and colonies with access to codified technical knowledge, but not in other regions. Using the rapid and unprecedented codification of technical knowledge in Meiji Japan as a natural experiment, we show that this pattern emerged only after the Japanese government codified vast amounts of technical knowledge. Our findings shed new light on the frictions associated with technological diffusion and offer a novel explanation for why Meiji Japan was unique among non-Western countries in successfully industrializing during the first wave of globalization.
The Older Scots Reading Group is for people interested in literature produced in Scotland between 1375-1550. This is an incredibly rich period, featuring authors experimenting with form and language. The texts themselves are written in Older Scots – a language closely related to Middle English, but with some unique attributes. This reading group will provide a relaxed introduction to this period and language. This term we will focus on reading the Palyce of Honour, a dream vision poetry by Gavin Douglas that often draws parallels with the House of Fame. But is it purely derivative or is there something more subtle at work? Join us to find out! Please bring your own copy of the text if you can – the 2018 TEAMS METS edition by David Parkinson is recommended. No intensive preparation required. Both undergraduates and postgraduates are welcome and there are usually snacks. If you have any questions, contact megan.bushnell@ling-phil.ox.ac.uk.
How do solidaristic worker's movements emerge and what makes them sustainable? Maya will examine this question through a comparison of trade union politics in the US and UK at the turn of the twentieth century. Throughout much of the nineteenth century, both movements rejected government aid in favour of an exclusive set of trade union benefits. By the early twentieth century, the movements had diverged: whereas the British Trades Union Congress came to embrace universal state benefits, the American Federation of Labor clung to its exclusive benefits system and campaigned against state aid. I show that this divergence was a reflection not of trade union members, but of government regulation. In both contexts, state legitimated and promoted the sort of trade union associations that aligned with their developmental priorities. For our contemporary context, this history suggests that states play a critical role in promoting solidaristic political mobilisation. Policy makers should ensure that the legal environment fosters the sort of movements they want to see. Maya Aderath teaches Political Sociology at the LSE. We hope to see many of you there. We will meet in the foyer and walk to the ground-floor (easy-to-access) room.
In this 60-minute online workshop you will be introduced to the methodologies and principles underpinning the conduct of literature searches for systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other evidence reviews. The session will cover: formulating a focused research question; preparing a protocol; developing a search strategy to address that research question; choosing appropriate databases and search engines; searching for grey literature and ongoing studies; managing your references in Covidence; and documenting and reporting your search. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
About the series: This series will feature master classes, seminars, workshops and talks with Laura Rival, research collaborators and colleagues, throughout academic year 2025-2026. Beginning in Michaelmas term 2025, the theme for the term, in answer to the series question, was 'In Latin America, by Greening the State at the Top and from Below'. In Hilary term, the theme is 'By Knowing Nature Differently'. In Trinity term, the theme will be 'By Imagining a New Civilization and Building the Next Political Economic Order'.
Surface water (or pluvial) flooding occurs when intense rainfall overwhelms drainage systems before entering rivers. With climate change and growing urban populations increasing the risk of such events, improving resilience to surface water flooding (SWF) is crucial. It is not possible to prevent all SWF therefore reliable and timely warnings are essential to support preparedness and recovery. SWF presents a unique challenge due to the high uncertainties around predicting and communicating the location, timing, and impact of localised events. In the UK responsible organisations are currently seeking to take bolder leadership in developing SWF forecasting and warning capabilities resulting in a number of recent initiatives. This talk will report on two of them; Priority areas for research and development in SWF warning Experiences from collaboration with the UK Met Office, Flood Forecasting Centre and University of Leeds to develop and test new approaches to SWF forecasting
'Decolonising peacebuilding' challenges the dominance of Eurocentric, top-down models that have shaped international interventions, calling instead for approaches grounded in the histories, knowledge systems, and political struggles of communities most affected by conflict. Bringing together scholars and practitioners, this discussion examines methodological approaches used to decentre power hierarchies in knowledge production and practice within peacebuilding and transitional justice, including reflective and accountable positioning and the privileging of marginalised and subalternised knowledge through spiritual, creative and other methodologies.
'Decolonising peacebuilding' challenges the dominance of Eurocentric, top-down models that have shaped international interventions, calling instead for approaches grounded in the histories, knowledge systems, and political struggles of communities most affected by conflict. Bringing together scholars and practitioners, this discussion examines methodological approaches used to decentre power hierarchies in knowledge production and practice within peacebuilding and transitional justice, including reflective and accountable positioning and the privileging of marginalised and subalternised knowledge through spiritual, creative and other methodologies.
Fr Ben's Public Lecture will be the opening event of the conference on 'Confession: The Church's Gift to the World?' which will continue on the following day. Tickets will be required to attend the following day's presentations but Fr Ben's Public Lecture is free to attend. Abstract: Dr Pusey heard more confessions in the 19th century than any other single priest in the Church of England. As is well known, his personal exercise of this ministry, together with his public defence of its lawfulness and usefulness in the Church of England, single-handedly made auricular confession a core element of the catholic revival. Less well known is the significant difference between Pusey's own theology of absolution and that of his successors. As auricular confession became popular (and popularly written about), the theology of auricular absolution which Dr Pusey had presented came to be elided with the standard Roman Catholic teaching. By the 1920s, Anglo-Catholic clergy taught no different than their Roman counterparts, namely, that Absolution not only restores the soul to a state of grace, but cleanses the soul as thoroughly as the waters of Baptism had once done. This was a teaching that Pusey explicitly repudiates, as being of human origin and bringing a false-comfort to the Christian. Dr Pusey’s understanding of absolution, the effects it has on the soul, the role it plays in the sanctification of man, and its relationship to Christ’s own judgment at the Last Judgment all differ markedly from the views that would become regnant among later Anglo-Catholic theologians. An exploration of Dr. Pusey’s own views reveals a coherent theology that comports more harmoniously with the patristic (and monastic) emphasis on the Christian life consisting of continual and ever deeper repentance. This exploration suggests a fresh re-framing of how this important ministry is taught about and exercised in the life of the Church today
This paper will introduce the four central chapters of my recent book, _Onomantic Divination in Late Medieval Britain_, and think about who was using onomantic devices (name-number divination) in the later Middle Ages based on manuscript context and evidence of ownership. It will talk about physicians, the nobility, scholars and monks – four nebulous and overlapping categories of user groups – and offer some explanations as to why these groups might take such an interest in predicting the future via this method. *Jo Edge* specialises in late medieval and early modern European social and cultural history, with an emphasis on medicine and the ‘occult’ sciences: divination, magic and astrology; as well as the experience of illness and death. after completing her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees at the University of London, she was Assistant Editor on the Casebooks Project at the University of Cambridge (2014–18). She has also held library and lectureship positions at the University of Manchester, and from 2021–24 was Research Fellow on Alice Thornton's Books. Her first book, _Onomantic Divination in Late Medieval Britain: Questioning Life, Predicting Death_ was published by York Medieval Press in 2024, and she has articles and chapters forthcoming on Alice Thornton's experiences of illness, magic and witchcraft studies, and the diagrammatic culture of late medieval divination. She is also preparing a book for a public audience on bewitchment in the casebooks of the early seventeenth century astrologer-physician Richard Napier. She is currently a Visiting Lecturer at the University of Hertfordshire. All welcome
This screening programme explores a collection of Sinophone films whose genres sit in between an ethnographic film, documentary, essay film, and fiction. Through this screening journey, we will engage with various languages, narratives, perspectives, styles and textures of films that come across and reflect on the ever-changing realities of contemporary Chinese society – rich with nuances, obscurities, complexities, and uncertainties. The series will cover four themes, including COVID-19, Gender, Art and Society, and Rural-Urban, and will run from Feb to May 2026. Session 3 (Gender): Answer 向历史要答案 Director: Chinese Feminist Documentary Team Release year: 2023 Run time: 38 min Screening Talk and Q&A: with Xianzi (online) and a member from the film production team (TBC) Synopsis: Answer records a pivotal case in China’s #MeToo movement—Zhou Xiaoxuan’s (known as Xianzi) sexual harassment lawsuit against Zhu Jun. Between 2020 and 2022, the case underwent three court hearings, during which both Chinese society and the #MeToo movement saw significant shifts. Each hearing brought together supporters outside the courthouse who stood by Xianzi, sharing moments of laughter, tears, and political awakening. The film captures the setbacks and triumphs of this case, both inside and outside the courtroom.
Manhua Li (Royal Holloway College, University of London) Discussants: Nicholas Bunnin (China Centre, University of Oxford), Frances Wood (Chinese Collections, British Library), and Michelle Castelletti (Oxford Festival of the Arts) Host: Zoe Y. Zhong (University of Oxford) Join Dr Manhua Li as she uncovers the hidden stories of over a hundred ceramic objects quietly "sleeping" in the Ashmolean Museum's collections. These non-displayed treasures hold secret narratives of women's imagery, waiting to be brought to light. Drawing on French feminist philosophy, the yinyang icons, and Ming-dynasty ceramics, Dr Li shows how material culture can spark fresh and imaginative ways of thinking about gendered symbols, creative practices, and intercultural history of ideas. https://mfo.web.ox.ac.uk/event/whats-vase-when-french-feminism-meets-chinese-art
Join online via Microsoft Teams by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/bdff6tpt
Many camps are now the size of cities, with populations in the hundreds of thousands. Around the globe, architects and NGOs operating on a shoestring budget, struggle to design shelters and schools responsive to the needs of refugees traumatized by persecution and genocide.
*Wing Shan Chan (Esme)* (School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London) Legal codes and jurisprudence in Chosŏn Korea: The reflection of the ideology of female chastity in the execution of law *Zexing Zheng* (Seoul National University) Horticulture as Literati Sociability: Knowledge Production through Networked Everyday Practices in Late-Chosŏn Korea
This presentation explores the impulses which led so many to volunteer their time and energy to welcome and make Syrians feel ‘at home’ upon arrival in the United Kingdom and Sweden. Rather than focus on the suffering of Syrians seeking safety (Chatty, 2018: Rabo et al, 2021: Beck, 2021; Cantat, 2021), it turns to interrogate the motivations which drove so many citizens and residents, alike, to step forward and be generous to those in need (Chatty, 2017). These two study sites offered an opportunity to study volunteering to come to the aid of Syrians and other asylum seekers in both a relatively hostile policy and media environment and a sympathetic one. Framing the study from primarily an anthropological perspective, rather than from within the disciplines of psychology, religious studies, or economics provides an opportunity to explore notions of social duty, of doing the right thing, and of humanity. About the speaker Dawn Chatty, is Emeritus Professor in Anthropology and Forced Migration and former Director of the Refugee Studies Centre, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. She is also Fellow of the British Academy. Her research interests include coping strategies and resilience of refugee youth; tribes and tribalism; nomadic pastoralism and conservation; gender and development; health, illness, and culture. She has worked with nomadic pastoral groups in Lebanon and Syria since the mid-1970s and extended her research to Oman in 1979. She has continued to be engaged with these communities and advocate for their rights to resist forced settlement. Since 1998 she has worked with refugee youth in situations of prolonged armed conflict in Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, the West Bank and Gaza, Algeria ( with Sahrawi refugees) and Iran ( Afghan Hazaras). She has edited numerous books including: Deterritorialized Youth: Sahrawi and Afghan Refugees at the Margins of the Middle East, Berghahn Books, 2010; Nomadic Societies in the Middle East and North Africa: Facing the 21st Century, Leiden, Brill, 2006; Children of Palestine: Experiencing Forced Migration in the Middle East, Berghahn Books, 2005; and Conservation and Mobile Peoples: Displacement, Forced Settlement and Sustainable Development Berghahn Press, 2002. She is the author of Displacement and Dispossession in the Modern Middle East Cambridge University Press, 2010, From Camel to Truck, White Horse Press, 2013, and Syria: The Making and Unmaking of a Refuge State, Hurst Publishers, 2018.
Speakers TBC
Join Exeter College in welcoming Dr Akshat Rathi (2008, DPhil Organic Chemistry), Senior Climate Reporter at Bloomberg News as the speaker at this years Sustainability Event. Using the Heathrow transformer outage as a starting point, Akshat explores the hidden bottleneck facing Western countries on the road to decarbonisation - the infrastructure that makes electrification possible. As electricity demand surges and decarbonisation advances the main challenge is no longer generating clean power but delivering it. Essential overlooked infrastructure with fragile supply chains, rising costs and potential geopolitical risk is holding back the clean energy transition. This talk examines why failing to build the backbone of an electric system that supports clean power delivery puts both our climate goals and economic future at risk.
Join us for a conversation with Sir Nigel Shadbolt, as he explores the many dimensions of response to the question: “What would happen if AI were human?” Sir Nigel Shadbolt is Principal of Jesus College, Oxford, and Professorial Research Fellow in Computer Science, where he leads the Human Centred Computing Group. This event is chaired by President of Kellogg College, Professor Jonathan Michie. All event attendees are invited to arrive from 5pm, when tea and coffee will be served, and to stay for a drinks reception, which will immediately follow the event. Bletchley Park Week: This event is part of our annual Bletchley Park Week (22-27 February) programme of events celebrating a partnership between Kellogg College and Bletchley Park. This year’s theme is: “The Age of AI”.
Elizabeth Ingleson specialises in the histories of US foreign relations, US-China relations, capitalism, and labor. She is the author of Made in China: When US-China Interests Converged to Transform Global Trade (Harvard University Press). Ingleson has published several articles and chapters on US-China relations and US capitalism and is currently writing a book under contract with Bloomsbury Academic, China and the United States since 1949: An International History. Ingleson is the co-organiser of the LSE-Tufts Seminar in Contemporary International History. She serves on the Management Committee of the LSE’s Phelan US Centre, the Conference Committee of Society for Historians of American Foreign Relations (SHAFR) and as Membership Secretary for Historians of Twentieth Century United States (HOTCUS). Prior to her appointment, Ingleson held fellowships at Yale University, Southern Methodist University’s Center for Presidential History, and the University of Virginia’s Miller Center. She earnt her PhD in history from the University of Sydney.
To mark the centenary of Rilke’s death there will be a series of Oxford Centenary Readings held in the Queen’s College in HT 2025. These will be informal papers with plenty of discussion, about one poem or a handful of poems, that offer close readings and new insights. Papers will be in English and English translations will be provided for all poems and quotations (except for the session in week 4 with the visiting poets) making these sessions accessible to anyone with an interest in this remarkable poet and poetry in general.
We are an interdisciplinary reading group which focuses on the social science, history, and theology of demons, the Devil, and supernatural evil as they relate to politics, identity formation, and social conflicts. Each week we will examine one academic paper or book chapter on these topics, gaining familiarity with subjects such as: the psychology of dehumanization, the conceptual development of the term “demon,” and contemporary political demonologies like QAnon. Hilary Term 2026, Thursdays from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Weeks 1,3,4,5,6,7,8: 21 St Giles (Kendrew Quad) Teaching Room G4 Week 2: 14 St Giles (next door to the Lamb & Flag) Seminar Room H Please contact Scott Maybell for the readings or for any questions: scott.maybell@sjc.ox.ac.uk
The Bodleian Libraries are delighted to announce the second Sunderland Collection Symposium: *_MAPS Digital | Analogue_*. This day-long event will take place in-person at the Weston Library and online. Discover the fascinating art and science of digitising historical maps and atlases, the analysis of colour on antique maps, and cutting-edge conservation techniques. Speakers for the event include: * the Bodleian Libraries' own Map Librarian *Nick Millea* introducing the remarkable late-sixteenth century Sheldon Tapestry Maps. * *Donna Sherman* and *Jamie Robinson* showing two treasures from The Rylands Institute: the Borgia/Velletri map and Pierre Desceliers' world map. * Architect and graphic designer *Eric de Broche des Combes* introducing the world of native digital maps and maps in online game design. * Leading globe authority *Sylvia Sumira* will unveil her work as an expert and conservator of historic printed globes. * Professors *Dr Diana Lange* and *Dr Oliver Hahn* will discuss their pioneering research into colours on old maps with *Dr Sara Öberg Strådal*, Managing Director of Jörn Günther Rare Books. Please see our website for full programme: https://oculi-mundi.com/maps-digital-analogue You can attend the event either in person or online, but registration is required for both.
Confession is perhaps the most misunderstood of all the sacraments. It is a new beginning, a means of renewing one’s hope for eternal glory, and of encountering again the forgiveness of the Father. Concerns about the Church’s care for the vulnerable, safe-guarding, means that the absolution confidentiality of what is said in private confession, the ’seal’ of confession, is both misunderstood and attacked by many today, both within and outside the Church. In what is sometimes called a ’therapeutic’ society, which self-care is understood and the hope of repentance is not, how what is the connection between what secular and ecclesial counselling and forgiveness? Finally, in an age which there are calls for the Church, organisations, and governments to apologise for things which took place in previous generations or centuries, how do we understand corporate responsibility, guilt, and forgiveness? Although the practice and theology of confession have varied among the different traditions of the universal church, and yet there is enough in common for Anglicans, Roman Catholics, and Eastern Orthodox Christians to be united in cherishing the same gift. Our conference will gather an ecumenical array of speakers from these different traditions to consider some of the pastoral challenges and contemporary issues that are being faced by clergy today in the ministry of hearing confessions, and by the Church and Christians more generally. This will include, among other concerns, how confession relates to the commitment to safeguarding and the protection of the vulnerable, to the inviolability of the seal, and to the wider significance of confession in a culture that preaches tolerance without practicing forgiveness. We hope that this colloquium will be not only interesting, but also a source of encouragement for ordinands, seminarians, and clergy across different ecclesial traditions. This conference can also serve as a form of formation or education for those preparing to hear confessions, seeking renewal in this ministry, or looking to the hope which the Church offers the world through the gift of renewal and reconciliation. More information here: https://www.puseyhouse.org.uk/conferences/confession
Discussions around the Beyond GDP framework recognise the need to include and incorporate the lived experience of people. As screens increasingly mediate learning, relationships, and leisure, contemporary well-being frameworks must adapt to better consider digital life, particularly in childhood and adolescence. This engaging conversation with Dr. Michael Rich, MD, MPH (Founder & Director, Digital Wellness Lab at Boston’s Children Hospital) will reflect on how parents, governments, and civil society actors can better navigate our screen-saturated world. The conversation will touch on various multidimensional measures such as Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness Index and the UK Belonging Barometer. Join us for this discussion about how digital wellness, family practice, and well-being measurement can come together to promote the flourishing of young people in our increasingly digital world. Light refreshments will be provided.
The 3 Minute Thesis competition challenges doctoral candidates to present a compelling spoken presentation on their research topic and its significance in just three minutes to a non-specialist audience. This course helps you prepare for the competition and ensure that you have the best chance possible to represent Oxford nationally.
Would you like to contribute to the discovery of new research materials in the Bodleian’s manuscript collections? And to learn something about editing early modern letters and approaches to digital humanities along the way? Then please sign up for our Bodleian Student Editions editing workshops. In this day-long workshop you will learn the skills to handle some of the Bodleian’s special collections and to read seventeenth- and eighteenth-century handwriting. No experience in history or historical texts is needed – we’ll teach you all you need to handle, read and transcribe these fascinating letters. Registration is required. Open to University of Oxford students only. Level – open to complete beginners and students from any subject, undergraduate or graduate.
For our next AI/ML workshop we will be joined by Dr Lei Clifton, Programme Director of the MSc in Applied Digital Health, Primary Care Department, Dr Joshua Fieggen, DPhil candidate, CHI Lab, Department of Engineering Science and Greg Simond, DPhil student, NDPH. Title: Combining Machine Learning (ML) with Medical Statistics - A Worked Example When: Thursday 26 February Time: 11:00 – 12:30 Venue: OxPop Seminar room 0 11:00 – 12:00 – Presentation and Q&A 12:00 – 12:30 – Optional coding session to show pipeline work (Python) In person only Overview: As larger biomedical datasets emerge, it becomes increasingly challenging to identify potentially relevant features using only conventional approaches. In this workshop we will demonstrate how one can combine machine learning (ML) with classical statistical models for disease predictions, using worked examples on the UK Biobank. Who it’s for: Any researcher curious about combining AI and statistics. No coding required for the presentation. An optional coding session after presentation to show how we have implemented this approach in our published papers. Bios: Lei Clifton: Programme Director of the MSc in Applied Digital Health, Primary Care Department. Lei has 20+ years of experience at the intersection of medical statistics and AI. As Programme Director of the MSc in Applied Digital Health, she specialises in foundation models and large language models for healthcare, bringing expertise from engineering, machine learning, and medical statistics. Joshua Fieggen: DPhil candidate, Computational Health Informatics (CHI) Lab. Josh is a medical doctor, and DPhil candidate from the CHI Lab in the Engineering Department. He has an MPH in Epidemiology and Biostatistics and his DPhil has focused on applications of ML and generative deep learning to the plasma proteomics data in UK Biobank. Gregory Simond: MD-DPhil candidate in Cancer Science, conducting his doctoral research in the UK Biobank group at the Big Data Institute. His research focuses on developing multi-modal machine learning approaches to improve early cancer detection and risk prediction in the general population. Registration- https://forms.office.com/e/ddQhg7pG2N?origin=lprLink
Historian of Victorian childhood *Catherine Sloan* investigates what she does with boredom: how as the reader of a mass of Victorian magazines she has sat with the problem of repetitive sources, and developed new techniques of interpretation. *Anthea Butler* is a historian of twentieth-century race, power and religion. She asks what we can learn from when there is a glut of archival material about women’s activities around reproduction, but historians focus unduly on white women and the right to the exclusion of work on the left. How do we weigh where to place our attention? *Respondents:* Meryem Kalayci (Oxford) Tehila Sasson (Oxford) Emily Cousens (Northeastern University, London)
Revealing the cellular impact of immune-mediated disease-associated (IMD) variants requires measuring their effects within the dynamic gene expression and phenotypic programmes that shape immune cell function. In this seminar, I will present our recent work, which resolves context-specific eQTLs across T cell activation states and reveals how polygenic IMD risk converges on discrete, activation-dependent gene programmes. These analyses uncover regulatory axes that link genetic architecture to effector function and disentangle proliferation, differentiation, and metabolic rewiring to pinpoint key contexts in which disease variants exert their impact. I will then introduce TGlow, our high-content imaging platform that profiles T cell morphology at scale, enabling us to capture phenotypes beyond transcript abundance. By quantifying morphodynamic trajectories during activation and exhaustion, TGlow provides an orthogonal layer for studying variant-relevant biology, allowing us to map how genetic- and drug-induced perturbations, reshape T cell states. Together, these approaches outline our strategy for decoding IMD variant effects through large-scale multimodal profiling of gene regulation, cellular programs, and functional phenotypes.
When the Islamic empire emerged in the seventh century, it faced a twofold challenge: socializing its population to commit to a unified state that curtailed previous freedoms while subjecting itself to the requirement to adhere to the teachings of the religion through which it legitimized itself. In this presentation, I argue that this dual challenge crystallized in a debate about the rule of law that emerged as early as the first generation of Islam. The debate produced a distinctly constitutional political theory that came to structure classical Islamic law.
Senior Water Risk Expert Jennifer Moeller‑Gulland shares the development of her Water Risk Assessment Blueprint—a practical tool to uncover, understand and manage rising water‑related risks in the business context. With four of the top five global risks now linked to water and inaction costing far more than proactive measures, businesses need clearer insight into their exposure. This talk will outline a framework to assess water risks across resources, infrastructure, and governance, how to navigate uncertainty in risk assessment, and how to communicate findings in a way that drives effective decision-making and collaborative solutions. Speaker Jennifer Moeller-Gulland is a Water Risk and Economics Expert with over 16 years of experience advising the World Bank, 2030 Water Resources Group, the United Nations, the European Commission, and multinational companies. She has worked across 25+ countries on national, site-level, and supply-chain water risk assessments. Jennifer is the Founder and Managing Director of Water Security Collective, where she works to build a global network of credible water risk experts. She is the developer of the Water Risk Assessment Blueprint, a proprietary framework she teaches through the CPD-accredited 12-week Water Risk Assessment Certification. She holds degrees from Tilburg University and the University of Oxford.
This session introduces the solicited diary method as a qualitative research approach and reflects on its use in research with displaced academics. The first part of the session provides a brief theoretical grounding, outlining what the solicited diary method is, the kinds of research questions it is suited to, and its key methodological features, including temporality, participant-led narration, and ethical complexity. The second part of the session draws on empirical work with displaced scholars to examine the solicited diary method in practice. It focuses on methodological design choices such as prompting, duration, and format, as well as the ethical and relational considerations that arise when asking participants to produce diary entries. This section highlights both what the solicited diary method makes visible and the limits of the approach. The final part of the session involves a short, guided activity followed by collective debriefing and open discussion. This is intended to support participants in thinking through whether, and under what conditions, the solicited diary method might be appropriate for their own research. No prior experience with diary methods is assumed. https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_NGY3YTU1ZTMtMjU1NS00NzI4LTg0MzUtNjUzYjg3MTY5Nzg0%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%25225f581465-1def-4d51-8d4c-45a3b26b5b58%2522%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&type=meetup-join&deeplinkId=92cacbaf-7862-4153-a045-518337e4ea25&directDl=true&msLaunch=true&enableMobilePage=true&suppressPrompt=true
Lesson of the week, clinical cases and research. All clinical and academic staff and students welcome. Coffee and Tea will be served.
"Urban Form, Nature and Health: Can We Measure Cities’ Habitability in a Climate Crisis? " is an interdisciplinary seminar that brings together researchers and practitioners to explore how urban form, environmental systems and governance choices shape the long-term habitability of cities. The event examines strategic planning, spatial configuration and urban processes from international perspectives, with particular attention to the Global South, especially Brazil. By integrating discussions on urban morphology, climate exposure, urban nature and public health, the seminar seeks to advance methodological and practical approaches to measuring urban habitability in the context of accelerating climate change. The seminar proposes reflection on how spatial and environmental evidence can be translated into decision-making tools, public policies and urban codes capable of addressing territorial inequalities and growing climate risks.
The presentation will introduce a special issue just published in the Education Policy Analysis Archives entitled: ‘Advancing Equitable Access to Quality Education Globally: Innovations in curriculum, teacher education, and professional development,’ https://epaa.asu.edu/index.php/epaa/issue/view/52 This issue presents findings from a multi-country project exploring the challenges and opportunities of globalization in advancing equity and quality in education. We focus on three areas of reform that have seen significant innovation over the past decade: • School curriculum • Teacher education • Teachers’ professional development The countries featured—India, New Zealand, Peru, Scotland, and Wales—were undergoing rapid transformations incorporating these reforms when our work began. Each article, authored by respected education researchers in their respective contexts, offers a candid analysis of the reforms and the complexities of pursuing fair and equitable education. The seminar will include a series of short presentations by the editors of the special issue and by some of the authors, with scope for questions and discussion afterwards. Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3a977e970b5670431f8f293fbaff57009a%40thread.tacv2/1769366745064?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2220c48e67-b666-49ae-a9b1-d31d1be325ec%22%7d Speaker bio: Maria Teresa Tatto’s scholarship is characterized by the use of international comparative frameworks to study education policy and its impact on education systems. She has published extensively on areas such as the structure and impact of different approaches to educating teachers, the relationships between teaching and learning, the influence of early childhood education on improved knowledge levels for the rural poor and children of underserved populations, the role of values education on citizenship formation, and the development of effective policies to support the education of children of migrant workers in the U.S. among others. She is also an Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Oxford Department of Education. Trevor Mutton was Professor of Teacher Education at the Department of Education, University of Oxford. His principal research interests are in the fields of initial teacher education, teacher education policy and teachers’ continued professional learning. He is Deputy Editor of the Journal of Education for Teaching and is on the editorial board of Teaching Education. He is also a Visiting Professor at Cardiff Metropolitan University.
What secrets about sanctions evasion are hidden in trade data? Who fears secondary sanctions - and who shrugs them off? And why has Russia’s pivot toward the Chinese renminbi accelerated so dramatically under Western restrictions? This talk explores these questions in the context of the unprecedented sanctions imposed on Russia after its 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
What comes after American hegemony? In this book, Acharya and Pardesi compare the interplay of power and ideas in the ancient Mediterranean and Indian Ocean to explain why the two regions took divergent paths to peace and stability. They also discuss its lessons for international order today. While the ancient Mediterranean order was shaped by the hegemony of Rome, the Indian Ocean developed an open and inclusive international order without the dominance of any single power. Moreover, the Indian Ocean provides a more robust example of the peaceful spread of ideas and culture than the ancient Mediterranean where Hellenization or the spread of Greek ideas was often accompanied by violence and imperialism. Applying the divergent experiences of the two regions, the book argues that the history the Indian Ocean before European colonization offers a more useful framework for reshaping world order as the US- and Western- dominated Liberal International Order comes to an end. The Indian Ocean framework points to an alternative model of order building, a multiplex rather than a multipolar approach, that could sustain efforts to build peace and stability in the emerging Indo-Pacific region. Book: Amitav Acharya and Manjeet S. Pardesi, Divergent Worlds: What the Ancient Mediterranean and Indian Ocean Can Tell Us About the Future of International Order https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300214987/divergent-worlds/ Manjeet S. Pardesi is Associate Professor of International Relations in the Political Science and International Relations Programme and Asia Research Fellow at the Centre for Strategic Studies, Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. His research focuses on global orders and global history, great power politics, Asian security, and the Sino-Indian rivalry. His most recent book, Divergent Worlds: What the Ancient Mediterranean and Indian Ocean Can Tell Us About the Future of International Order (co-authored with Amitav Acharya), was published by Yale University Press in 2025 and received the 2026 T. V. Paul Book Prize from the International Studies Association. A Chinese-language edition is expected in 2026. He is also co-author of The Sino-Indian Rivalry: Implications for Global Order (with Sumit Ganguly and William R. Thompson, Cambridge University Press, 2023). His work has appeared in journals such as European Journal of International Relations, Security Studies, Survival, and Global Studies Quarterly, as well as in edited volumes. He received his PhD in Political Science from Indiana University, Bloomington. He holds an MSc in Strategic Studies from the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies (now the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies), Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, and a BEng in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Nanyang Technological University.
The law often seeks to keep sound contained and fixed, but sound has a way of leaking out. From the acoustic design of courtrooms to rules of evidence and norms of decorum in trial, the law determines what should be heard and what should not, in legal process as well as in everyday life. Sound can be an evanescent and unruly object, however, evading or penetrating our ears in unexpected ways. As a result, the law applies what I refer to as fictions of hearing – assumptions, ideas, and rules about sound that aim to manage it, but don’t always succeed. While law purports to be a truth-finding practice, its operation routinely relies on fictions. Legal fictions are counterfactual assumptions that the law uses to facilitate process and create normative standards. These technologies of the law are widespread yet remain widely unspoken. As the legal scholar Cornelia Vismann notes, however, such practices and technologies may “bear witness to the essence of the law – and yet, at times, also testify against the law’s self-image.” (2011) I outline here three examples, of un-hearing, refusals to listen, and institutional mishearing, that testify about hierarchies of power and authority in the courtroom. These examples reveal how courts construct a Reasonable Listener: a person who hears in ways that are impossible, or at least only possible through the legal imagination.
The hypothalamus and dorsal vagal complex (DVC) are regions of the brain that sense circulating peripheral signals, and hence regulate a wide variety of homeostatic functions. Key circuits within the hypothalamus and the hindbrain, for example, sense and integrate peripheral nutritional signals, and as a consequence, regulate appetite and bodyweight. The inaccessibility of the human brain has meant our understanding of circuitry controlling food intake has emerged primarily from murine studies. With both regions expressing receptors which are key targets for obesity, including the latest incretin-based therapeutics, it is an imperative to understand the neuroarchitecture underlying these systems in the human context. Now, collaborations with the MRC Brain Network, the NIH NeuroBioBank and the Netherlands Brain Bank, has allowed us access to fresh and fixed human donor brain samples. We have generated a comprehensive spatio-cellular map of the human hypothalamus, we have called the Human HYPOMAP. We have used HYPOMAP to identify spatially distinct neuronal and non-neuronal populations. We have also used HYPOMAP as a platform for discovery, by identifying not only hypothalamic neuronal clusters that are enriched in expression of BMI GWAS identified genes, but also discovering a new gene previously not linked to energy homeostasis, that when mutated, influences body-weight on a population level. We are currently doing the same for the DVC, and are calling this HINDMAP.
As national governments and global institutions fail to address climate change, an increasing number of cities have committed to major sustainability and climate strategies. Why do some cities take bold action while others remain on the sidelines? Christof shows that city climate action is not simply a matter of political will: it is an organizational problem. Cities do not act alone. They are embedded within both a broad institutional superstructure of professional networks and peer cities as well as a deep organizational infrastructure of civil society organizations, public agencies, and socially responsible firms. This dual embeddedness shapes cities’ capacity to plan, learn, lead, and scale sustainability solutions. Drawing on comparative research spanning fifteen years and thousands of cities around the world, Christof traces how environmental strategies, sustainability practices, and green building initiatives emerge, diffuse, and take hold. He uncovers the structural conditions that enable and inhibit meaningful climate action, revealing why it varies so widely across cities. By combining lenses from urban theory and organizational sociology, Christof sheds light on how cities navigate their social and institutional environments to meet the climate challenge in his book Cities in Action. The book offers a novel perspective for scholars, policy makers, and practitioners seeking not just to explain but also to empower city action. ———————————————————————————————————————————— Speaker bio: Christof Brandtner is Associate Professor of Social Innovation at EM Lyon Business School, a Fellow in the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research’s program on Innovation, Equity, and the Future of Prosperity, and a co-founder of the Civic Life of Cities Lab. His work investigates how mission-driven organizations contribute and respond to calls to make cities more socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable. He holds a PhD in sociology from Stanford University. ———————————————————————————————————————————— Booking is required for people outside of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI). DSPI Members do not need to register.
Lateral hypothalamic orexin/hypocretin circuits are required for stable consciousness: loss of orexin signals causes narcolepsy in humans, dogs and mice. While orexins activate deep cortical layers in mouse primary visual cortex (V1), their role for vision remains underexplored. On a behavioral/perceptual level, orexin knockout (KO) mice had normal visual acuity, but worse orientation discrimination, needing a larger angle difference to discriminate square wave patterns. Using the oddball paradigm, in which a stimulus is presented frequently (redundant context) or rarely (oddball context), we provide electrophysiological evidence suggesting disrupted V1 processing of visual signals in anaesthetized orexin KO mice. This includes delayed peaks of visually evoked potentials (VEP) and disruption of context dependent modulation of VEP waveform and power spectra. The cause for these impairments might be developmental in nature: Orexin KO mice showed extended survival of cortical subplate cells and altered development of layer 6 during early postnatal development. As orexins were previously shown to specifically activate deep cortical layers, which drive high gamma brain states favorable for plasticity, but that are lost in orexin KO mice, here we further tested whether orexin KO would impair plasticity during development. Indeed, orexin KO disrupted monocular deprivation induced ocular dominance plasticity specifically during the late critical period for visual circuit development, suggesting disruption of experience-dependent plasticity of V1 circuits during this paradigm. Together our data show that loss of orexin peptides affects development of visual circuits, and causes deficits in visual perception, processing and plasticity.
The 'good food cycle' promises much as the outcome of the new 'Food Strategy', along with several other UK strategies on farming, food and the environment. And they should, given the crises in public health, nature and ecosystem decline, climate change, and rural economies from the current food system. This talk will look at the current state of play in farm and food policy, and glance at where and why past strategies have succeeded or otherwise. Finally, we will assess the key attributes needed for a food strategy to deliver a sustainable, viable, and climate resilient farming sector, nature recovery, and healthy food for all.
Recent policy developments to create an integrated tertiary education system in England must tackle the challenges of bringing together sectors and institutions that have long operated in fragmented and isolated ways. The sector also faces ongoing contestations of ideas and values that shape perspectives and practices. In particular, the purposes of tertiary education can be contested. This presentation examines stakeholders’ perspectives on the purposes a coordinated tertiary system should serve. Drawing on 26 interviews with key stakeholders across the tertiary education sector in England and five workshops with learners, the presentation shows that many participants agree that current policy debates tend to frame the purposes of the tertiary education system in narrow economic and instrumental terms. In contrast, participants articulated a range of broader purposes extending beyond economic growth, including social justice, equality and public good, as well as students’ development and agency. The presentation highlights the importance of articulating shared principles to support collaboration and coordination within a new system, and cautions against depoliticised policy narratives that reduce political concerns to issues of technical efficiency and purely economic agendas. Xin Xu is Departmental Lecturer in Higher/Tertiary Education at the Department of Education, University of Oxford, and Deputy Director of the Oxford University Centre on Skills, Knowledge and Organisational Performance. Her research focuses on the cultural political economy of higher and tertiary education. Gonzalo Hidalgo-Bazán is a Postdoctoral Researcher in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford. His research interests include the political dimensions of education policy across macro, meso, and micro levels, with a particular focus on the lived effects of ‘quality’ discourses on education actors.
Although few could define it, “civilian morale” became one of the twentieth century’s most lethal concepts. In its name, millions of civilians were bombed and starved, as belligerents sought to break enemy morale through air raids and food blockades. How did it become normal to wage war by attacking cities and civilian morale? From the First World War through the Second, ideas and practices surrounding morale and the “home fronts” circulated rapidly in a transnational process. During 1914–18, states claimed to have discovered “civilian morale”: British and German blockaders explicitly targeted it, while governments in Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and France compiled national “moral reports.” Interwar strategists such as Giulio Douhet and Hugh Trenchard argued that aerial bombardment would decisively shatter civilian morale. These ideas culminated in the area bombing of German and Italian cities during the Second World War and also shaped the Asia-Pacific theatre. Japanese air forces bombed Chinese cities in 1937–39 with morale as a central target, while U.S. strategists later endorsed firebombing and food blockades—including “Operation STARVATION” in 1945—as means of forcing surrender. The narrative ends in 1945 with the rise of American social psychologists who theorised morale destruction at the dawn of the Cold War.
The Alamire codices have traditionally been seen as diplomatic gifts, or at the very least commissions from magnates and super-rich aficionados. This article argues that for most of the later, paper codices at least, the sequence happened in reverse: in other words they comprised workshop material that was first produced and then sold once buyers could be found. The same conclusion prompts also a review of the construction of some of the more elegant, parchment sources, and the proposal that the ‘bespoke’ aspects of such codices may have extended no further than their opening—and hence most immediately visible—pages.
📢 Calling all climate entrepreneurs! ‘How to power Climate and Energy Ventures’ featuring Ben Soltoff from the MIT Martin Trust Centre is for you. The event will offer a hands-on guide to building impactful solutions for people and the planet using Ben’s Disciplined Entrepreneurship for Climate and Energy Ventures framework. This framework covers aspects such as financial strategies, policy navigation and measuring planetary impact. It was developed from the two-decade track record of MIT’s Climate & Energy Ventures course, which has spun out over 65 ventures, raising US $2.3 billion and creating >2500 jobs. Ben and Katy Tuncer will delve into the challenges and opportunities that climate and energy entrepreneurs face, highlighting why a specialized framework is essential for success in this field. Come and learn about: - Best practices and frameworks for success in climate and energy ventures - Opportunities for global collaboration from Oxford - Tips for over-coming barriers to spinning out climate-related research - How to maximise your own contribution – whatever role you have in the ecosystem
Holly Brewer, 'Creating a Common Law of Slavery for England and its New World Empire', _Law and History Review_ 39:4 (2021), 765-834; Jacob Selwood, 'Jewish Immigration, AntiSemitism and the Diversity of Early Modern London', _Jewish Culture and History_, 10:1 (2008), 1–22 *To attend online via Microsoft Teams, please email "$":mailto:ian.archer@history.ox.ac.uk*
Join us for a screening of Victim (1961), followed by a post-film discussion. Starring Dirk Bogarde as a closeted barrister determined to bring a sexual blackmailer to justice, Victim was groundbreaking as the first British film to explicitly name homosexuality and to portray it with sympathy and seriousness.
The assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafic Hariri in a massive car bomb in Beirut on Valentine’s Day 2005 sends shockwaves through the Middle East. With a rolodex of international contacts, the murder of this billionaire-turned-statesman known as ‘Mr Lebanon’ triggers a massive investigation. But the terrorists behind his murder have done everything to hide their tracks. With all the twists of a dark conspiracy thriller, this feature documentary follows the complex investigation to track down his killers. https://www.danclifton.co.uk/home/the-conspiracy
To join online, please register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WWqjr8SgT_WrzTodI65cdg
From microelectronics in the 1980s to AI in the 2020s, technological innovation has played a major role in reshaping economies and employment. As have financialization and its ideological partner neoliberalism. Reflecting on 40 years of research focused especially on Japan, this presentation will also consider possible futures. With commentaries from Simon Deakin (Cambridge), Mari Sako (Oxford) and Tim Sturgeon (MIT).
Critics of neoliberalism claim that in the final decades of the 20th century ‘homo politicus’ was replaced by ‘homo economicus’. This lecture challenges the primacy of either of these imaginings of the human condition and draws attention to other burgeoning identities – the very word ‘identity’ being one of them – supported by the language of social science.
'After a brief recall of the general idea of "proof" in Pure Mathematics, I will discuss the ideas and intuition behind some proofs in modern Differential Geometry concerning soap bubbles and soap films.
Thursday February 26, Room 10.424 (week 6) Caitlin Stobie, ‘Collaborative creative practice in South African fiction’
Join us for a conversation with Dr Ping Lu about how history’s greatest codebreakers inspire today’s AI breakthroughs in healthcare. Moderated by Xavier Laurent, Research Member of Common Room and Lead Training Coordinator at the AI Competency Centre. Dr Ping Lu is Assistant Professor in Computer Science at the University of Leeds. She holds a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from the University of Bern, Switzerland, and completed her postdoctoral research in medical imaging and biomedical signal analysis at the University of Oxford. Her research sits at the intersection of imaging and non-imaging machine learning in healthcare and computer science. All event attendees are invited to arrive from 5pm, when tea and coffee will be served, and to stay for a drinks reception, which will immediately follow the event. Bletchley Park Week: This event is part of our annual Bletchley Park Week (22-27 February) programme of events celebrating a partnership between Kellogg College and Bletchley Park. This year’s theme is: “The Age of AI”.
Across Europe and the wider West, democratic institutions face mounting pressure from political polarisation, disinformation, declining public trust, and challenges to the liberal principles that have shaped the post-war order. Is this merely a period of turbulence, or are we witnessing a deeper erosion of the Enlightenment values that underpin Western democracy? In this conversation, Andreas Zivy reflects on the state of democratic governance today, examining the structural, cultural, and technological forces reshaping public discourse and political legitimacy. The discussion will explore whether democratic systems can adapt to these pressures, what renewal might require, and how citizens, institutions, and civil society can contribute to safeguarding open and accountable societies.
This presentation examines disaster preparedness in the Baltic capitals of Riga, Tallinn, and Vilnius by analyzing both household readiness and institutional responses. Based on a survey of 3,016 residents and interviews with crisis-preparedness experts in 2025, it applies a Complex Adaptive Systems framework to show how urban resilience emerges from interactions among diverse actors within dynamic security environments. Dr. Didzis Kļaviņš is a Senior Researcher at the University of Latvia, Faculty of Social Sciences, and the Advanced Social and Political Research Institute.
What does it mean to say ‘I am’? Is the sense of subjectivity a delusion? Are only humans conscious? What about whales, AI, and electrons? How should we use our consciousness? All these questions, and many others, will be examined by expert speakers in conversation with one another and with the audience in this 3-part symposium series. In this third and final event on 26 Feb, we will examine what we do and what we should do with our consciousness as human beings. Does it help us act rationally, optimally or morally? How is the conscious mind represented in literature? And what role does it play in our mental health? Iain McGilchrist (Psychiatry, All Souls College, Oxford) What on earth are we doing here? Chris Fletcher (English, University of Oxford) ‘I am!’: Literature and consciousness Catherine Harmer (Psychiatry, University of Oxford) The mind’s filter: Shaping experience and mental health
The event is free to attend but booking is required due to limited spaces. Reserve your spot by sending an email to oxford@ilcorno.co.uk
Supported by the APGRD, Archilochus' Fragments is a new musical work by composer Costas Kafouros blending ancient Greek poetry with modern sound; a contemporary reimagining of the poetry of Archilochus of Paros (c. 680 B.C.), one of the boldest and most original voices of antiquity. Performed by world-class musicians Katerina Mina (vocals), Rami Sarieddine (piano), Marios Nicolaou (bassoon) and Mariana Parás (percussion), the piece explores timeless themes and the enduring dialogue between past and present, voice and instruments. Prof. Armand D’Angour will give a pre-performance talk entitled “The Poetry of Archilochus” Armand D’Angour is Professor of Classical Languages and Literature at the University of Oxford and Fellow and Tutor in Classics, Jesus College. His books include The Greeks and the New, 2011; Socrates in Love: The Making of a Philosopher, 2019; How to Innovate: An Ancient Guide to Creative Thinking, 2021; How to Talk About Love: Plato’s Symposium, 2025. In addition to numerous broadcasts on radio and television, he has produced a short film on ancient Greek music on Youtube (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4hOK7bU0S1Y) which has reached over a million views since its publication in 2017. More details of his work are available on his website www.armand-dangour.com.
As biotechnologies advance, many ethical questions take on a new sense of urgency. This conversation brings together diverse religious perspectives on preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), exploring how ancient moral and spiritual frameworks might respond to these novel interventions in human life. The discussion will consider wide-ranging questions about the nature of human limits, moral responsibility, dependence, vulnerability, and the very meaning of life itself. This event is supported by the Oxford Medical Humanities Research Hub and the Uehiro Oxford Institute.
Convenor: Andrew Moeller, Project Leader, Biotechnology and the Humanities, TORCH As biotechnologies advance, many ethical questions take on a new sense of urgency. This conversation brings together diverse religious perspectives on preimplantation genetic testing (PGT), exploring how ancient moral and spiritual frameworks might respond to these novel interventions in human life. The discussion will consider wide-ranging questions about the nature of human limits, moral responsibility, dependence, vulnerability, and the very meaning of life itself.
Associate Professor Tim Theologis will discuss 'Research in paediatric orthopaedics'. Dr Eileen Morrow will discuss 'Developing a set of core outcomes for lower limb surgery in paediatric orthopaedics'. The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching (tarryn.ching@nds.ox.ac.uk) if you would like to attend online.
Prediction models are abundant in the medical literate, yet very few are implemented and demonstrate clinical impact. This seminar will start with a brief introduction to clinical prediction models before discussing pitfalls and opportunities of applying machine learning methods in this domain. The seminar targets a non-specialist audience and introduces concepts via examples using different data modalities (images, voice, etc.) from cardiometabolic research. Finally, the seminar will provide perspectives on how AI is perceived by patients and the general public. Bio: Adam Hulman is a senior researcher leading the Machine Learning & Clinical Prediction Lab at Steno Diabetes Center Aarhus, Aarhus University Hospital, and an associate professor at the Department of Public Health, Aarhus University. Adam is an applied mathematician by training with a PhD in diabetes epidemiology. His lab’s overarching goal is to turn health data into clinical insights and applications by using advanced statistical and machine learning methods. More specifically, the group works on the development and application of deep learning methods to be able to integrate clinical data of different types (tabular, images, time series, voice) in risk prediction of diabetic complications. He is committed to hearing the users’ voices about AI and to building bridges between diabetes researchers, clinicians, and the data science community.
This session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. After the main 90-minute workshop, one of the Bodleian Health Care Libraries Outreach Librarians will be available for another 30 minutes to answer questions about your own searches, so feel free to bring along what you are working on. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; and save a search and document it. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
This talk will reflect on the experience of researching the Oxford lives of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. It will look in particular at the kinds of materials available in the Bodleian Library, University Archives and College libraries and archives to reconstruct the academic worlds of these two important Oxford figures. As well as showing the potential such resources offer for deepening our understanding of the biographies of Lewis and Tolkien, I will consider their potential for life writing more generally. *Simon Horobin* is Professor of English Language and Literature and Fellow and Tutor in English at Magdalen College. He has published widely on medieval literature and the English language. He has lectured to a variety of audiences on C.S. Lewis, has published articles on Lewis’s scholarly writings and is the author of _C.S. Lewis’s Oxford_ (Bodleian Publishing 2024). Please note that this event is exclusively open to current members of the University of Oxford. Workshop places will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis, with priority given to members of the English Faculty.
We are pleased to invite you to a special online dialogue event exploring the phenomenon of "Hikikomori" (prolonged social withdrawal/isolation) from both Japanese and UK perspectives. This event aims to bridge the gap between academic research and lived experience. The session will feature presentations by researchers from both Japan and the UK, followed by personal stories from an individual with lived experience and a family member from Japan.
We survey the life of a Turing pattern, from initial diffusive instability through the emergence of dominant spatial modes and to an eventual spatially heterogeneous pattern. While many mathematically ideal Turing patterns are regular, repeating in structure and remaining of a fixed length scale throughout space, in the real world there is often a degree of irregularity to patterns. Viewing the life of a Turing pattern through the lens of spatial modes generated by the geometry of the bounded space domain housing the Turing system, we discuss how irregularity in a Turing pattern may arise over time due to specific features of this space domain or specific spatial dependencies of the reaction-diffusion system generating the pattern.
Abstract The idea that worlds around other stars could develop and maintain environments hospitable to life, in a way like our planet, has captivated scientists for centuries. Yet, to investigate this question, we must recognize and characterize the key conditions that make a planet habitable. Earth ― the only planet on which life is known to have originated ― is unique in many ways, including the presence of abundant surface water, a large moon, a long-lived magnetic field, and plate tectonics. Yet, which of these and other characteristics are essential for its long-term habitability? A major challenge is that habitability factors vary because they are time-dependent due to changes in the Sun’s energy and our planet’s chemical, thermal and (thereby) physical and tectonic evolution. Plate tectonics regulates interior temperatures, atmospheric greenhouse gas concentrations and surface temperatures. Subduction enables recycling of volatile elements between the surface and the mantle and is probably essential for sustaining planetary habitability. Because the questions of when, why and how plate tectonics started are debated, an improved understanding of Earth’s evolution is critically needed. It is not necessarily obvious that key habitability factors such as plate tectonics will persist once started, a dynamo-driven magnetic field can stop and perhaps re-emerge later through inner-core nucleation, and the Earth’s axial tilt may also become unstable as the Moon is moving away. Ultimately, all planets lose their habitability, and in about two billion years when the Sun’s energy has increased by 15%, Earth will enter a moist greenhouse, followed by runaway evaporation of the oceans. An in-depth knowledge of Earth-like habitability, and how our planet sustained conditions for life’s evolution over geological timescales, is critical for identifying habitable planets orbiting other stars that potentially are, or have been, habitable around other stars.
How do organisms survive when food becomes scarce? My lab investigates the extraordinary metabolic strategies evolved by animals that thrive under extreme nutrient limitation. A central model in our work is the Mexican cavefish Astyanax mexicanus, a species that has repeatedly colonized lightless, nutrient-poor caves and evolved remarkable adaptations to starvation. These fish exhibit metabolic phenotypes that resemble human disease states—such as insulin resistance, extreme hyperglycemia, and fat accumulation—yet remain healthy and long-lived. Using tools ranging from transgenic lines, gene editing, and organoid models to multi-omics and cell-based assays, we explore how cavefish rewire classical metabolic pathways. Our work reveals how evolutionary processes can turn pathological states into adaptive solutions, shedding light on fundamental questions in energy balance, resilience, and longevity. In this talk, I will present recent findings from our group, including cellular and systemic adaptations to starvation, evolved shifts in autophagy and sugar metabolism, and emerging parallels to mammalian fasting biology. By combining evolutionary biology with molecular physiology, we aim to uncover new principles of metabolic resilience with relevance far beyond the cave.
Do you have some writing you’ve been meaning to start or finish? Are you struggling to carve out focused time to work? Join us this week for an hour dedicated to writing! This session is open to students, staff, and the wider Oxford community who are looking for a focused space to work on their writing craft. Whether you’re drafting, editing, outlining, or simply trying to get words on the page, this session will offer a supportive space to work alongside others. All are welcome and a light lunch will be provided.
Curious about using AI to find research papers? Not sure how to properly reference GenAI and avoid plagiarism? This beginner-friendly workshop introduces three GenAI tools (ChatGPT, Elicit, and Research Rabbit), showing how they can support information discovery and analysis. Designed for those new to AI, this practical session will allow you to independently experiment with these tools and participate in group discussions to explore their strengths, limitations, and suitability for different tasks. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what AI means and some key terms; differentiate between several categories of AI tools; describe how some GenAI tools can be used to discover information, including their strengths, limitations, and best practices; critique GenAI tools and their outputs at an introductory level using evaluative criteria; and state the University’s policies on AI, and avoid plagiarism by creating citations for AI-generated content. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
In this paper we study a class of weighted estimands, which we define as parameters that can be expressed as weighted averages of the underlying heterogeneous treatment effects. The popular ordinary least squares (OLS), two-stage least squares (2SLS), and two-way fixed effects (TWFE) estimands are all special cases within our framework. Our focus is on answering two questions concerning weighted estimands. First, under what conditions can they be interpreted as the average treatment effect for some (possibly latent) subpopulation? Second, when these conditions are satisfied, what is the upper bound on the size of that subpopulation, either in absolute terms or relative to a target population of interest? We argue that this upper bound provides a valuable diagnostic for empirical research. When a given weighted estimand corresponds to the average treatment effect for a small subset of the population of interest, we say its internal validity is low. Our paper develops practical tools to quantify the internal validity of weighted estimands.
We study the information content of bids in auctions about the distribution of values. Which auction formats provide better information about the value distribution? Our main result shows that among a large class of standard auctions (e.g., kth-price, all-pay), the first-price auction is (Lehmann) most informative.
Guenther Anders was a highly influential 20th-century philosopher of technology and culture. In his magnum opus, Die Antiquiertheit des Menschen (1956; now translated as The Obsolescence of the Human, 2025), Anders identifies the Promethean gap: the disparity between our capacity to produce and our capacity to imagine. He argues that this gap has led to a state of potential self-destruction through nuclear or ecological disasters, because our technologically mediated actions have become so extensive that we, as their executors, cannot adequately experience what we are doing. The biggest crimes, therefore, tend to take the form of natural disasters, behind which those actually responsible disappear: »Inhuman acts today are acts without humans« (Anders). Consequently, Anders calls for »moral stretching exercises« to deliberately expand our moral imagination in order to keep pace with our production. In this presentation, I introduce the philosophy of Anders in order to compare his position with current debates on moral bioenhancement, including those involving Julian Savulescu. For the discussion, I have formulated five provisional theses.
Human neurons generated through transcription factor (TF) overexpression have transformed the way we study neurodevelopment and model neurological diseases, opening new avenues for therapeutic discovery. Despite this progress, the full range of neuronal subtypes that can be programmed in vitro remains largely uncharted. In this seminar, I will talk about our work in expanding the diversity of neurons derived from human pluripotent stem cells by combining TF-driven reprogramming with systematic modulation of developmental signaling pathways. We performed a large-scale screen of 480 signaling conditions in parallel with NGN2 or ASCL1/DLX2 induction, using multiplexed single-cell transcriptomics to capture cellular outcomes across 700,000 cells. Our analysis revealed a broad spectrum of excitatory and inhibitory neurons that align with the developmental patterning axes of the neural tube. Electrophysiological profiling showed that these patterned neurons possess distinct functional and morphological properties shaped by their respective signaling environments. We perturbed TFs at the hub of gene regulatory networks (GRNs) and demonstrated their necessity and sufficiency to drive the specification of distinct neuronal subtypes. We further found that patterning neural progenitors before TF induction unlocks a greater range of neuronal diversity by activating regulons that mirror those of primary human neurons. Comparisons with primary tissue uncovered closely matched neuronal subtypes sharing transcriptional signatures in TF expression, neurotransmitter usage, and ion channel composition, while highlighting persistent differences in metabolic pathways. Together, we put together an in vitro atlas of human neuronal diversity of over 200 neuronal subtypes, as well as providing a framework for programming a wide array of human neurons and for understanding how transcriptional and signaling cues cooperate to shape neuronal fate.
Situated within the health humanities, this presentation explores ways in which music engages with health, illness, and wellbeing. It begins by highlighting research and practice in healthcare and arts-in-health contexts, where music supports patients and caregivers by reducing pain and anxiety, regulating emotion, and fostering connection. It then turns to musicology, which has long examined illness, suffering, and psychological distress through composers’ biographies. While this scholarship provides rich aesthetic and historical insight, it has largely remained on the periphery of the health humanities, seldom extending to questions of care or lived experience. Finally, it explores how lived experience could be used to influence the treatment of patients, through music and sound, to reduce trauma and improve patient outcomes. Panelists: Peter Shannon is an orchestral conductor and interdisciplinary scholar working at the intersection of music, medicine, and the health humanities. Over the past 15 years in the United States, he has led professional orchestras as artistic director and conductor and founded the American Institute for Music and Healing, developing music-based programs for hospitals, cancer centres, and healthcare professionals. He has served as a Visiting Instructor in the Department of Medicine at Stanford University and is currently Affiliate Professor of Bioethics and Medical Humanities at Mercer University School of Medicine and a Visiting Scholar at the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. Hester Crombie is a musician and sound artist specialising in collaborative piano with a long standing love of Schubert’s chamber music and songs, and having experienced several early pregnancy complications, Hester is also a patient tutor for the Nuffield Department of Women’s and Reproductive Health. A graduate of University College, Oxford and the Royal Academy of Music, Hester now lives in Oxford, where she is in great demand as a pianist and teacher, and draws the local pigeons. Her composition Please Hold follows the excruciating journey of a parent’s experience navigating the John Radcliffe Hospital’s automated switchboard. You can follow her work @musicintheshed.
The Insights for Action seminar series explores how researchers and practitioners within and beyond Oxford are using research insights to drive social change. In this seminar, we will explore the opportunities for cities to address climate change, exploring insights and examples from Professor Christof Brandtner's forthcoming book, Cities in Action: Organizations, Institutions, and Urban Climate Strategies, which argues that whether—and how—cities respond to climate change is best understood by examining their organisational structures and institutional embeddedness, rather than by focusing solely on political will or resources. Christof will be in conversation with practitioners working in urban climate action in Oxford and globally. Cities in Action: Organizations, Institutions, and Urban Climate Strategies is forthcoming from Columbia University Press, and copies will be available at the event.
Join us for the launch event of the recently published Proceedings of the British Academy volume, Consenting Children: Autonomy, Responsibility, Well-Being. We will discuss why children are treated differently from adults across areas such as health care, education, work, and criminal justice and when, if ever, this difference is justified. Bringing together philosophers and legal scholars, Consenting Children examines how and why distinctions are drawn between adults, children, and adolescents, offering rich disciplinary and interdisciplinary perspectives on consent and responsibility.
Gendered political oppression remains difficult to identify and assess within existing human rights jurisprudence, particularly in cases involving women political dissenters. While the European Court of Human Rights is a key venue for challenging political repression, the gendered dimensions underlying such claims do not attract the same attention. This talk presents the pilot study, funded by the Dutch Research Council (NWO), "Women political dissenters: going beyond the text of European human rights rulings". The project examines two landmark cases decided by the European Court of Human Rights – Zarema Musayeva and Vanessa Kogan – through the PAN (process-actors-narrative) approach to human rights litigation. By reconstructing the procedural evolution of these cases, identifying the actors who shaped them, and situating them within their broader socio-political contexts, the study seeks to develop and test an analytical framework for examining gendered political oppression.
Please join the Oxford Medieval Manuscripts group for a tour of the All Souls College library with Peregrine Horden, Fellow Librarian, All Souls College, where we will learn about the library's history as well as view some of their manuscript collection. Please note that places are limited, write to oxfordmedievalmss@gmail.com to reserve your place.
We exhibit a voting method for elections that is resistant to strategic voting and elects the majority winner (i.e., the Condorcet winner) when voters’ preferences over candidates are single-peaked, meaning that a voter prefers candidates closer to her in ideology to those further away. Moreover, we show that this system is essentially the unique strategy-resistant method among all voting systems satisfying anonymity (equal treatment of voters) and neutrality (equal treatment of candidates) for single-peaked preferences. Preferences in actual political elections do not usually adhere strictly to single-peakedness. Nevertheless, we demonstrate that in every state and federal ranked-choice election held in the U.S. to date preferences satisfy a weak form of single-peakedness sufficient to ensure that a slight modification of our voting method remains strategic-resistant. Thus, we commend this voting system as an especially attractive proposal for voting reform in the United States
Week Six (27 February, Lecture Room VII) Primary: Marge Piercy, Woman on the Edge of Time, Chapters 15-16 Supplementary: Valerie Solanas, ‘SCUM Manifesto’ (1967)
Seminar followed by Q&A and drinks - attend in person or join online - all welcome Abstract: Nature recovery depends on turning ecological data into clear, timely, and actionable insights. This talk explores how sensing technologies, automated acoustics, and AI can strengthen that data-to-decision journey by improving how we monitor ecosystems and interpret change. Through examples from her research, Kate will outline the opportunities and limitations of applying AI to real-world ecological data, and show how better tools can support more effective decisions for nature recovery. Biography: Kate Jones is an ecologist whose interdisciplinary research investigates the interface of ecological and human health. Her research understands the impact of global land use and climate change on ecological and human systems, with a particular focus on emerging infectious diseases from animals. Kate’s work also focuses on generating better tools for monitoring the status of wildlife populations, developing some of the first applied artificial intelligence tools for monitoring ecosystems, and further understanding how citizen science data can be used to understand biodiversity trends. Kate is the Director of The People and Nature Lab at UCL’s new cross-disciplinary campus in London’s Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park (UCL East). Kate has held appointments at the Zoological Society of London, University of Cambridge, Columbia University, University of Virginia, and Imperial College London. She has written over 150 articles and book chapters in prestigious journals, is a UK government scientific advisor, chaired The Bat Conservation Trust for 5 years, and served as an expert advisor to the UK’s Climate Change Committee. Kate won the Leverhulme Prize for outstanding contributions to Zoology in 2008, and in 2022 won both ZSL’s Marsh Award for Conservation Biology and British Ecology Society’s Marsh Award for Ecology.
Join award-winning Polish reportage writer and journalist Mariusz Szczygieł in conversation with his translator Antonia Lloyd-Jones and publisher Linden Editions about his work, Not There. Not There is a collection of literary reportage about loss, absence and memories from one of Poland’s most celebrated writers. Szczygieł follows a Czech poet, a Ukrainian soldier, a Polish accountant, an Albanian poet and an Israeli writer as they account for their losses and gains; tracing lost conversations, cheese forks, poems, houses and lives. It is beautiful, profound and quietly uplifting. His work may be an inventory of losses, but ‘its pages are alive with the traces of what is not there: it is a meditation on absence that hums with the quiet pulse of what remains’ (Frank Wynne, Irish Times). Mariusz Szczygieł is one of Europe’s most celebrated journalists. A reporter for Gazeta Wyborcza, he is the author of a number of books of reportage about the Czech Republic and Poland. His books have been published in twenty-one countries and have been awarded the Europe Book Prize and the Prix Amphi, among other honours. From 1995–2001, he hosted a popular talk show on Polish television. Szczygieł runs the Institute of Reportage in Warsaw, a creative writing reportage school, and Dowody na Isnienie, an independent publishing house. Not There won the Nike Award and Nike Readers' Award in Poland on publication in 2019. Antonia Lloyd-Jones translates fiction, non-fiction, poetry and children’s books from Polish. Her translation of Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by 2018 Nobel Prize laureate Olga Tokarczuk was shortlisted for the 2019 Man Booker International prize. For ten years she was a mentor for the Emerging Translators’ Mentorship Programme, and is a former co-chair of the UK Translators Association. Linden Editions is an independent publisher specialising in works of literary fiction, narrative non-fiction and essays from Europe, the Francophonie, and the Mediterranean region. It was established by Tasja Dorkofikis, Nermin Mollaoğlu, and Geraldine D’Amico in 2023. Linden Edition’s books have been awarded the Prix Femina, Prix Goncourt des Lyceens and Prix Millepages, and long-listed for the Dublin Literary Award, among others.
Join us for a conversation with Stephen Taylor, as he shows how Large Language Models (LLMs) can be used to explore and analyse biological datasets. Understanding how diseases work and finding new treatments often involves working with massive, complex biological datasets. Traditionally, this required deep expertise in both biology and programming. Stephen and his team at the Centre for Human Genetics have developed a Multi-Dimensional Viewer (MDV) to simplify this process, and now, with advances in AI, their new tool, ChatMDV, allows anyone to explore and analyse these datasets using everyday language. This opens the door for wider participation in discoveries, improves transparency, and accelerates progress toward new therapies. Stephen Taylor is Head of Integrative Computational Biology at the Centre for Human Genetics in the Nuffield Department of Medicine. The aim of his group is to develop state-of-the-art computational methods to break down barriers to aid the integration, visualisation, and analytics of biological datasets. Moderated by Xavier Laurent, Research Member of Common Room and Lead Training Coordinator at the AI Competency Centre. All event attendees are invited to arrive from 5pm, when tea and coffee will be served, and to stay for a drinks reception, which will immediately follow the event. Bletchley Park Week: This event is part of our annual Bletchley Park Week (22-27 February) programme of events celebrating a partnership between Kellogg College and Bletchley Park. This year’s theme is: “The Age of AI”.
All are welcome to join LMH Principal, Professor Christine Gerrard, for an 'In Conversation' with Emmeline Armitage (2018, English Language and Literature). Emmeline will speak about her time at LMH and her developing career as a writer and performer. Emmeline Armitage is a 25-year-old writer and musician, originally from West Yorkshire, now living in London. She has been writing around the themes of women, their artistic practises and the city ever since graduating with a degree in English Language and Literature from Oxford (LMH) and a Masters in Literary Non-Fiction from Royal Holloway. She has had work published in The Bedford Review, The London Magazine and Wonderland, as well as experience in presenting at Hay-On-Wye Literature Festival, Poetry Live, and performing at Out-Spoken. With a strong lyrical as well as literary ability, Emmeline is also a working musician, having most recently signed to indie hip-hop label Lewis Recordings, opened-up for The Streets on tour, and played the global emerging music festival SXSW in Austin, Texas.
The Lowe Ensemble, a baroque music group comprised of five siblings, alongside Danny Murphy at the theorbo, present ‘Echoes of the Spanish Baroque’, a journey through seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Spanish music, and its influence across Europe.
Join the Health Economics and Policy Evaluation ONLINE Course 2026, delivered by the University of Oxford. This intensive 2-day online course (plus one day for Stata) offers a comprehensive overview of health economics and policy assessment. Key topics: Health economics and policy evaluation, Advanced evaluation techniques (interrupted time series, panel data, instrumental variables, DIFF-DIFF), Agency problems and incentive structures in healthcare, Hospital competition and payment scheme impacts, Economic evaluation methods 📅 2nd March 2026 – 4th March 2026 ONLINE ✅ Learn from leading experts ✅ Flexible, online format ✅ Global networking opportunities Who Should Attend? Students, healthcare professionals, policymakers, researchers, and analysts.
VS Code for Python Development: A Complete Beginner's Guide Monday 2 March, 11:00 – 12:00 OxPop/BDI Seminar room 0 Led by – Dr Mcebisi Ntleki, DPhil, Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford Master Visual Studio Code, the world's most popular code editor, through hands-on Python development. This practical tutorial takes you from installation to building a BMI calculator and health data analyser while learning professional development workflows. You'll set up Python environments, manage dependencies, and master version control with Git and GitHub – all within VS Code's intuitive interface. No prior experience with VS Code, Git, or virtual environments needed. By the end, you'll confidently navigate VS Code, structure Python projects professionally, and collaborate using industry-standard practices. Perfect for medical science students ready to level up their research coding toolkit and work with reproducible, shareable code. This session will cover: 1. VS Code fundamentals: Interface navigation, essential keyboard shortcuts, integrated terminal, and customisation options 2. Python environment setup: Installing extensions, creating and activating virtual environments, selecting interpreters 3. Package management: Working with requirements.txt, installing dependencies with pip, managing environment variables securely 4. Building a health data analyser: Creating a BMI calculator and patient data processor with CSV file handling and statistical analysis 5. Version control with Git: Initialising repositories, staging changes, committing, branching, and viewing history through VS Code's interface 6. GitHub collaboration: Creating repositories, pushing code, working with branches, and creating pull requests without leaving VS Code. Pre requisites: 1. Basic Python syntax knowledge (variables, functions, loops, conditionals) 2. Familiarity with basic file and folder operations on their computer 3. Ability to navigate their operating system and install software No prior experience with code editors, IDEs, version control, or command-line tools is required Intended audience: Undergraduates, graduates, early researchers Participants will need: A laptop (Windows, macOS, or Linux), Administrator access to install software. This is a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) friendly session. Pre-Course Preparation: 1. Install Python: Download and install Python 3.8 or later from python.org 2. Install VS Code: Download and install from code.visualstudio.com 3. Create a GitHub account: Sign up at github.com (free account is sufficient) 4. Install Git: Download from git-scm.com and complete basic configuration Duration: 50 minutes for presentation and practical, 5 minutes practical exercises post session, 5 minutes – Q&A. Registration: https://forms.office.com/e/mgHjvw8UBU?origin=lprLink
In my lab we ask how cells can remember previous infections and how this leads to different responses to future challenges. In this talk, I will share studies that span traditional adaptive immune memory and provide evidence of memory within non-immune cells following an influenza virus infection. We use a variety of techniques including reporter animals, flow cytometry, imaging and spatial transcriptomics to interrogate the consequences of prior infection on long-term memory and the response to re-infection.
Intended audience: professional and support staff from any department welcome Are you invested in advancing your professional services career at Oxford University? Are you interested in exploring career mobility within the University? Are you aware of the career advancement resources within the University that could be applicable to your career development journey? The Paediatrics Professional and Support Staff Committee is excited to host an in-person career development panel and networking event. This panel will focus on highlighting career paths staff have taken in their time serving at the University, and facilitate practical conversations around career mobility within Oxford. It also intends to highlight career support resources within the University.
AI is reshaping sociology both as an object of inquiry and as a methodological resource. This talk examines this dual transformation through two complementary perspectives. First, drawing on a comparative analysis of elite sociology departments, faculty profiles, and national sociology conferences in China and the United States, it traces how AI has been incorporated into sociological knowledge production across different institutional and societal contexts in recent years. The analysis reveals both divergent and convergent trajectories, highlighting how scholars in the Global North and Global South engage with AI in distinct yet increasingly interconnected ways. Second, the talk demonstrates the research potential of AI for sociology through an original case study modelling future societal instability across four countries. By integrating demographic and fiscal data with large language models, we develop and evaluate predictions concerning the structural constraints facing welfare states through the mid-twenty-first century. Together, these analyses illustrate how AI is transforming what sociologists study, how they study it, and what futures we might anticipate. Please join either in person or online. For in-person attendees, the talk will be preceded by a light lunch at 12.15pm.
Please note that this session is now cancelled due to unforeseen circumstances. In September 2014, foreign languages (FL) became a compulsory part of the primary school curriculum in England, with the clear expectation that learners should make “substantial progress in one language” (DfE, 2013) throughout the four years of language learning at primary school (age 7-11). However, schools face considerable difficulties (e.g., limited time, low teacher subject knowledge and confidence), exacerbated by a lack of clarity regarding core content and learning outcomes for language learning at this level. Further, the limited research exploring children's experiences with FL learning (of languages other than English) makes it difficult to assess the feasibility of the National Curriculum guidance. In this talk, Rowena will present the Progression in Primary Languages project; a longitudinal study tracking young learners’ linguistic development in French, German and Spanish over the four years of learning at primary school in England and the individual, instructional and contextual factors affecting learning. 2,231 students aged 7-11 from 17 primary schools participated in the study completing a range of linguistic measures (e.g. vocabulary, phonics, grammar) each year. The design of the language tests developed for the project will be discussed, alongside preliminary results in relation to children's linguistic progression. In light of the initial findings, the implications for young learners’ language learning in the classroom-context will be explored.
Professor Brian Angus University of Oxford https://www.ndm.ox.ac.uk/team/brian-angus
Effective cancer immunotherapy requires identifying tumor-associated antigens and engineering T cells to recognize them precisely. I will discuss our recent development of complementary technologies: HLA-Shuttle, which reveals hidden antigens in immune-cold tumors; HLA3DB, a database of peptide conformational features; and TRACeR-I, a protein engineering platform for developing antigen-specific binding modules with programmable HLA restriction. Together, these tools address key bottlenecks in the antigen discovery-to-therapy pipeline
Patents and standards are a valuable source of technical information relevant to the fields of engineering, materials sciences, and more. Together, they provide approved rules and guidelines whilst helping to protect inventions and innovative ideas. They can, however, be tricky to find. Join this session to find out more about what patents and standards are, why they might be useful for your research and how to find them in specific databases. By the end of this session, you will: know what a patent is and where to find it; know what a standard is and where to find it; and be able to reference patents and standards. Intended audience: taught student; researcher and research student
The competence of elected officials affects state performance and economic growth, yet it is often difficult to find high human capital, representative citizens willing to put themselves forward as political candidates. We analyze an intervention designed to address this challenge that combines structured community nominations, private screening of technocratic skills, and information provision to political parties in advance of local elections in Sierra Leone. Estimates show that this approach successfully identifies individuals who are substantially higher quality and enjoy broader local support than incumbents and status quo candidates. While new to elected politics, these individuals are still elite, mostly drawn from traditional chiefly families. One quarter of top nominees formally enter politics by filing candidate applications, positively self-selected on quality and boosted by an encouragement nudge. Their entry marginally improves the maximum quality observed in the potential candidate pool and among those selected onto the parties’ lists. These results provide proof of concept that there are better people out there willing to run. We find null results on the quality of those who win seats, largely driven by party leaders favoring rerunning incumbents, gatekeeping that prevents new entrants from getting elected.
This talk outlines how mathematical modelling can inform sustainable public health policy when integrated with other disciplines, illustrated through work on Cystic Echinococcosis, a parasitic zoonosis. I present practical examples that bring together transmission models, field epidemiology, veterinary practice, social science and economic assessment to co produce interventions that are feasible, acceptable and maintainable over time. Emphasising a One Health perspective, the session shows how integrated approaches improve surveillance, target control measures, and clarify trade offs and uncertainties for decision makers. Attendees will see how collaborative, people centred modelling generates operational recommendations that are more likely to be adopted and sustained in real world settings. I am Co‑Director of the Surrey Institute for People‑Centred Artificial Intelligence and Senior Lecturer in Epidemiology at the University of Surrey. My background is in industrial engineering and working as a mathematical modeller I develop and integrate practical, multidisciplinary approaches that combine mathematics, statistics, computing, biology and social science to inform surveillance, control and elimination of infectious diseases in humans and animals. I focus on producing transparent, usable evidence — including models, forecasts and decision tools — that supports frontline health practitioners, veterinary services and policymakers. My work emphasises responsible AI and One Health approaches, co‑producing analyses with stakeholders to ensure relevance, equity and clear communication of uncertainty. I teach and supervise students in applied epidemiology and modelling, and I actively translate research into policy and operational guidance to improve real‑world disease prevention and response. https://www.surrey.ac.uk/people/joaquin-m-prada
Need a burst of focused time to get words flowing on the page? Join OCCT for our new series of Shut Up and Write (or Translate) sessions this term. These dedicated afternoons are a chance to step away from distractions, sit alongside fellow writers and translators, and make real progress on whatever project matters most to you. We’ll gather from 2–5pm on Mondays of Week 1, 3, 5, and 7 this term in a supportive, low-pressure environment designed to boost productivity and creativity alike. Bring along your laptop, notebooks, or translation drafts - anything you’d like to work on. After a quick check-in, we’ll dive into quiet writing or translating sprints, with breaks for coffee (which will be supplied) and conversation in between. Whether you’re polishing a chapter, drafting an article, working on a translation, or simply hoping to carve out space for your own work, these sessions are for you. Come for one, two, or all three afternoons, and leave with words on the page and renewed momentum for your projects.
How is generative AI creating challenges for openness of research? How open are AI models themselves, when used in research? And will evil AI bots destroy digital libraries?
Professional services and support staff across the University and Colleges are invited to join one of two interactive webinars on using Microsoft 365 Copilot to support everyday work at Oxford. Explore how it could help you draft content, summarise information, research and analyse data, and reduce the admin load, as part of our secure Nexus 365 environment. Get the chance to try it out for yourself, free of charge for a short time afterwards. This session features a brief introduction from Stuart Lee, Director of the Digital Governance Unit, and a presentation from Microsoft.
We develop and quantify a novel growth theory in which economic activity endogenously shifts from material production to quality improvements. Consumers derive utility from goods with differing environmental footprints: necessities are material-intensive and polluting, while luxuries are more service-based and emit less. Innovation can be directed toward either material productivity or product quality. Because demand for luxuries is more sensitive to quality, the economy gradually becomes “weightless”: growth is driven by quality improvements, services become the dominant employment sector, and material production stabilizes at a finite level. This structural transformation enables rising living standards with declining environmental intensity, providing an endogenous path to degrowth in material output without compromising economic progress. Policy can accelerate the transition, but its burden is uneven, falling more heavily on the poor than on the rich.
Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session you will be able to: define science communication and provide a list of examples; explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public; and list ways in which we can all get involved in science communication. Intended audience: Medicine and NHS; Researcher and research student
This paper explores the reconstitution of Brahmans as caste subjects in the late colonial period, with a particular focus on Maharashtra. As is well known, Brahman scribal elites achieved remarkable success within the successor states of the eighteenth century. In many parts of India, this professional heritage helped consolidate their dominance as Anglophone professionals in colonial service, as writers and publicists in the sphere of vernacular print, and as leading interlocutors in the meanings of colonial modernity for Indian politics and society. Non-Brahman challenges from south and western India, as well as the rise of Gandhian politics prompted Brahman communities to look for new forms of social and political leadership, from Hindu nationalist politics to investments in new genres of vernacular literature and poetry. For Brahman communities in western India, the writing and publication of family histories also provided a means to project their accomplishments in service of the nation. These family histories or kulavrttanta emerged out of precolonial genres of historical writing and caste categorisation, reworked with family trees and photographs for the age of vernacular print. Kulavrttantas presented these transformations as successful passages from tradition to modernity. In doing so, they also contributed to what has been described as the “culturalization” of caste, its transmutation from structured social hierarchy to an aspect of family “culture” and private life. Bio: Rosalind O’Hanlon is Professor Emeritus of Indian History and Culture in the Faculty of Asian and Middle East Studies in Oxford, and a fellow of Clare College, Cambridge. She has written extensively on caste and gender in India from the early modern to the late colonial period. Her most recent publication is Lineages of Brahman Power: Caste, Family and the State in Western India, 1600-1900 (SUNY and Permanent Black, 2025).
The late nineteenth century and early twentieth century saw the establishment of a distinct form of science writing, “popular” science writing. Ostensibly directed towards the “laity” or the “man in the street,” it also enabled communication between scientists in distinct sub-disciplines, and may have been directed towards those who controlled university funding. Its status in relation to technical science writing has been extensively debated, in books by Shinn and Whitley (1985), and articles by Hilgartner (1990), Cooter and Pumfrey (1994), Myers (2003), Secord (2004), O’Connor (2009), Schmalzer (2012) among others. Scholars in the field of literature and science have also studied it, and the present paper, as well as discussing what we are to do with the contested term “popular,” will ask what literary studies can bring to the study of popular science writing. It will focus on examples primary from the physical sciences in the early twentieth century, including work by A S Eddington and Oliver Lodge. *Professor Michael H Whitworth* is the author of _Einstein’s Wake: Relativity, Metaphor, and Modernist Literature_ (2001) and many other articles and chapters on literature and science. He was the co-founder, with Alice Jenkins, of the British Society for Literature and Science. He is a Tutorial Fellow in English at Merton College and Professor of Modern Literature and Culture in the English Faculty.
The Autism Long-term Outcomes Study (ALTOS) examined adolescents and young adults who were diagnosed with autism early in development according to gold standard expert clinical evaluation, who currently have no symptoms. In prior work, we described the unique brain networks that were involved in language processing in such a population, in comparison with individuals with a current autism diagnosis and those without a history of autism. This talk will describe results of our current behavioral and fMRI studies of language outcomes and their association with other cognitive and communication abilities as well as mental health and quality of life.
How can researchers better engage with the UK Parliament, to ensure that their academic research has robust, timely, and enduring “impact” on policy decisions that affect us all? To explore this question, the Oxford Policy Engagement Network (OPEN), the ZERO Institute and the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment are bringing together a panel of experts working in the policy and academic spheres in an OPEN conversation. This will examine the opportunities and practical realities of engaging with the UK Parliament’s Select Committees, a critical channel for policy engagement, from contributing written and oral evidence, to building longer-term relationships that support policy impact. The discussion will reflect on the evolving sustainability landscape in 2026, and how researchers and Select Committees can collaborate drawing on examples of energy, climate, environment, and sustainability policy, but with applications to other fields.
Governments are spending a lot of money, including on debt interest, but most reforms cost money and society needs to pay for them. How and what consequences does this have for government planning?
The seminar will be followed by drinks.
How do states project power through opaque commercial ties, talent pipelines, and dual-use research collaborations that rarely register on traditional intelligence radars? This session with Strider explores the emerging discipline of strategic intelligence as a means of detecting and mapping the hidden networks that underpin contemporary geopolitical rivalry. Drawing on large-scale open-source data and advanced analytics, the discussion will examine how seemingly benign corporate structures, venture investments, and academic partnerships can be leveraged to advance state objectives in technology acquisition, supply chain penetration, and influence operations. The conversation situates these dynamics within the broader shift from kinetic confrontation to geoeconomic contestation, where intelligence increasingly serves as the connective tissue between national security, economic policy, and innovation governance. Attendees will gain insight into how governments and institutions can identify latent vulnerabilities, build resilience against covert exploitation, and operationalize intelligence for strategic decision-making in an era defined by gray-zone competition and systemic interdependence. Speaker Bio: Mr Bagge is the Senior Intelligence Advisor at Strider Technologies, where he leads the Europe Intelligence Team out of London. Before joining Strider he worked for 18 years for the Czech Government. He previously served as the chief technology strategist in the Czech Military Intelligence Service. Prior to this post, he spent eight years working for the Czech National Cyber Information Security Agency, which he co-founded, holding positions of Director of Cyber Security Policies Department and Cyber Attaché in Washington DC. He holds a master’s degree from the International Security Studies Programme at George C. Marshall Centre for Security Studies and is author of Unmasking Maskirovka: Russia’s Cyber influence Operations.
For generations, many Christians have imagined the Bible’s story as one in which we leave earth behind and “go to heaven” when we die. But, as Tom Wright has spent decades patiently explaining, from Surprised by Hope to his latest major work God’s Homecoming, that is simply not the scriptural narrative. The Bible does not give us a tale of souls escaping upward; it gives us the astonishing announcement that God intends to come and dwell with us. In this special Oxford evening, Tom Wright will guide us through the central biblical theme that has been hidden in plain sight: God’s longing to make creation his home. Drawing on careful historical scholarship, robust biblical exegesis, and the earthy, hope-filled tone familiar from his recent conversations on the Ask NT Wright Anything podcast, Tom will show how the whole sweep of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation moves towards one destination: the renewal of all things through God’s personal presence. Following the taped interview, there will be a time for audience questions, followed by a reception, book sale and signing. All are welcome!
The general aim for the day is to share work and ideas that explore some of the space around language, neurodiversity and mental health in children and young people. Alongside the talks, there will be time for discussion, including over lunch.
Over recent decades, the theory that there is an imbalance between excitation and inhibition in cortical circuits in people with psychosis has become increasingly popular. The exact nature of this imbalance is still unclear, however. One issue is that it is conceptually ill-defined. Another reason is that it is hard to measure in vivo. We have found, using rodent recordings of simultaneous LFP and cell spiking data, that most 'traditional' measures of E/I imbalance (e.g.m, gamma power, 1/f power spectrum slope, etc) are not reliable. WE have sued computational modelling of Me/EEG and (fMRI) data to show that there is hypo function of excitatory neurone in both established schizophrenia and in the prodromal period (NAPLS2 dataset), although this pathology may not be present in all subgroups of psychosis (analysing 'biotypes' from the BSNIP consortium dataset). Symptoms such as hallucinations, however, seem to relate to disinhibition (the opposite effect). I discuss why this might be, and what this might mean for treatments. This seminar is hosted in person, to join online, please use the Zoom details below: https://zoom.us/j/93311812405?pwd=9kbjSbEcO2fa7n7gFLZVqrChvr467B.1 Meeting ID: 933 1181 2405 Passcode: 169396
COURSE DETAILS The course will include: Critique of readability in relevant papers. Use of tenses in academic papers. Writing with impact. Concise writing. Grammar and proof reading. Scientific table and chart technique. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the session participants will be able to: Develop understanding of the characteristics of scientific writing; write in simple, clear and concise scientific English. Develop knowledge of how to write grammatically correct English. Improve proof reading skills; organise the sections of a scientific paper effectively. Develop a scientific argument with appropriate language that conveys the message effectively. Make effective use of charts and tables.
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. In this session you’ll learn: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
Postgraduate students, fellows, staff and faculty from any discipline are welcome. This group aims to foster frequent interdisciplinary critical dialogue across Oxford and beyond about the political impacts of emerging technologies. Please contact Callum Harvey (callum.harvey@oii.ox.ac.uk) in advance to participate or with any questions. Attendance is online only. You do not currently have to be affiliated with the University of Oxford to attend and participate in discussions.
In a radically changing intellectual property landscape, how can we re-envision the system to protect research(ers)? We discuss how the current strategies of Rights Retention may need to adapt to fit future challenges
Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3825967966058?p=oaa4boDA3tu5ZnqMja
Bio: Melinda Mills is a Professor of Demography and Population Health, Director of the Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science and Demographic Science Unit at NDPH and Nuffield College. Her work focuses on demographic change, combining multiple types of high-dimensional data and advanced statistical methods. In addition to others, she has held both an ERC Consolidator and ERC Advanced Grant, examining the intersection of social and genetic factors. She has served on No 10's Data Science Advisory Group, as an advisor on SAGE (SPI-B), and as one of three special Advisors to the European Commissioner of the Economy. She is also a Trustee of the UK Biobank and on the Scientific Advisory Boards of Our Future Health, LifeLines, Health & Retirement Survey. She received an MBE in 2018 for her research contributions and an Honorary Doctorate in 2025 from the EUI for her work in sociogenomics. She also holds a part-time position at the Department of Economic, Econometrics & Finance, University of Groningen and Department of Genetics, University Medical Centre Groningen, Netherlands. Abstract: The scale and coverage of biobanks offer unique opportunities to advance multiple research domains. This talk focuses on Our Future Health (OFH), which is a new prospective study aiming to recruit 5 million UK-resident adults. It examines the latest December 2025 data release where baseline phenotypic data are available for >1.9 million participants. It assesses representativeness across multiple domains of OFH against national estimates and other cohorts, particularly the UK Biobank (UKB). Phenotypes that are assessed include: self-reported health-related behaviours, geolocation, disease diagnoses and medication, in- and outpatient visits, cancer registry and cause of death. Comparisons are made across sociodemographic, lifestyle and health-related characteristics and case prevalence concordance and known clinical correlates are compared across OFH and UKB. Medication-use patterns and cancer prevalence are also examined across age-related gradients. The talk concludes with a reflection on the consequences of participation bias for different research questions and types of weighting. Join the meeting online: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_YTlmOWQyODgtYzJhMS00NDQyLWExYmQtOTkzNmFiZWRmMWEy%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22902ce32a-9317-4399-9f23-a83c7907d4bd%22%7d
The internationalisation of higher education has contributed to the rapid expansion of English Medium Instruction (EMI) in Japan. The talk draws on empirical research on content learning outcomes in EMI programmes. It also includes a policy analysis of the final evaluation of the Top Global University Project. The findings highlight how the choice of medium influences academic outcomes. The talk also raises broader questions about fairness, inclusivity and the future direction of internationalisation in Japan. Bio: Ikuya Aisawa is an Assistant Professor in Applied Linguistics at Nottingham university’s School of English. He lectures and supervises on the BA English Language and Literature and the MA Applied Linguistics and English Language Teaching. Before to moving to Nottingham in 2022, he completed his DPhil in Education in 2022 at the University of Oxford, having served as a tutor on the MSc ALSLA and a research assistant in the English Medium Instruction (EMI) Research Group. He also worked on the BA Japanese Studies at the School of English and Modern Languages at Oxford Brookes University. Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3aM_SoBsI8nakThXNUxEguh57-GSvT6JopDdhFnEBgr3I1%40thread.tacv2/1759499701700?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%22e0e2c03d-d313-4dab-bd7c-afbd83792648%22%7d
13:00: Jordan O'Donnell Title: “Application of Germline CRISPR editing in Reproductive Genetics” 13:10: Alexandra Wong Title: “Risk Prediction models for high risk pregnancies” 13:20: Skye Clarkson Title: “Novel Indicators of Gestational Diabetes Mellitus” 13:30: Sahana Narayan Title: “Ethics of Risk Interpretation, Perception, and Escalation in Intrapartum Care: A Dimensional Concept Analysis” 13:40: Emily Robertson Title: “Ovarian intracellular communication with age” 13:50: Shubham Narwal Title: “Development of Methodologies to Grow Rhino Follicles in Culture”
Which firms drive aggregate productivity growth? A strong form of Gibrat's Law says that firm growth rates are iid, so that their expected contribution is proportional to their sales share. In contrast, we document that firms with high price-earnings ratios tend to see increases in their subsequent earnings relative to sales, which we interpret as rents from ideas. We construct an endogenous growth model with shocks to firm innovation step-sizes and R&D efficiency and calibrate it to match patterns in the data. The model implies that growth would be much lower, even with the same innovative effort, if firms had the same step sizes. The model can be used to infer expected growth contributions of individual firms (such as members of the Magnificent Seven) and individual sectors (such as AI firms). We find that the share of growth coming from the smallest listed firms substantially exceeds their 10\% sales share, whereas the largest firms account for less than their 10% sales share.
This is a hybrid event (go to the APGRD website for the Zoom link) organised by the APGRD, co-hosted with the Department of German, University of Oxford. A reading from Josephine Balmer’s Things We Leave Behind (ed. by Paschalis Nikolaou, Shearsman 2025) and Ulrike Draesner's penelope's cr()ft: a postepic (German original: penelopes sch()ff: postepos, Penguin 2025), followed by a conversation of the two authors with Karen Leeder. Josephine Balmer is a poet, classical translator, research scholar and literary critic. Her published works include the acclaimed translation Sappho: Poems and Fragments (1984, 1986 & 1992), and Classical Women Poets (1996), both with Bloodaxe. After volumes of Catullus and Ovid, her 2013 volume Piecing Together the Fragments: Translating Classical Verse, Creating Contemporary Poetry, a full-length monograph on creative classical translation for OUP . Her The Paths of Survival, tracing the often fragile survival of the written word from antiquity to the present day, was published by Shearsman and subsequently shortlisted for the 2017 London Hellenic Prize. Her work has been awarded a Wingate Foundation Scholarship, a South East Arts’ Writers Bursary, two Authors’ Foundation Awards, an inaugural US Lambda Literary Award and an Arts’ Council Write Out Loud Award. Her most recent volume, Things We Leave Behind: Selected Poems (2025) was edited by Paschalis Nikolaou and named one of the ‘Observer Best Poetry Books’ of 2025. Ulrike Draesner is a freelance writer living in Berlin and in Leipzig, where she has been director of the German Literature Institute Leipzig since 2018. She received her doctorate in German Medieval Studies in 1992. Over the past twenty-five years, she has published poetry collections, novels, several collections of stories and essays, radio plays, translations, opera libretti, and has participated in numerous intermedia projects. She has had residencies in Germany, Switzerland, USA and Oxford. Ulrike Draesner's work has received many awards, most recently the Grand Prize of the German Literature Fund 2021 and the Literature Prize of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in the summer of 2024 along with the Gisela Elsner Literature Prize and the Christine Lavant Prize for penelopes sch()ff: postepos (English: penelope’s cr()ft: a postepic), published by Penguin in 2025. A volume of her poetry, This porous fabric: Selected Poems, translated by Iain Galbraith appeared with Shearsman in 2022. Karen Leeder is a writer, translator and Schwarz-Taylor Chair of German Language Literature at the University of Oxford. She teaches and publishes especially on modern and contemporary poetry and is currently PI on the project ‘AfterWords’ with an Einstein Visiting Fellowship at the FU, Berlin. She also translates German-language poetry: including books by Volker Braun, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, Michael Krüger, Durs Grünbein, Evelyn Schlag, Ulrike Almut Sandig, and Raoul Schrott. As a translator she has won many awards, including most recently, the Griffin Prize 2025 for her translation of Durs Grünbein, Psyche Running: Selected Poems 2005-2022 (Seagull, 2024).
Since the summer 2020 racial reckoning in the U.S., which reverberated across the world, diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts have come under political scrutiny from conservative policy actors. Prior to the 2025 Trump administration’s federal anti-DEI policy stance, anti-DEI action was created and crafted at the state level. From 2021 to 2024, hundreds of legislative and administrative actions were introduced and/or passed that limited speech, curriculum, and programming designed to create inclusive and equitable college environments for students, faculty, and staff. This presentation is based on a national qualitative study of 30 diversity officers responding to pre-Trump administration anti-DEI actions. Results will focus on organizational responses to various anti-DEI actions, and a second set of findings will highlight the personal consequences of such actions for diversity officers. While this is a specific U.S.-based study, anti-DEI actions have transcontinental foundations and reach. Implications for future research and action for higher education leaders and scholars will be discussed.
Contested Sovereignty: Chinese-led urban development, city-making, and urban futures in Nairobi, Kenya Elisa Tamburo (Harvard University & Oxford) The paper examines city-making and its stakeholders to show how sovereignty is negotiated beyond the polity of the nation-state. Since the early 2000s, the rise of Chinese private construction firms in Nairobi, Kenya, has transformed how the city is planned, built, and inhabited. Chinese-led urban development not only fragments the Kenyan urban middle class but also reveals divergent and sometimes conflicting interests among Chinese actors themselves. Drawing on eight months of ethnographic fieldwork in Nairobi, I analyse the effects of private Chinese financial engagement in Kenya and probe which contested visions of the city may emerge, tracing how these are entangled with notions of citizenship, governance, and sovereignty in Nairobi. I argue for the need to distinguish carefully among different stakeholders – builders, residents, and municipal authorities – and propose that we venture beyond a nation-centered analysis of sovereignty. Focusing on the scale of the city offers new vistas on the forces that shape visions of the future, which often diverge from those that urban dwellers imagine and aspire to. Elisa Tamburo is a social anthropologist and Skłodowska Curie Global Postdoctoral Fellow jointly in the Department of Anthropology at Harvard and the School of Geography and the Environment at Oxford. Her second main research project Negotiating the City, focuses on urban planning and dwelling amidst China-built urban infrastructure in Nairobi, Kenya. Her work appeared in international peer-reviewed journals such as the JRAI, Focaal, and the Journal of Current Chinese Affairs. Elisa is currently revising her first book manuscript, Exiled in the City, for Cornell University Press. Business as (un)usual: Migration and Urban Life in Afro-Asian Delhi Bani Gill (University of Tubingen) Contemporary Africa–India circulations have brought a growing number of African migrants to India for trade, education, asylum, medical travel. Drawing on long-term ethnographic research with West African migrants in Delhi who describe “doing business” as central to their mobility regardless of visa category, this talk explores how “doing business,” exceeds economic exchange; it is not only a livelihood strategy, but also a set of spatial practices, a social identity, and a negotiation of risk. The talk shows how “doing business” gives rise to “new” urban constellations, such as African hair salons and grocery stores, that are located largely in mixed-demographic, unplanned settlements, and argues that such sites are analytically significant for understanding contemporary processes of urbanism in Delhi. For migrants with precarious legal status, “doing business” involves navigating India’s legal regime, where discretionary state authority and bureaucratic logics foreclose and open opportunities for entrepreneurial aspiration. Migrants cultivate shared vocabularies and practices of licitness—socially permissible yet legally ambivalent forms of work—through which they negotiate regulatory grey zones. Yet the fluidity of licitness generates both possibility and anxiety, offering opportunity yet also exposing migrants to uncertainty. By tracing how opportunity and friction converge in this daily labor, the talk traces how “doing business” becomes a relational and affective site through which contemporary Afro-Asian encounters are produced, contested, and transformed. Dr Bani Gill is a Junior Professor at the Institute for Sociology, University of Tübingen and a Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology, Halle. She is a qualitative sociologist grounded in ethnographic sensibilities and a regional focus on South Asia and contemporary Africa- India encounters. Her research interests include urbanisms, migration, race and racialization, gender, and the sociology of law, bureaucracy, and the state. Her current project explores practices of deportation and policing in urban India.
https://www.cmcsoxford.org.uk/our-events
TEXTCOURT Lectures on Chinese Humanities - film screening Bored in Heaven: a film about ritual sensation (2010) Trailer: https://www.imdb.com/video/vi2397346841/?ref_=tt_vids_vi_1 Bored in Heaven (2010) follows New Years celebrations in Putian, Fujian, Southeast China. An experiential project based on 20 years of research by Kenneth Dean and Zheng Zhenman, this film illustrates the growing intensity of local traditions, as rural villages and their temples transition into a new century. Villages in this part of China are undergoing radical transformations. As land that was once public and agricultural is rebuilt and changes hands, the intricate temple system has responded. During the Cultural Revolution temples were torn down – now they are being built up into ritual alliances. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with the director Professor Kenneth Dean.
What would a HSS-led vision of openness actually look like in practice, from monographs and data to open review and licensing? How can stewardship reshape ideas of knowledge ownership in community-engaged research? And can “subscribe to open” models deliver a financially sustainable and globally equitable future for open access publishing?
This paper investigates whether severe economic hardship undermines preferences for honesty. We use controlled, incentivized measures of cheating for private benefit in a large, diverse sample of 5,676 Kenyans, exploiting three complementary sources of variation: experimentally manipulated monetary incentives, randomized increase in salience of own financial situation, and the Covid‑19 income shock, exploiting randomized survey timing as a natural experiment with respondents surveyed before and during the crisis. We find that severe economic hardship—marked by a 40% drop in monthly earnings— leads to a sharp increase in the prevalence of cheating, from 43% to 72%. Cheating behaviour is highly responsive to financial incentives and increases gradually with prolonged hardship. The effects are largest among the most economically impacted and are amplified when salience of own financial situation is experimentally increased. Predictable seasonal income fluctuations, in contrast, do not affect honesty. The results demonstrate that while most individuals exhibit a strong preference against cheating under normal conditions, severe economic hardship substantially erodes honesty.
This series is a unique opportunity to connect with staff, students, and alumni from across the University with interests in tech, innovation, and entrepreneurship. There will be entrepreneurship and innovation-themed talks by Prof Paul Shearing and Hannah Scott a followed by an informal networking social. Hannah Scott is the CEO of business network Oxfordshire Greentech, which aims to create a world-leading climate tech innovation ecosystem in the county, with impact beyond. Paul Shearing is Professor of Sustainable Energy Engineering at the Department of Engineering Science and Director of the ZERO Institute at Oxford University.
Livia Holden (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne/CNRS) & Dina Hadad (Université Paris Nanterre) Cultural Expertise: Theories, Laws, and Practices , a major new contribution to the interdisciplinary study of law, culture, and expertise, will be launched at the Maison Française d’Oxford, with the support of COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) and the European Union. Authored and edited by Livia Holden, with a chapter by Dina Hadad on cultural expertise in common law and civil law systems, and a chapter by Noora Arajärvi on cultural expertise across legal procedures, the volume offers an unprecedented examination of how cultural expertise is produced, mobilised, and theorised across legal systems and institutional settings. The launch will be jointly presented by Livia Holden (CNRS- University of Panthéon Sorbonne Paris1) and Dina Hadad (University of Paris Nanterre). Together, the speakers will address key theoretical debates, legal frameworks, and practical challenges surrounding the use of cultural expertise in courts and public decision-making. The event will be of particular interest to scholars, legal practitioners, judges, and policymakers working at the intersection of law, anthropology, and cultural diversity.
Hybrid. Email oxchildpsych@psych.ox.ac.uk to request the link to attend online.
In the recent Sky News and Tortoise Wargame podcast, Rob Johnson and Deborah Haynes asked our communities 'our enemies know our weaknesses, do you?'. This talk will aim to broaden that question set by using the evidence on societal resilience to ask our leaders, policy makers and decision makers 'our communities know their strengths, do you?'. Focusing on evidence to explore how social psychology can inform societal resilience, this talk will outline how communities, responders, decision makers and civil protection structures do not currently take a strengths-based approach, rather than a deficit approach, to societal resilience. It will argue that a whole of society approach is needed to adequately identify, prepare, mitigate, manage, recover and adapt to risks and threats, especially societal wide risks such as homeland defence. Group behaviours, collective action, communication of risk, public narratives, and psychological and social health of communities and responding organisations will all be discussed, as well as the current systems to support societal resilience. Rowena Hill is a Professor of Resilience, Emergencies and Disaster Science at Nottingham Trent University. Her research and policy work focusses on risk, resilience and wellbeing, applying evidence to inform these constructs at the individual, group, organisation and societal level. Her research tends to focus on societal wide risks and how the public preparedness is influenced by the local, sub-national and national resilience structures and narratives. She works with the emergency services, government departments, local authority level organisations, combined authorities, and the community and voluntary sector to understand how resilience can be coordinated, integrated and implemented through evidence informed practices.
Book launch & discussion with Miriam Driessen. Political and legal immunity are justified by the principle that certain social aims outweigh the value of imposing liability. To be exempt from the rules, however, is a privilege granted to or demanded by the powerful. The structural disparities that underpin immunity can turn it into an unjust prerogative, one that is inscribed by global inequalities. Set against the backdrop of an extraordinary wave of litigation against Chinese corporations in Ethiopia, Immunity on Trial probes the question of immunity in everyday encounters steeped in highly asymmetrical power relations. Drawing on observations from the courthouse, interviews with litigants, judges, and court support staff, and analyses of case files, Miriam Driessen demonstrates how immunity is debated and delegitimized—or affirmed—by those who fight, exact, grant, or weigh it. From the construction site to the police station, from the registrar’s office into the courtroom, she documents tussles over immunity, unraveling the politics of dignity on which they are founded. https://www.ucpress.edu/books/immunity-on-trial/epub-pdf Dr Miriam Driessen is Departmental Lecturer in Social Anthropology at the University of Oxford. Miriam’s research explores Chinese-led development from below, looking at issues such as migration, labour, gender and sexuality, language, and, more recently, law. She is the author of Tales of Hope, Tastes of Bitterness: Chinese Road Builders in Ethiopia.
Two recent undergraduates will discuss the experience and findings of their thesis.
'Contemporary Islamist Opposition in Morocco: Resisting Inclusion and Moderation' offers an in-depth and yet-unexplored analysis of the evolution and actions of Moroccan Islamist association Justice and Spirituality (al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane). By examining its mobilisation structure, the book enhances the understanding of Islamism as an oppositional force in non-democratic regimes, with a particular focus on Morocco. Contrary to the common premises of inclusion–moderation theory, al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane has undergone a politicisation process but rejects political inclusion; it promotes street mobilisation but refuses to resort to violence. Despite its illegal status and disregard for the regime’s red lines, al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane remains highly relevant as an anti-establishment actor. Addressing these apparent contradictions broadens our understanding of inclusion–moderation approaches by introducing novel explanatory factors into the relationship between authoritarian regimes and Islamist opposition actors, including responses to shifts in opportunity structures and the effects of internal dynamics and learning mechanisms. It also deepens our knowledge of al-Adl wa-l-Ihsane, Morocco’s largest opposition actor, which nevertheless remains largely understudied. https://edinburghuniversitypress.com/book-contemporary-islamist-opposition-in-morocco.html
The seminars will take place on Tuesdays during term time, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi College in Merton Street. Please ask the porters for directions. No registration is required. For more details: https://tolkien50.web.ox.ac.uk/event/tolkien-seminars-ht-2026
This talk focuses on music-making – usually perceived as a ‘lively’ activity – as an act bridging between the realms of the living and the dead in early Chinese thought. We will focus on the musicality of ku 哭 (wailing) as a public, ritualistic act that is often contrasted with ge 歌 (singing); and see how musical sounds were not only made by the living for the dead and in their honour, but also thought to have emerged from within the realm of the dead, played by the dead themselves and heard by the living as ominous signs of impending loss. We tend to think of music-making at the time of death in early China as taboo. Yet Warring States and Han period texts are in fact replete with allusions linking music with different aspects of death and the netherworld. From destructive tunes sung by ghosts of drowned Music Masters to critiques on performances of laments; from the prediction of a ruler’s impending death that relied on the sounds of the bells cast in his court, to untuned zithers buried alongside the deceased – we will discuss the ways in which musical actions, and in particular wails and laments, served to highlight the cultural, conceptual and emotional links drawn between death and life.
This seminar presents findings from a four-phase clean energy programme delivered in Kenya between 2022 and 2025. Beginning with solar providers, Phase 1 strengthened how sales agents communicated the real-life benefits of solar technologies through an SDG lens. Phase 2 piloted training with women’s chamas, showing strong knowledge gains and increased confidence to adopt clean energy. Phase 3 expanded this model to more than 200 women across 13 counties, cultivating leadership and uptake. Phase 4 supported 17 community-led clean energy projects, improving health, savings, safety, and education access. The model has now been recognised by the UNFCCC as a global grassroots reference project.
In this talk, Dr Marielle Snel will present a study focused on the careers of mainly women who have worked in the water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) sector for more than fifteen years. Including insights from experienced professionals in both humanitarian and development settings, the study examines how women think about their careers, identities, motivations, and leadership paths in a field often influenced by deep-rooted structural and gender issues. The findings present a complex view. Women in WASH show strong commitment, resilience, and a sense of belonging to the sector. However, they also face ongoing challenges related to gender norms, organizational structures, and work-life balance. This practical research goes beyond basic surveys and token gender discussions. It focuses on real experiences to better understand the root causes of inequality as identified by the participants. The talk will conclude with a discussion of ways to foster change and highlight recommendations from practitioners that aim to create more equitable, supportive, and empowering work environments in the WASH sector.
This lecture draws together the findings of the first five lectures to paint a different picture from the rationalist, transcendentalist, idealist, and universalist depiction of “Plato’s Theory of Forms” that dominates the history of political thought. Analyzing the co-implications of _eidos_, usually translated as “Form,” with _eidos_ as a “look” or “shape” grasped by the senses, the lecture develops an account of _democratic form_ that inhabits the spaces of opinion, appearance, and practice explored in the preceding lectures.
Scholars and policymakers primarily characterize refugee resettlement as a humanitarian solution or a migration pathway. While these descriptions may be accurate, they are not comprehensive. This Special Issue and book examine how such framing influences understandings of resettlement’s scope and impact, generating conceptual blind spots that limit critical inquiry. By reframing resettlement as an institution embedded in a complex network of actors, relations, and practices, the contributions to this Special Issue and book reveal how resettlement is not a passive process by exploring the historical and contemporary questions about how resettlement influences refugee hosting countries in the Global South and its political dimensions as a “humanitarian” program offered by countries in the Global North. This launch event will bring together the co-editors and contributing authors to discuss the implications of this approach for scholarship, policy, and humanitarian practice. Special Issue co-editors and event organizers: Rawan Arar is Assistant Professor in the Department of Law, Societies, and Justice at the University of Washington. She completed her PhD at the University of California San Diego and a Postdoctoral Fellowship at Brown University. Her book, co-authored with David Scott FitzGerald, is The Refugee System: A Sociological Approach. Molly Fee is Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology and Interdisciplinary Social Sciences at the University of South Florida. Her research examines how refugees interact with the institutions that grant rights and resources. She is the author of Believing in Light after Darkness: Displacement and Refugee Resettlement. Heba Gowayed is Associate Professor of Sociology at CUNY Hunter College and Graduate Center and author of the award-winning book Refuge: How States Shape Human Potential. Her research and writing centers the lives of people who migrate across borders and the unequal and often violent institutions they face. Speakers: Dr. Rebbeca Tesfai, Temple University Dr. Sophia Balakian, George Mason University Dr. Neda Maghbouleh, University of British Columbia Dr. Laila Omar, Arab Center for Research and Policy Studies Rachel McNally, Carleton University Sarah Nandi, McGill University Dr. Jake Watson, University of California, San Diego Dr. Jean-Benoît Falisse, University of Edinburgh Dr. Patti Lenard, University of Ottawa Dr. Cemile Gizem Dincer, Boston University Discussant: Dr. Hiba Salem, University of Oxford
The talk explores what mistakes were made with regard to the semi-periphery by focusing on two pivotal countries that were mostly left out of the liberal international order (LIO) in the 1990s even though they sought to belong: Russia and Turkey. The LIO never settled on a consistent policy regarding their incorporation. Halfway recognition—or alternating between inclusion and exclusion—is even worse than aloofness or full alienation because it first creates expectations and then creates resentment when those expectations are not met. This lesson has present day implications for Ukraine as well.
The Principal of Somerville College is delighted to invite members of Somerville College and the wider University to a live recording of Arthur Snell’s geopolitics podcast Behind the Lines. This special episode of the podcast will feature members of the Somerville College sanctuary community whose lives and work have been shaped by conflict and its aftermath. The conversation will spotlight themes of resistance, relief, and human rights as we hear from Ukrainian political journalist Nikita Vorobiov, Sudanese physician and global health pioneer Dr Hadeel Abdelseid and Afghanistan’s first professional rapper, the pioneering women’s rights activist Sonita Alizadeh. Chaired by former British diplomat Arthur Snell, the event offers a chance to learn about the journeys of displaced students and consider how academic communities, by empowering those students, can generate lasting benefit for their students, their communities and the world. ↩️ Sign-up to secure your place: Behind the Lines Live: The Sanctuary Scholars 📍 Flora Anderson Hall, Somerville College 📆 5:30pm, Tuesday March 3rd 2026
Online - Please contact Andrew Moeller to express interest regarding the readings and video call link: andrew.moeller@history.ox.ac.uk. The particular topic under focus this week will be mass automation and universal basic income. Boundaries of Humanity Discussion Group Series With the rapid development of AI and biotechnologies (including those relating to germline gene editing, brain-computer Interfaces, life extension, etc.) come vast powers to reshape ourselves and the natural world. As technological advances grant us new powers, so do they blur some boundaries between humans, animals, and machines, prodding us to ask the question: what does it mean to be human? Drawing upon readings in the humanities (including philosophy, theology, literature, etc.) and the sciences, this group will attempt to bridge the existential and empirical study of human identity - and within that context, ask if and how such reflections might help chart a path forward in relation to the right uses of new and potent technologies. We will focus in particular on questions of human purpose, place, and flourishing within the natural order. The reading group is open to students at all levels of study (including medical students), as well as faculty. We will meet for about 1 hour, twice per term. Under the umbrella of the medical humanities, this will be a casual reading and discussion group. The readings for each session will be introduced by a different participant - and the readings for each session will take a total of roughly 1 hour to complete.
In fiction, it’s often assumed that everything the writer produced is fully imagined—or, in the case of autofiction, that nothing is made up, each character representative of an established, real-life parallel. The truth is normally far less interesting. Fiction writers peel from life to create their fictional worlds, sometimes borrowing heavily, sometimes very little at all. This masterclass with acclaimed author Isle McElroy will explore strategies for bringing real life into fiction. Participants will consider questions including: Why might a writer borrow from real life to write fiction? How might real-life details undermine the narrative? When is it necessary to fictionalise? Speaker Details: Isle McElroy Credit: Jih-E Peng Isle McElroy is the author of The Atmospherians, a New York Times Editors’ Choice, and People Collide, named a best book of 2023 by Vulture, NPR, Vogue, and the New York Times Critics. Other writing appears in The Cut, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, and elsewhere. They are currently a Shearing Fellow at the Black Mountain Institute at UNLV. Their third novel, The Channel, will be published in 2027 by Viking in the U.S. and Bloomsbury in the U.K. About OCLW’s Global Majority & Underrepresented Writers’ Programme: This event is part of OCLW’s flagship Global Majority and Underrepresented Writers’ Programme (GMUWP). The GMUWP supports talented yet historically excluded writers in developing their work, building confidence, and navigating the publishing industry by providing free lectures, workshops, and mentorship. The Programme aims to create a more inclusive writing community, ensuring that life-writing reflects the diverse range of voices that surround us. Find out more about the Programme here. Further Details and Contacts: This event is free and open to: Those identifying as members of the global majority or groups underrepresented in life-writing (see definitions) Friends of OCLW (join here) Members of OCLW’s Life-Writing Research Network (join here) Scholars of OCLW’s Global Majority and Underrepresented Writers’ Programme OCLW Visiting Scholars CWAR Fellows Delivering masterclasses costs the Centre around £20 per attendee. If you are able, please consider making a voluntary donation of £5, £10, or £20 to help us cover these costs and keep our events accessible to all. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. Places for this masterclass are limited. Registration is required. Registration will close at 17:00 on 24/02/2026. All registrants will be informed of the outcome of their registration after the closing date. The event will be recorded and made available on the OCLW website soon after. Registration is not required to access the recording. Queries regarding this event should be addressed to OCLW Events Manager, Dr Eleri Anona Watson.
A special event hosted in collaboration with Fitzcarraldo Editions celebrating the upcoming release of An Army of Lovers Cannot Fail, a “slantwise account of queer life in the twentieth century and a testament to the liberatory power of friendship.” Author Hélène Giannecchini will discuss the book and its historical exploration of queer kinship in conversation with LGBTQ+ History Network committee members Katie Burke and Eszter D Kovács, followed by an audience Q&A and drinks reception.
This event is free and open to everyone, but online booking is required.. Special event in collaboration with the Québec Government Office in London, and the Alliance Française in Oxford. From 7.00pm we invite you to a small wine reception before the screening to celebrate the Mois de la Francophonie 2026. The screening will then begin at 8.00pm. Directed by Jill Lefaive, 2024, 51 min - In French with English Subtitles Boyer, Québécois de naissance et Franco-Ontarien d’adoption, se trouve confronté à la question cruciale dr savoir s'il est le dernier représentant de cette identité en constante évolution. En parcourant le pays, du Yukon à l’Acadie en passant par les Prairies et Québec, Boyer et ses compagnons de voyage explorent les réalités linguistiques qui unissent les francophones canadiens. Ils se demandent si la langue commune est suffisante pour assurer le futur de leurs communautés diverses.
Please mark 4-5 March 2026 in your diary for the next IDEU Symposium. We will showcase the work of the IDEU researchers, especially our early and mid-career researchers, and will also have speakers from across Oxford who will discuss their recent work. It will be two days of excellent science and plenty of opportunities for networking, so please do join us! More details and register here: https://www.ndph.ox.ac.uk/events/ideu-symposium-2026
The Centre for Digital Scholarship (Bodleian Libraries) is hosting a two-day open cultural data hackathon on Wednesday 4 March and Thursday 5 March. Join us for the opportunity to build and develop your own digital projects and unlock hidden stories in the collections. This could be through digital forms such as mapping, games, interactive exhibitions or data visualisations. This free event is open to all University of Oxford staff, students and researchers. Please follow the link below to register.
The in-person conference day for the Oxford forum on Open Scholarship. Current agenda as follows: Conference day (Weston Library lecture theatre, OX1 3BG) 09:00-10:00: Registration and coffee 10:00-11:30: Envisioning the future of 'open' in a generative AI world 11:30-12:00: Pointless gameshow - Open research 12:00-13:00: Lunch 13:00-15:00: Reimagining ‘open’: Sharing research outside of traditional formats 14:00-14:30: Would I Lie to You: Reproducibility edition 14:30-15:00: Reimagining ‘open’ (continued) 15:00-15:30: Coffee break 15:30-17:00: Helping researchers navigate ‘open’: Communities and reforms 17:00-18:00: KEYNOTE lecture: Dorothy Bishop on the future challenges of open research 18:00-19:00: Drinks reception and poster session
In this online workshop you will be shown the functionality of Zotero, which is a free-to-use software programme used to manage references and create bibliographies. Zotero will be demonstrated on a Windows PC but users of MacOS or Linux computers will be able to follow the demonstration. The workshop will cover: understanding the main features and benefits of Zotero; setting up a Zotero account; importing references from different sources into Zotero; organising your references in Zotero; inserting citations into documents; and creating a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: Medicine and NHS; Taught student; Researcher and research student
Professional services and support staff across the University and Colleges are invited to join one of two interactive webinars on using Microsoft 365 Copilot to support everyday work at Oxford. Explore how it could help you draft content, summarise information, research and analyse data, and reduce the admin load, as part of our secure Nexus 365 environment. Get the chance to try it out for yourself, free of charge for a short time afterwards. This session is a condensed version of the 2 March session, with added time for questions.
The population of Damascus and its surrounding functional urban area is estimated at approximately four million inhabitants. As a major urban centre, Damascus functions as the national economic, political, and administrative hub. The surrounding cities and Rural Damascus Governorate are highly dependent on the city of Damascus for employment and services, reinforcing its urban centrality and regional importance. Damascus faces significant deficiencies in its public transport system, notably the absence of an integrated and sustainable network capable of meeting contemporary urban mobility demands. These shortcomings have led to negative urban, social, and environmental impacts, including poor integration between transport modes, lack of efficient intermodal facilities, dominance of private vehicles over pedestrians, inadequate provision for people with disabilities, and increased air and noise pollution resulting from insufficient environmental standards in urban planning. Several studies have addressed the reorganization of Damascus’s urban transport system. This seminar session draws on key proposals from these studies aimed at modernizing and improving transport systems and mobility patterns in both the short and long term. In this context, traffic congestion and public transport deficiencies remain among the most critical urban challenges facing Damascus in the twenty-first century, underscoring the need for a comprehensive planning vision and an integrated strategy to promote sustainable mobility, enhance transport efficiency, reduce environmental impacts, and improve urban quality of life.
Olink’s mission is to accelerate proteomics together with the scientific community, to understand real-time biology and gain actionable insights into human health and disease. Their innovative solutions deliver highly sensitive and accurate protein quantification, giving scientists the power to investigate complex biological processes with precision.
In both the United States and France, each side of the legal battle over same-sex marriage and parenthood relied heavily on experts. Despite the similarity of issues, however, lawmakers in each country turned to different sets of authorities: from economists and psychoanalysts to priests and ordinary people. They even prized different types of expertise—empirical research in the United States versus abstract theory in France. Exploring the legalization of same-sex marriage in the United States and France, this book sheds new light on the power of experts to influence high-stakes democratic debates. Drawing on extensive interviews and ethnographic observation, Michael Stambolis-Ruhstorfer traces the divergences between the two countries, showing why some experts are ubiquitous in one but absent in the other. He argues that lawmakers, judges, lawyers, journalists, and activists covet something only experts can provide: the credibility and aura of authority, or “expert capital,” which they deploy to advance their agendas. Expert capital is not derived from scientific or technical merit alone but is produced through cultural norms, material resources, and social relationships, which vary greatly across national contexts. Through the story of the fight over gay rights, By the Power Vested in Me reveals how and why certain experts—but not others—obtain the authority to shape public opinion and policy. At a time of soaring public distrust in experts, this book offers new ways to understand the contested political role of expertise and its consequences. About the Author Michael Stambolis-Ruhstorfer is a sociologist and associate professor of American studies at the University of Toulouse–Jean Jaurès and junior member of the Institut Universitaire de France.
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Cornall Group Speaker 1: Mukta Deobagkar Title: TBC Handunnetthi Group Speaker: TBC Title: TBC
With RLF scholars Julie Summers and Katy Regan. Both Julie Summers and Katy Regan are storytellers - it’s just Julie writes true ones for a living and Katy makes them up! Come and join these two published authors for this non-fiction vs fiction literary showdown! They’ll be in conversation, discussing everything from their writing routine to the publishing process and even how their book covers are chosen. There will be a Q&A afterwards.
Join us for a thrilling live experiment pitting human creativity against machine automation. In this talk, a veteran 3D artist with over 20 years of experience will go head-to-head with AI to see who can create the most compelling character concept in real time. We’ll explore how an artist approaches 3D character modelling—considering anatomy, reference, style, shape, form, pose, and topology—while the AI simultaneously generates its own 2D concept and transforms it into a 3D design using web-based tools. The session will focus primarily on ZBrush, with insights also applicable to Blender and Mayausers. It’s part technical deep-dive, part creative showdown—will decades of human artistry triumph, or will AI steal the spotlight? About the Speaker: Adam Dewhirst is a seasoned British 3D artist and modelling specialist with over 20 years of experience in high-end VFX for film, television, commercials, and games. He has held senior leadership roles across major studios, including serving as Head of Assets at The Mill and Head of Creatures and Characters at UNIT Studios. Throughout his career, Adam has contributed to blockbuster productions such as The Golden Compass, The Dark Knight, World War Z, and Guardians of the Galaxy, where his team helped bring Rocket Raccoon to life. With a background spanning studios like Framestore, MPC, DNEG, and Cinesite, he combines deep technical expertise with creative artistry and now also shares his knowledge through education and mentorship in 3D modelling and creature creation. Adam is currently working as a freelance Asset Supervisor, working on such shows as The Witcher, Andor and Alien Earth to name a few.
The CIP webinar brings participants together to share real-world examples of ethical and effective use of children’s information across local authorities. Join discussions on the project’s new framework, exchange practical insights, and learn how policy can support better information use. The webinar will provide an opportunity to: - Discuss the project’s Framework for ethical and effective use of children’s information - Hear from some key organisations about their views on achieving ethical and effective information use - Share examples of ethical and effective information use - Consider how policy might support ethical and effective information use
'Liberalism is in crisis. Or so it seems. In the aftermath of Brexit and Trump’s election, a plethora of books and articles reporting the end of liberalism emerged from both ends of the political spectrum. While the majority of voices from the American left and mainstream right mourned this perceived decline, a new faction within the right saw it as an opening for envisioning a fresh political paradigm beyond the constraints of liberalism. Many of these right-wing thinkers and activists, with whom U.S. Vice-President J. D. Vance publicly identifies, call themselves postliberals. Yet the early uses of the term “postliberal” were strikingly different, denoting communitarian attempts to transcend liberal individualism rather than the illiberal rejection of liberal-democratic norms.' -- Jacob Williams & João Pinheiro da Silva, 'Postliberalism: A Genealogy'. Timetable: 2 - 2.45pm, João Pinheiro da Silva (University of St. Andrews) and Jacob Williams (Oxford) will introduce their essay, 'Postliberalism: A Genealogy' (Telos, no. 212, 2025), why they wrote it, and what its thesis is. 2.45 - 3.30pm First response will be given by Professor John Milbank (Emeritus, Nottingham). 3.30 - 4pm Break for tea and coffee. 4 - 4.30pm Second response will be given by Professor Paul Kelly (London School of Economics), author of Against Postliberalism: Why 'Family, Faith and Flag' is a Dead End for the Left (Polity, 2025). 4.30 - 5.20pm panel discussion with all of the speakers, moderated by a chair, and Q&A with the audience.
The presentation will focus on the expected macroeconomic productivity gains from Artificial Intelligence (AI) over a 10-year horizon in OECD and G20 economies. It relies on a micro-to-macro framework by combining existing estimates of micro-level performance gains with evidence on the exposure of activities to AI and likely future adoption rates, feeding into a general equilibrium multi-sector model to aggregate the impacts. In the baseline scenario, where AI diffuses at a similar pace that was observed for previous digital technologies such as computers and the internet, the paper finds that AI-driven productivity gains are expected to raise labour productivity and per capita real income growth by about 0.6 percentage points on average. However, the gains vary widely across the OECD, in a range of 0.1–0.95 percentage points, with stronger specialisation in highly AI-exposed knowledge intensive services such as finance and ICT services and more widespread adoption key to higher gains. It is based on a series of papers with colleagues Francesco Filippucci, Katharina Laengle, Matthias Schief (OECD) and Muhammed Yildirim (Harvard Growth Lab). About the speaker: Peter Gal is Deputy Head of Division and Senior Economist in the Structural Policy Research Division of the Economics Department at the OECD. Over the past few years, he has led a team of economists examining the macroeconomic productivity implications of artificial intelligence. During his 15 years at the OECD, he has worked on both micro- and macroeconomic aspects of productivity, labour markets, and the role of structural policies, published in policy reports and academic journals. He previously worked at the IMF and the Central Bank of Hungary. He holds a PhD in Economics from the Tinbergen Institute (Amsterdam) and a Master’s degree in Economics from Corvinus University of Budapest.
The CHiMES Collaborative* advances interdisciplinary research, policy, and practice to promote and protect mental health through investigations of cultural psychiatry, health inequalities and eco-social frameworks, advancing inclusive research methods. Join us for an engaging showcase of research, successes, and what’s next! Project Spotlight: Co-Pact, Co-Pics and ATTUNE - Open to the public and the CHiMES community - Insights into how research helps shape better health and wellbeing - An opportunity for you to ask questions and share your thoughts *A Creative Collaborative for Advanced Interdisciplinary Research, Policy & Practice. Underpinned by Methodologies and Critiques from Cultural Psychiatry and Health Inequalities Research. Testing and Evolving Eco-Social, Bio-Psycho-Social, and Syndemic Frameworks
About the series: This series will feature master classes, seminars, workshops and talks with Laura Rival, research collaborators and colleagues, throughout academic year 2025-2026. Beginning in Michaelmas term 2025, the theme for the term, in answer to the series question, was 'In Latin America, by Greening the State at the Top and from Below'. In Hilary term, the theme is 'By Knowing Nature Differently'. In Trinity term, the theme will be 'By Imagining a New Civilization and Building the Next Political Economic Order'.
The aim is to look at the development of regional identities within state structures since the late nineteenth century and how they linked to regional government bodies or other regional organisations designed to promote the interests of the region, for example economic development, tourism, agriculture and preserving regional cultures. *Dr Terry Cudbird* will talk about his new book _The Origins of Economic Regions in France_. He gained his DPhil in 2021 and is an Associate Member of the History Faculty. *Peter George* will talk about his forthcoming DPhil thesis - Discourses of identity and dialect writing in the press, c.1890-1940 in France, Britain and Jersey. Discussants: *Dr Talitha Ilacqua*, Durham University, who published the following book in 2024: _Inventing the Modern Region: Basque Identity and the French Nation-State_, Manchester University Press. *Dr Timo Aava*, Estonia-Oxford Postdoctoral Visiting Fellow at St. Anthony’s College. Followed by drinks from 18:00.
Dr Kathryn Bowles' primary interest is in understanding the genetic and mechanistic biology underlying tauopathy. She completed her PhD at Cardiff University in Prof Lesley Jones' lab, before moving to the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, where she joined Prof Alison Goate's lab as a postdoctoral fellow. She then joined the University of Edinburgh UK DRI to start her own lab in 2022, where her work is supported by the BrightFocus Foundation and the Rainwater Charitable Foundation. Dr Bowles' lab integrates functional genomics, biochemistry and iPSC organoid models to investigate the regulation of MAPT expression, function and splicing, and how these processes contribute to Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease and other tauopathies.
Join us for an Ian Ramsey Centre for Science and Religion Lecture featuring Dr Nuno Castel-Branco from All Souls College, University of Oxford. This fascinating lecture explores the life and work of Nicolaus Steno, a pioneering 17th-century scientist who made groundbreaking contributions to anatomy and geology before his dramatic conversion to Catholicism. Dr Castel-Branco examines how Steno navigated the tensions between scientific inquiry and religious faith during one of history's most transformative periods. Discover how one of the Scientific Revolution's most brilliant minds sought to reconcile empirical observation with spiritual certainty, and what his journey reveals about the relationship between science and religion in early modern Europe. Event Details: 1) Date: Wednesday, 4 March 2) Time: 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM 3) Location: Room 10.30, Schwarzman Centre, University of Oxford 4) Wine reception for attendees in the Faculty of Theology and Religion (third floor, Schwarzman Centre) This lecture is part of the Ian Ramsey Centre's ongoing series exploring the intersection of theology and religion with scientific thought. About the Speaker: Dr Nuno Castel-Branco is a historian of early modern culture and science, specializing in the interdisciplinary exchanges between physics, medicine, and theology in seventeenth-century Europe. He is completing a book on Nicolaus Steno that explores how the scientist integrated mathematics and chemistry into anatomy while navigating complex networks of scholars, princes, and artisans. His research examines the relationship between scientific innovation and religious thought, with ongoing work on early modern Italy, Iberian expansion, and collaborations between mathematicians, anatomists, and patrons. For any queries, please contact: irc.admin@theology.ox.ac.uk All are welcome to attend.
The tourism literature documents substantial evidence on the impact of news-based uncertainty and oil market shocks on the sector. Within the uncertainty and tourism literature, the role of ESG news is a recent emerging area. We consolidate these various strands of research into a unified framework, by employing local projections to estimate their impact on travel and leisure (T&L) stock returns. We consider global and regional (North America; Europe; and Asia) level T&L markets, and our analysis spans 2002m11-2025m6. Our results suggest that rising stock market fear reduces T&L returns over the 5-year forecast horizon, while geo-political risk does so but towards the latter part of the forecast. Interestingly, we find that an increase in sustainability uncertainty generates positive T&L returns, which we attribute to the brown characteristics of the T&L sectors. We also find that oil market shocks provide response functions consistent with economic theory. On one hand, an unanticipated increase in oil supply and global economic activity increases T&L returns, which implies benefits from lower production costs and an increase in demand for T&L services, respectively. On the other hand, an unexpected increase in oil consumption demand lowers T&L returns in the short term, due to more competition for oil which indicates increased cost for these energy-intensive sectors. Our findings are robust to alternative regression specifications based on varying lag lengths. These results have financial management implications for the T&L service sectors.
Existing accounts of life under the Colonels’ dictatorship (1967-1974) contend that cultural activity in Greece was all but eradicated due to repression and censorship. However, our research uncovers exactly the opposite, nothing less than a cultural Big Bang. I outline the evidence and address two questions: First, what made this development possible--and, more generally, which conditions facilitate the development of cultural life under authoritarianism? And second, why was this cultural boom erased from collective memory?
AI and human agency Narratives in AI safety mostly focus on the growing capability of AI models. For example, there are concerns that highly intelligent AI models could be used for criminal or disruptive purposes, may transform labour markets, or even seek to attain their own misaligned goals. In my lecture, I will argue that the most pressing question in AI safety is not artificial intelligence but artificial influence - the many ways that AI can be used to influence people. The widespread embedding of AI in digital platforms, applications and websites opens the door for a highly automated ‘influence economy’ in which conversational AI systems compete to directly influence our commercial and political choices. I will discuss with reference to empirical work showing that current AI systems can be highly persuasive, socially perceptive, and effective in parasocial relationship-building. I argue that we urgently need to consider how to build AI that enhances rather than degrades human agency.
TEXTCOURT Lecture on Chinese Humanities This talk will trace the spread of Chinese ritual opera from Southeast China to Southeast Asia, focusing on a case study of the performance of Mulian Saves His Mother in 2024 at the Kew Lee Tong in Singapore. Ritual opera is performed during village temple offering sacrifices (jiao) and by Taoist ritual masters during requiem services. Specialized ritual operas (or marionette plays) tell the story of the God of Theatre Tiangong Yuanshuai during rituals to repay vows (Yuanxi) while others tell the stories of the goddess Chen Jinggu, protector of children from smallpox and measles. The Mulian plays were performed in some form already in the Song dynasty. Versions spread across China, entering many regional opera repertoires. Great performances of Mulian Saves his Mother were enacted in the Qing court on three-tiered stages. The Xinghua (Putian and Xianyou) version was transmitted to Singapore by migrants from those regions. Since 1954, the ritual opera has been performed once every ten years at the Kew Lee Tong. The talk will introduce Prof. Yung Sai-Shing’s digital archive of the 1994 performance, and discuss the significance of the continuation of these ritual opera performances in the context of contemporary local (and translocal) Chinese religion. Prof Kenneth Dean is Kwan Im Thong Hood Cho Temple Professor in the Humanities Division at Yale–NUS College, and Professor at Department of Chinese Studies, NUS. He has been Cluster Leader of the Religion and Globalisation Cluster at ARI since January 2015, on an 8-year joint appointment as Professor with the Religion and Globalisation Cluster, Inter-Asia Engagements Cluster, and the NUS Department of Chinese Studies. He received his PhD and MA in Chinese from Stanford University. His recent publications include Epigraphical Materials on the History of Religion in Fujian: Zhanghou Region (Fuzhou 2019), Secularism in South, East, and Southeast Asia (NY: Palgrave, 2018), co-edited with Peter van der Veer, and Chinese Epigraphy of Singapore: 1819–1911 (2 vols.) (Singapore: NUS Press, 2017), co-edited with Dr Hue Guan Thye. He also directed Bored in Heaven: A Film about Ritual Sensation (2010), on celebrations around Chinese New Year in Putian, Fujian, China. His other publications include Ritual Alliances of the Putian Plain, 2 vols. (Leiden: Brill, 2010) (with Zheng Zhenman). His current project involves the construction of two interactive, multi-media databases, Singapore Historical GIS (SHGIS) and Singapore Biographical Database (SBDB). These projects may be viewed online at http://shgis.nus.edu.sg and http://sbdb.nus.edu.sg The screening and seminar are part of the TEXTCOURT lectures on Chinese Humanities series. The TEXTCOURT project has received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 819953). Learn more about TEXTCOURT on our website https://textcourt.ames.ox.ac.uk/.
Dr David Cooper will highlight why urgent action to halt and reverse biodiversity loss is important, describe progress in achieving the goals and targets of the Kunming-Montreal Global Diversity Framework, and discuss what further steps are needed. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework was agreed by all governments at COP-15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in December 2022. It sets out an ambitious agenda to halt and reverse the loss of biodiversity and put nature on a path to recovery by 2030. Later this year, at COP-17, the international community will take stock of progress towards the 2030 targets and 2050 goals of the KMGBF. In this talk, Dr David Cooper will highlight why it is important to take urgent action - why biodiversity is important for people's security and wellbeing. Drawing upon recent reports he will present what we know about progress towards the goals and targets, in the UK and globally, and describe future prospects. He will argue that current efforts must be complemented by actions across all sectors of the economy and society to promote and enable the transformable changes needed to ensure that people and nature can thrive together.
With extensive and volatile disagreement on the existence and extent of the obligations of states in the Global North towards refugees, this talk will seek to develop an understanding of the grounds of specific obligations that states owe to refugees. These obligations will then constitute the components of an ethical response. The talk aims to highlight the limitations of the dominant philosophical approach to understanding obligations to refugees – the duty of rescue approach – to reach a new understanding. It will first analyse certain state practices used in response to refugees including border violence, detention, encampment and containment, which the duty of rescue approach fails to sufficiently engage with, in order to ground states’ negative duties towards refugees. It will then analyse specific harms and injustices refugees face as a result of their displacement, which the duty of rescue approach fails to sufficiently engage with, in order to ground states’ positive duties towards refugees. Taken together these negative and positive duties constitute the foundational elements of an ethical response. The talk will then briefly explore what this ethical response might look like and how it may be possible in practice. About the speaker Bradley Hillier-Smith researches, teaches, and writes political, moral, and legal philosophy at the University of St Andrews. His research specialises in applied political ethics, global justice, and human rights, with a specific focus on migration ethics and obligations to refugees. He is the author of The Ethics of State Responses to Refugees (Routledge 2024), and numerous journal articles on topics including understanding injustice against refugees, the grounds and implications of human rights, and the limitations of a right to control borders. Bradley is also a charity worker, former long-term Calais camp volunteer, and political campaigner advocating for the rights and settlement of refugees in the UK.
Join online via Microsoft Teams by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/bdff6tpt
We all decide our own paths in space and time, and we all have intuitive expectations as to how space and time behave. Before relativity space and time were just a blank canvas; an empty stage where events can occur. Our intuitions about space and time are still grounded in this notion, but relativity tells us that this is just a glimpse of a far grander picture. In this talk, we’ll discover how space and time are woven together to form the dynamic fabric of space-time, and explore how relativity explains some of the last great questions of classical physics. We’ll discuss how relativity not only had a seismic effect on the history of the 20th century, but also provides a unique perspective on our own path in space-time. As we study phenomena in the wider Universe beyond the distance-, speed- and time-scales of human experience, we encounter a wide range of relativistic phenomena in ‘extreme’ environments and in the fabric of the Universe itself. We will explore some of these situations that present a compelling validation of Einstein’s theory.
Henry Barlow (Kellogg): '"A learner, rather": Did Joyce Really "Teach Us How to Read Ulysses?"' Alice Sholto-Douglas (Lincoln): '"Gilding What’s Eyesore": Visual Poetics and Hallucinatory Worlds in Sylvia Plath’s Flower Poems'
In celebration of International Women’s Day (8 March 2026) and its theme “Give to Gain,” Kellogg College and the Skoll Centre invite you to an inspiring conversation exploring how social impact organisations are advancing gender equity while generating broader positive social change. Give to Gain posterThis timely discussion brings together voices from entrepreneurship research, impact investing and purpose-driven enterprise to examine how giving – of time, capital, expertise and leadership – can drive transformative social outcomes. Our panel will explore how organisations can prioritise gender equity alongside wider sustainability goals, and why such inclusive strategies generate stronger economic outcomes, greater resilience and lasting value. The conversation will address critical questions facing social impact organisations today: How can we support equity in increasingly challenging times? What does it truly mean to invest in women as founders and leaders? And why are inclusive approaches to entrepreneurship not only fairer, but demonstrably more effective? Drawing on research, practice and lived experience, speakers will illuminate how generosity of vision, collaboration and commitment unlock innovation, amplify impact and drive meaningful change. Together, we’ll explore how the social entrepreneur’s mindset of “Give to Gain” can widen opportunity, strengthen innovation and contribute to more robust and equitable economies. Join us for an engaging exchange that connects values to action, and discover how giving creates the foundation for sustainable impact. Speakers: Professor Pinar Ozcan, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Saïd Business School; Academic Director of the Oxford Entrepreneurship Centre and the Oxford Future of Finance and Technology Initiative Tara Sabre Collier, Senior Director of Impact Investing at Chemonics Europe; Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College; Visiting Fellow and Advisory Board Member at Skoll Centre Lucy Turner, Chief Purpose Officer at The Game Changer Collective Moderated by: Dr Ana Nacvalovaite, Sovereign Wealth Funds Research Fellow at Kellogg College Light refreshments will be available at the event from 5.00pm. All audience members are also invited to join a drinks reception immediately following the panel discussion to continue the conversation informally.
Three award-winning Rack Press poets, John Fuller, Nicholas Murray and John Barnie, explore the role of small presses in the poetry scene and the challenges of writing politically engaged poetry that speaks to the present moment. John Fuller has published fifteen collections of poetry and is Fellow Emeritus at Magdalen College, Oxford. Nicholas Murray is a poet, novelist and literary biographer who has written on Bruce Chatwin, Andrew Marvell and Matthew Arnold. John Barnie is a prolific poet and essayist, and editor of Planet: the Welsh Interationalist for sixteen years. He was writer in residence at the Oxford Museum of Natural History where his poetry focused on his concern for nature and environmental issues. The event begins with refreshments at 5pm, with the seminar taking place from 5.30-6.30pm. All are welcome, no bookings are necessary. The Creative Writing Seminar Series is convened by Dr Clare Morgan, Director of the Centre for Creative Writing at Kellogg College.
To mark the centenary of Rilke’s death there will be a series of Oxford Centenary Readings held in the Queen’s College in HT 2025. These will be informal papers with plenty of discussion, about one poem or a handful of poems, that offer close readings and new insights. Papers will be in English and English translations will be provided for all poems and quotations (except for the session in week 4 with the visiting poets) making these sessions accessible to anyone with an interest in this remarkable poet and poetry in general.
We are an interdisciplinary reading group which focuses on the social science, history, and theology of demons, the Devil, and supernatural evil as they relate to politics, identity formation, and social conflicts. Each week we will examine one academic paper or book chapter on these topics, gaining familiarity with subjects such as: the psychology of dehumanization, the conceptual development of the term “demon,” and contemporary political demonologies like QAnon. Hilary Term 2026, Thursdays from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Weeks 1,3,4,5,6,7,8: 21 St Giles (Kendrew Quad) Teaching Room G4 Week 2: 14 St Giles (next door to the Lamb & Flag) Seminar Room H Please contact Scott Maybell for the readings or for any questions: scott.maybell@sjc.ox.ac.uk
EndNote is a desktop-based reference management tool for Windows and Mac users. It helps you to build libraries of references and insert them into Word documents as in-text citations or footnotes, and to automatically generate bibliographies. This online introduction to EndNote is open to all University of Oxford students, researchers and staff and teaches you how to use the software so that you can effectively manage your references. Please note that we also run a face-to-face EndNote workshop. Please check the iSkills course listing for availability. The workshop will cover: what EndNote can do for you; adding references to EndNote from a range of sources; managing your references in an EndNote library; adding in-text citations and/or footnotes to your essays and papers; and creating bibliographies. Intended audience: taught student; researcher and research student
Emerging evidence suggests climate change may contribute to human violence, but it is unclear why associations exist. In this seminar, Dr Sokol will present a case study of Wayne County, Michigan. This case study employed distributed lag models (DLMs) to evaluate associations of different types of extreme weather with firearm violence and child maltreatment in Wayne County, Michigan between 2014-2022. To understand contextual influences, models used data from before (2018–2019), during (March 2020–March 2021), and after (2022–2023) the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall findings suggest that, for firearm violence, extreme weather immediately reduced risk, with effects waning as people likely resumed regular activities. Yet for child maltreatment, extreme weather created accumulating risk over several days when it disrupted an already stressed environment. Dr Sokol will discuss how this study informs the Hazard-Violence Model–a novel conceptual model of extreme weather’s association with interpersonal violence, including community and home-based violence. The seminar will conclude with discussing implications for theory development, future research, and policy. ———————————————————————————————————————————— Speaker bio: Rebeccah Sokol is an associate professor at the University of Michigan School of Social Work and a faculty member of the Institute for Firearm Injury Prevention. Her research programme evaluates strategies to promote child and adolescent safety, with a focus on recognising and addressing fundamental causes of violence. Dr Sokol collaborates with interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral teams to understand the effects of programmes and policies that address material hardships on youth safety. Dr Sokol holds an Astor Visitor Lectureship. ———————————————————————————————————————————— Booking is required for people outside of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI). DSPI Members do not need to register.
This symposium brings together leading experts on economic security and economic statecraft to share views on how debates and policies on these issues are evolving in different regions of the world. Over the past decade, economic relations have become highly politicized—and in some cases, securitized—due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the rise of economic coercion, and the return of trade war. Governments have become acutely aware of the vulnerabilities associated with interdependence and attempted to bolster their economic resilience through both domestic measures and international cooperation. At the same time, many governments have also attempted to wield economic statecraft, both as “sticks” to punish other countries through sanctions, tariffs, and export controls, as well as “carrots” to entice cooperation through promises of aid, trade, and investment. However, despite increasing academic debate and policymaking related to economic security and economic statecraft, there is no agreement about the definitions of these terms and little consideration of how they relate to one another. Therefore, the time is ripe for deeper discussion of these issues and consideration of what insights might be drawn from the Japanese, European, and American experiences, as well as how these countries might more effectively work together. The detailed schedule and speaker information is available at the registration link below. Schedule Overview 9:30 am: Registration Begins 10:00 am: Welcome Remarks 10:10 am: Constructive and Coercive Approaches to Economic Statecraft: Japan, China, Europe, and the United States Speakers: Francesca Ghiretti (RAND Europe), Kristi Govella (University of Oxford), Akira Igata (University of Tokyo), Abraham Newman (Georgetown University), William Norris (Texas A&M University) 11:25 am: Coffee Break 11:45 am: Defensive Economic Security? Resilience Initiatives, Export Controls, and Anti-Coercion Measures Speakers: Douglas Fuller (Copenhagen Business School), Tobias Gehrke (European Council on Foreign Relations), Claas Mertens (University of Oxford), Minako Morita-Jaeger (University of Sussex), Shino Watanabe (Sophia University) 1:00 pm: Lunch for Registered Participants 2:00 pm: Economic Security as Technology, Innovation, and Industrial Policy Speakers: Aya Adachi (German Council on Foreign Relations), Raluca Csernatoni (Vrije Universiteit Brussel), Robyn Klingler-Vidra (King’s College London), Martijn Rasser (Special Competitive Studies Project), Hugh Whittaker (University of Oxford) 3:15 pm: Coffee Break 3:45 pm: The Role of the Private Sector in Economic Security and Economic Statecraft Speakers: Mariko Togashi (Institute of Geoeconomics), Anna Vlasiuk Nibe (University of Southern Denmark), Yeling Tan (University of Oxford), Jiakun Jack Zhang (University of Kansas) 4:45 pm: Break 5:00 pm: Cooperation in a World of Economic Nationalism Speakers: Michael Beeman (University of California, San Diego), Creon Butler (Chatham House), Victor Cha (Georgetown University), Kristi Govella (University of Oxford), Keisuke Iida (University of Tokyo), Miguel Otero-Iglesias (Elcano Royal Institute and IE University) 6:30 pm: Public Reception This symposium is co-convened by the Nissan Institute of Japanese Studies and the Blavatnik School of Government.
COURSE DETAILS From time to time we all face difficult situations, or behaviour in others that we find difficult. This session will cover the factors that underlie these situations, and provide a set of skills for managing the difficult conversation that needs to be had. The most important part of the session will be an opportunity to practice the skills in a safe space. As this is so important, it is crucial that you come ready to take part. We will provide some example situations you can use for practice, or if you are comfortable doing so you may practice on one of your own situations. However if you choose to do this please make sure the situation you bring does not have significant emotional investment for you, or is not currently live or unresolved.
Part of the Online Inclusivity Training for Health and Care Researchers Series This online workshop uses behavioural science to explain how people decide whether to participate in research. You’ll explore fast (System 1) and slow (System 2) thinking, map key recruitment decision points, and identify what drives awareness, interest, and confident consent, supporting an effective, ethical, and participant centred recruitment pathway.
*Session Theme: Community* This workshop brings together historians of marginalised communities using magazines in their research to share our approaches to this particular source base, grappling with magazines’ unique methodological challenges as well as their tantalising opportunities. Each session is broadly organised around a different theme, and participants are invited to bring examples from their own research. Pastries and snacks will be provided. Please email "$":mailto:katie.burke@st-hildas.ox.ac.uk for more information.
This session is open for anyone to join. This career panel aims to: Showcase the breadth and diversity of operations career paths across the University and beyond. Highlight that operations roles are very varied, even when “operations” isn’t in the job title. Inspire colleagues by sharing real career stories – including the twists, turns, and moments of decision that shaped our panelist's journey. Provide practical insights into career progression, resilience, and development in the professional service staff space. Our panelists are: Sally Vine, Head of Administration and Finance, DPAG Anne Wolfes, Senior Project Manager, Department of Psychiatry Lindsay Rudge, Registrar and Chief Operating Officer, GLAM Chris Manning, Bursar, Harris Manchester College
Dr Sebastian Lund will be presenting a book chapter from his upcoming monograph on Climate Control and the Fiction of the Fin de Siècle. The book argues that a range of canonical fin de siècle-authors such as Jules Verne, H. G. Wells, and Mark Twain gave aesthetic form to the idea that humanity could affect global climate change. Paradoxically, they did this not through the scientific paradigm of global warming, but its perverse inverse: climate control. The book provides thus a literary history of anthropogenic climate. The chapter will be discussed by DPhil candidate Claire Qu (English, Oxford). Dr Sebastian Egholm Lund is a Junior Research Fellow at Linacre College Oxford. His work focuses on nineteenth-century ecology, literature and science. His current project, Empire of the Sun: Imagining Solar Energy in Colonial India, 1878-1915, examines how British engineers, literary authors, and the greater English-language newspapers from colonial India imagined solar energy as an imperial infrastructure. Proposing the term “solar imperialism” to describe this understudied geopolitical doctrine, the project aims to provide an imperial history of the current energy transition.
A data session is an informal get-together of researchers to discuss some ‘data’ – in this case, an extract from a secondary mathematics lesson. It is an established way of working for researchers working in an ethnomethodological or interactionist tradition examining interactions, but this session will also be of interest to any researcher using interactional data, whether that is classroom interactions, tutor-tutee interactions, parent-child interactions or any other interaction with a pedagogical purpose. Data sessions are a collaborative practice and an opportunity for researchers with different methodological and theoretical backgrounds to share their perspectives and experiences in studying interactional data. Everyone approaches data differently, with each researcher bringing a distinctive style, analytic experiences and ways of working. A data session allows for a rich exchange of ideas and empirical observations that embraces these differences. The aim is for participants to experience a data session and to benefit from the diversity of experiences in the room as we work on data together. https://teams.microsoft.com/dl/launcher/launcher.html?url=%2F_%23%2Fl%2Fmeetup-join%2F19%3Ameeting_MDliMDU4YTMtMDRkMi00OTU0LTk2OWYtZmI3MTEwNGFmMGY0%40thread.v2%2F0%3Fcontext%3D%257b%2522Tid%2522%253a%2522cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%2522%252c%2522Oid%2522%253a%25225f581465-1def-4d51-8d4c-45a3b26b5b58%2522%257d%26anon%3Dtrue&type=meetup-join&deeplinkId=30dd68c6-21b3-49c5-84a4-11723d63ccec&directDl=true&msLaunch=true&enableMobilePage=true&suppressPrompt=true
*Reading:* Sophie Lewis' _Abolish the Family: A Manifesto for Care and Liberation_ (Verso, 2022)
Lesson of the week, clinical cases and research. All clinical and academic staff and students welcome. Coffee and Tea will be served.
Is there an alternative to the failed orthodoxies of neoliberalism or the chaos of economic populism? Yes, according to Oxford economist Professor Eric Beinhocker and technology entrepreneur and civic activist Nick Hanauer. A new paradigm is emerging that they call ‘Market Humanism” which has the potential to reshape our economy and our politics. We are in the midst of a change in the global economic paradigm. The neoliberal consensus dominated policy, politics, business, and academia from the 1970s until it collapsed in the 2008 financial crisis. Since then, we’ve been living in a paradigm vacuum that has been filled by economic populism and the politics of grievance. This paradigm vacuum is not only a threat to democracy and the geopolitical order but also prevents us from addressing critical issues such as climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence. But there is hope. Synthesising across a wide range of work from modern economics to philosophy, behavioural science, anthropology, sociology, political science, complex systems theory, evolutionary theory, computer science, and other fields, Beinhocker and Hanauer assemble the pieces of what a new, and better, economic paradigm might look like. They call this new paradigm, ‘Market Humanism’ - an economy built for human flourishing and an economics built on 21st century science. In this talk they will describe what Market Humanism is, and how it has the potential to change our thinking on policy and business, how it might re-configure our politics, and new narratives that can engage the public. They will conclude with a discussion of the opportunities and challenges of moving towards a market humanist economy. This is a joint event with INET Oxford.
For this lunchtime seminar, we invite you to read James (2024) by Percival Everett and come along for a book club-style discussion about the novel. Participants may wish but are not at all required to read or revisit Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1884) by Mark Twain before or after reading James.
This interactive session highlights initiatives and tools from researchers, publishers and institutions, to show how good research data management and FAIR principles can be promoted consistently and meaningfully across the research ecosystem. This session is of interest to anyone interested in connecting with a wider group of researchers advocating for discipline-specific applications of FAIR practice. These include research support staff, data stewards, publishers, institutional repository managers and researchers. 13:00: Introduction and Context setting Susanna-Assunta Sansone (https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5306-5690): University of Oxford’s Academic Lead for Research Practice; Professor of Data Readiness, Department of Engineering Science; Director, Oxford e-Research Centre. Dan Crane (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7197-0974): Head of Research Data Management, Open Scholarship Support, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. 13:15: TIER2 Interventions: Editorial Reference Handbook and Data Availability Statement Matt Cannon (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1496-8392): Associate Director of Open Science Programmes for Taylor & Francis. Rebecca Taylor-Grant (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7614-0806): Director of Open Science Strategy & Innovation at Taylor & Francis 13:40: FAIRsharing as a service and in FAIR assistance Allyson Lister (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7702-4495): FAIRsharing Coordinator - Content & Community, Oxford e-Research Centre, University of Oxford. 14:05: Championing FAIR resources and practices with the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Ambassadors Beth Knazook (https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3108-3921): Senior Programme Manager, Research and Engagement, Digital Repository of Ireland Daniel Manrique-Castano (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1912-1764): Research Data Curator, Digital Research Alliance of Canada. 14:35: ORA-FAIRsharing - FAIR assistance for institutional repositories Tom Mitchell (https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5451-0486): Open Access Service Manager, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford. Dan Crane (https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7197-0974): Head of Research Data Management, Open Scholarship Support, Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford.
An online introduction to using alerts to keep up to date with new research and save you time. A combination of presenter-led instruction and the opportunity for participants to set up email alerts to receive notifications for publications in their field of research. We invite you to send any questions you have in advance to usered@bodleian.ox.ac.uk for the instructors to cover in the session. There will also be opportunities to ask questions in the class. The workshop will cover: how email alerts can help you; setting up alerts on your favourite databases and other platforms for new content in your field; and managing your alerts. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
In 1892, U.S. President Benjamin Harrison designated a forest reserve in the San Gabriel Mountains to protect the watersheds supplying an expanding Los Angeles. Local developers and politicians supported the reserve, believing it would curtail fires set by sheepherders and campers that threatened agricultural and residential development in the foothills of the San Gabriels. Over the course of the early twentieth century, the U.S. Forest Service and the Los Angeles city and county fire departments advanced an aggressive policy of fire suppression in Los Angeles’s mountains and canyons. Growing scientific expertise and substantial firefighting infrastructure failed to contain the year-by-year increase in human-caused fires as developers, undeterred by increasing risk, expanded into foothill and coastal areas. Drawing upon regional newspapers, the papers of local conservationists, and city, county, state, and federal records, this presentation examines how fire management practices in Los Angeles came to prioritize total fire suppression over land use restrictions and prescribed burning in fire and flood-prone communities.
Engagement describes the ways in which we can share our research and its value by interacting with wider public audiences, generating mutual benefit. In this introductory session tailored to those new to engagement, we look at what public engagement is and some of the reasons why you might want to do it. We’ll highlight the multitude of different approaches you can take, and provide tips on getting started and where to get support.
In recent years, “depression” has become an undeniable focal point in Anglo-American popular music in several key ways, including: as a term loosely invoked by pop artists and fans to disclose, destigmatize, and normalize everyday experiences of sadness, loneliness, and despair; as an organizational theme on music streaming platforms in connection with mood and activity-based listening; and as a diverse musical and visual style forming around key musical personae and genres. I ultimately call this phenomenon the musical vernacular of depression, a dynamic expressive category that speaks to the prevalence of clinical depression in young people, widespread destigmatization of mental health among Gen Z, and intense cultural debate over what “depression” is. This talk treats pop singer Billie Eilish and rapper Princess Nokia’s creative output, reception, and fandom as emblematic of the musical vernacular of depression. Nokia and Eilish are alike in confronting the feminization of depression and moral panic around its “trendification” through striking visual appeals to feminine abjection and horror. Yet, their differing musical approaches to mental health reflect on certain racial inequalities: while Eilish tends towards hushed, intimate vocals, atmospheric soundscapes, and abstract lyrics, Nokia’s music rather offers a sobering and deeply personal account of sexual assault, depression, and PTSD, while bemoaning the disavowal of black women’s pain in her signature deadpan voice. I reveal that fans instrumentalize Eilish’s and Nokia’s music to emotionally self-regulate and even self-diagnose independent of clinical diagnosis and medical supervision. Eilish and Nokia thus offer insight into how the musical vernacular of depression is transforming the ways young people conceive of, communicate about, and tend to their mental health for better or worse amid a worldwide disparity of mental health care and increasing distrust in public health.
The Wilcoxon rank-sum (or Mann–Whitney) test is one of the most widely used tools for comparing two groups without making assumptions about the underlying data distribution. One of the reasons for its enduring popularity is a remarkable result of Hodges and Lehmann (1956), which shows that the asymptotic relative efficiency of Wilcoxon's test with respect to Student's t-test, under location alternatives, never falls below 0.864, despite the former being distribution-free in finite samples. Even more striking is the result of Chernoff and Savage (1958), which shows that the efficiency of a Gaussian score transformed Wilcoxon's test, against the t-test, is lower bounded by 1. In other words, the Gaussian score transformed Wilcoxon test uniformly dominates the t-test in terms of efficiency, while also remaining distribution-free. In this talk we will discuss multivariate versions of these celebrated results, by considering distribution-free analogues of the Hotelling T²-test based on optimal transport. The proposed tests are consistent against a general class of alternatives and satisfy Hodges-Lehmann and Chernoff-Savage-type efficiency lower bounds over various natural families of multivariate distributions, despite being entirely agnostic to the underlying data generating mechanism. We will also discuss how optimal-transport-based multivariate ranks can be used to construct distribution-free analogues of the celebrated kernel two-sample test that enjoy a trifecta of desirable properties: universal consistency, efficient computation, and nontrivial asymptotic efficiency.
Ethnic, racial and religious minorities experience discriminatory behaviour and prejudicial attitudes across multiple areas of their lives, with these experiences accumulating over the life course. In this seminar, Valentina Di Stasio, Professor of Sociology, and Stefanie Sprong, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, will present the EqualStrength project. This Horizon Europe-funded project aims to investigate cumulative and structural forms of discrimination through cross-national field experiments conducted in nine European countries. The speakers will discuss the breadth of their research, ranging from analyses of setting-specific discrimination, such as hiring discrimination, to examinations of cumulative and structural discrimination that unfold simultaneously across multiple life domains, including childcare, employment, and housing, and that carry over across generations. They will also share how the findings provide valuable insights into a potential pathway through which the effects of discrimination are passed on from one generation to the next. Dan Muir, Senior Economist, and Katy Neep, Head of Employer Engagement and Partnerships, will close the seminar by providing insight into future research and the impact of discrimination research on policy. Register to join on Zoom: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/pbFSmnaxQcq9n70pS2PBZA
The climate and ecological emergencies are accelerating and tackling them becomes more urgent every day. More and more academics and policymakers take seriously evidence which suggests that decoupling economic growth from emissions and material use at the scale and speed required to stay within planetary boundaries does not currently look feasible. Several studies also argue that once certain levels of income are achieved, economic growth no longer significantly contributes to improving wellbeing and can be linked to increasing inequality and other social disbenefits. Post-growth has been suggested as an alternative – an economic system that is designed not to rely on economic growth but to safeguard people’s wellbeing within planetary boundaries. However, within social policy, pro-growth positions prevail. One of the underlying assumptions is that growth is required to sustain welfare state funding, especially in a context of ageing societies. In this talk, Milena Büchs will challenge this view and discuss proposals from the literature on ways in which welfare states could be funded in a post-growth context, including wealth and environmental taxes, and ideas from modern monetary theory on money creation through government spending. The analysis will suggest that while there are inevitable links between changes in the size of the economy and changes in revenues or available funding at given levels of taxation, this does not necessarily imply that the provision of welfare relies on a growth-based economy. The talk will then discuss which other levers become important from a post-growth perspective for providing welfare without growth. ————————————————————————————————————————————— Milena Büchs is Professor of Sustainable Welfare at the University of Leeds. She specialises in sustainable welfare, eco-social policy and climate justice. Milena started applying a social policy lens to climate change issues around 18 years ago after completing a PhD in European social policy at the Humboldt University Berlin. She held a lectureship in sociology and social policy at the University of Southampton from 2005 onwards before joining the Sustainability Research Institute at the University of Leeds in 2016. Milena has published over 50 peer-reviewed journal articles and two books, and has been Principal and Co-Investigator on several large research projects. Currently, she is a Co-I on the Horizon Europe projects “ToBe – Towards an Economy for Sustainable Wellbeing” and “MAPS – Models, Assessment and Policy for Sustainability”. ————————————————————————————————————————————— Booking is required for people outside of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI). DSPI Members do not need to register
The global epidemic of obesity presents a major and growing threat to both health and equity. The arrival of GLP1 agonist drugs has been transformational for many people, but they do not eliminate the problem, and they bring some problems of their own. Public, media and political discourse around obesity is dominated by a framing that places responsibility at the individual level, but the fundamental drivers of the problem are structural. It has become a cliché to describe obesity as a complex problem, but all too often this rhetoric does not translate into reality. We need to move beyond cliché to examine and address complex interactions between multiple factors, ranging from structural incentives within our research systems to the actions of corporations, from sustainable food systems to tackling stigma. None of this is or will be easy, especially in the current geopolitical climate, but meaningful engagement with complexity may help us to meet at least some of these pressing challenges.
Abstract to follow. Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3a977e970b5670431f8f293fbaff57009a%40thread.tacv2/1769368763266?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%2220c48e67-b666-49ae-a9b1-d31d1be325ec%22%7d Speaker bio: Dr Aliya Khalid is the Course Director for the MSc in Comparative and International Education. Her research examines how intersecting forms of marginalisation, such as gender, class, ethnicity, migration, and displacement, inform educational aspirations, experiences of exclusion, and expressions of agency. Her work spans post-crisis education in Pakistan, and educational recovery following COVID-19 in the UK. She works closely with young people, families, teacher-educators, and community members in Pakistan and the UK, with the aim of contributing to more inclusive and responsive educational practices by learning from their experiences. Dr Ian Thompson’s primary research interests are in understanding all aspects of school inclusion and exclusion and the unintended outcomes of policy and practice for marginalised young people and children in need. Ian is the lead editor of the journal Teaching Education and a member of the editorial board of Emotional Behavioural Difficulties. Salma Ahmed Alam is a prominent Pakistani educationist who has been working in the public education sector of Sindh since 2008, first at the school level and then the government level, while consulting with the World Bank. She is the CEO of Durbeen, a non-profit organization dedicated to reforming public education in Sindh by focusing on high-quality teacher training, licensing, and professional development. She holds a Masters in Education Policy from the Harvard Graduate School of Education and qualified as a primary school teacher from the National Institute of Education in Singapore in 2016. Professor Fauzia Shamim is a former Professor and founder Dean of the Faculty of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences, Ziauddin University, Karachi, Pakistan. She has previously worked as a teacher/researcher, and in leadership positions at various universities in the public and private sector in Pakistan and abroad. These include: The Aga Khan University’s Institute of Educational Development, University of Karachi, Institute of Business Management, and Taibah University, KSA. She is a founder member and Vice President of the Society of Pakistan English Language Teachers (SPELT) and was Chair of TESOL International’s Research Professional Council, USA (2018-19).
This seminar will present an analysis on the coherences and fragmentations within Scotland’s tertiary education system. It will expand on the role of distinct institutional settings such as universities, Further Education Colleges, and other training providers within the wider post-school education and training sector. The presentation will provide the latest insights on the Tertiary Education and Training (Funding and Governance) (Scotland) Bill, published in February 2025. In doing so, it will synthesise and contrast the current operations of agencies such as the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland. The seminar will underline the country’s ambition for further streamlining of and integration between relevant stakeholders, and relate this to the core policy objective ‘to be more responsive to the needs of learners and the economy’. Ellen Boeren is Professor of Education at the University of Glasgow’s School of Education. She is an active member of the School’s Centre for Research on Adult Development and Lifelong Learning (CR&DALL). She holds a PhD in Educational Sciences from the Katholieke Universiteit Leuven in Belgium, has worked at the University of Edinburgh, and joined the University of Glasgow in 2019. Between 2023 and 2025, she led the £605k FEC ESRC Standard Grant project on the state-of-art and use of adult learning and education statistics across the countries of the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. She is currently leading an ESRC Secondary Data Analysis grant on longitudinal patterns in lifelong learning participation, utilising data from the UK’s Understanding Society. She recently co-authored the OECD’s report on ‘Rethinking Informal Learning’, published in November 2025. Her other publications include the monograph 'Lifelong Learning Participation in a Changing Policy Context: an Interdisciplinary Theory' for which she won the 2017 Cyril O. Houle Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Adult Education Literature.
The first-ever A–Z survey of the major modern and contemporary artists of the Middle East. Artists of the Middle East celebrates a region of breathtaking creativity through the innovative, spectacular, and at times politically resonant work of more than 250 of its leading artists. Spanning diverse art movements and communities from Morocco to Iran, this is a groundbreaking survey of more than a century of artistic activity, from 1900 to the present. Saeb Eigner shares his intimate knowledge of the stylistic, literary, and linguistic histories of the Middle East and North Africa in the detailed biographies of almost 100 culturally significant artists from the region, ranging from early modernists such as Shafic Abboud, Marwan, Bahman Mohassess, and Gazbia Sirry to contemporary artists such as Mona Hatoum, Nabil Nahas, and Shirin Neshat. Concise profiles of almost 160 additional artists offer further insight into those shaping this rich cultural landscape. This essential, illuminating resource for anyone interested in modern and contemporary art establishes a dialogue between works that engage with the prominent issues of our age and the ever-changing social, political, and religious context of their creation. https://www.thamesandhudson.com/products/artists-of-the-middle-east
To join online, please register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WWqjr8SgT_WrzTodI65cdg
In 1928, Sheng Cheng, a work-study student who had studied and worked in France for eight years, published a book in French, titled Ma mère, to which Paul Valéry wrote a sixteen-page preface. Contrary to Valéry’s interpretation, this Francophone work was scarcely intended to illuminate the essence of Chinese life or stimulate East-West civilizational exchange. While cultural intermediaries active in the Sino-Western contact zone frequently concerned themselves with issues of East-West communication, world civilization, and the commonality of the human spirit, Chinese Francophone intellectuals of the early twentieth century also increasingly devoted themselves to the question of the self. Their use of the French language, rather than solely addressing an external audience, whether French or Chinese, or communicating a value-imbued, coherent message, also served to constitute an internal dialogue. This talk demonstrates that Ma mère, by delving into the most personal experiences and intimate relationships that shaped selfhood while negotiating the deepest pain, fear, and hope embedded in life and death, mostly functioned as Sheng Cheng’s Francophone journal intime (private diary). Writing in French shielded him from the May Fourth discourses and the sense of intellectual responsibility that had dominated his views, relationships, and communication, transporting him into a new linguistic, literary, and cultural milieu. This milieu, and its linguistic agency in particular, has been neglected in previous research on the work-study movement specifically and on Sino-Western cultural and educational exchanges more broadly. Dr Vivienne Xiangwei Guo is a senior lecturer in modern Chinese history in the History Department of King’s College London. Her research focuses on the intellectual, political, and cultural history of modern China, particularly the history of China’s intellectual elites in the late nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Her first monograph, Women and Politics in Wartime China (Routledge, 2018), examines the political networks of Chinese elite women during the Second World War and their roles in promoting ‘national resistance and reconstruction’ from the 1930s to the 1950s. Her second monograph, Negotiating a Chinese Federation (Brill, 2022), studies how Chinese warlords and intellectuals engaged with one another in the making of a Chinese federation between 1919 and 1923. Her recent research explores the history of the learning and use of French among Chinese intellectuals in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Integrating the concepts, methods and approaches intrinsic to sociolinguistics and cultural linguistics into historical studies, she aims to shed new light on the relationship between foreign languages, ideas, and identity within a transnational context.
AI is inescapable, from its mundane uses online to its increasingly consequential decision-making in courtrooms, job interviews, and wars. The ubiquity of AI is so great that it might produce public resignation—a sense that the technology is our shared fate. As economist Maximilian Kasy shows in The Means of Prediction, artificial intelligence, far from being an unstoppable force, is irrevocably shaped by human decisions—choices made to date by the ownership class that steers its development and deployment. The book clearly and accessibly explains the fundamental principles on which AI works, and, in doing so, reveals that the real conflict isn’t between humans and machines, but between those who control the machines and the rest of us. The Means of Prediction offers a powerful vision of the future of AI: a future not shaped by technology, but by the technology’s owners. Amid a deluge of debates about technical details, new possibilities, and social problems, Kasy cuts to the core issue: who controls AI’s objectives, and how is this control maintained? The answer lies in what he calls “the means of prediction,” or the essential resources required for building AI systems: data, computing power, expertise, and energy. In a world already defined by inequality, one of humanity’s most consequential technologies has been and will be steered by those already in power. In this book talk, Kasy will discuss the book's framework both for understanding AI’s capabilities and for designing its public control, and its compelling case for democratic control over AI objectives as the answer to mounting concerns about AI’s risks and harms.
The term “un-American” has been wielded as a powerful tool throughout US history, from Jefferson’s vision of the early Republic to the Trump era, yet no objective definition has ever been universally agreed upon. For the first time, George Lewis’s Un-Americanism offers a long history of this term, tracing what it has meant to whom through close looks at the most prominent contests for control of its definition and deployment. Lewis examines case studies that show politicians using the idea of the un-American to advance their agendas, organizations using it in racial nationalist campaigns, and federal committees using it in investigations such as those of the anticommunist “Red Scare” of the Cold War—along with activists and coalitions who have countered rhetoric of the “un-American” by claiming their own use of the term. In these chapters, Lewis delves into the role of institutions and organizations such as the American Legion, the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU). Lewis paints a compelling picture of how the term has both shaped and been shaped by the country’s social and political landscape. Un-Americanism offers a profound analysis of how this term has drawn and redrawn lines between what is considered “good” or “bad” politically. By exploring its complex evolution, the book highlights how the term has impacted each generation’s understanding of national values and American identity. Lewis challenges readers to reflect on its ongoing influence in defining who truly belongs in the American story.
*To attend online via Microsoft Teams, please email "$":mailto:ian.archer@history.ox.ac.uk*
Thursday March 5 (week 7) Julia Hori (Cambridge) ‘Planter's Pageantry and the Pedagogy of Gardening’
This lecture examines the entanglement of photography with the past and its potential future within a post-archival context. Specifically, it examines photographs taken by the East German Stasi from the 1960s to 1989, highlighting the extensive material and photographic residue that serve as tangible traces of surveillance activities. Through key case studies, the lecture considers photography’s multiple registers as a tool for covert surveillance and as an evidential record, which nonetheless become haunting traces of unseen surveillance forces and a testament to photography’s unsettling potential.
As Russia’s war against Ukraine enters another critical phase, questions about how it might end are becoming increasingly urgent. Recent diplomatic initiatives, peace proposals, and shifting political dynamics in Europe and the United States have reignited debate over what a sustainable settlement could look like and on whose terms. This panel brings together military attachés from Austria, Germany, France, Ukraine and the United States (tbc) to reflect on the war’s trajectory, the realities on the ground, and the conditions under which negotiations could become viable. What would constitute a just and durable peace? How do military developments shape diplomatic possibilities? And what would different end scenarios mean for Ukraine, for Russia, and for the future of European security?
Sustainability in health care is widely framed as a problem of implementation: policies are designed, evidence is assembled, and failure is diagnosed when action does not follow. This lecture challenges that framing. Prof Engebretsen argues that sustainability in health care cannot be implemented because it is not a stable programme but a contested, value-laden practice that takes shape through mediation rather than delivery. Treating sustainability in health care as implementable is therefore a category error—one that helps produce the very problem it seeks to resolve, by recoding alternative values as barriers and situated practices as deficits requiring correction. Drawing on a recent systematic review of grassroots indicators across fields and sectors—including sustainability indicators—Prof Engebretsen shows that in these projects sustainability was not absent, waiting to be implemented, but already being practised—through livelihoods, norms of resource use, and shared understandings of what could and could not be sustained. What was missing was not action, but a language in which such practices could count as sustainability within policy frameworks. What is commonly described as an “implementation gap” is therefore better understood as a space of ongoing mediation, where knowledge, values, and authority are continually renegotiated. Sustainability in health care, on this view, is always already happening—not as logistical rollout, but in grassroots initiatives, everyday practices of care, and irresolvable disagreements over what should be sustained, for whom, and at what cost. The task is not to implement sustainable health care more efficiently, but to recognise, engage with, take responsibility for, and strengthen the forms of sustainability already in motion by rendering them visible and politically intelligible. This talk is part of the Sustainability Health Care course, which forms part of the Translational Health Sciences programme. This event is free and open to all.
2026 Wolfson College Haldane Lecture Genomics and rare diseases: from gene to clinic Professor Dame Kay Davies It is becoming increasingly clear that genomics is beginning to have a major impact in guiding diagnoses and treatment of many disorders. As the cost of DNA sequencing continues to drop and more patient genomes are sequenced, the challenge is to deliver this knowledge to the clinic. Sequencing of DNA from patients with rare disease is revealing novel druggable pathways. More genetic tools for treating disease are being developed. Some genetic approaches, once thought to be pipedreams for rare diseases such as Duchenne muscular dystrophy, are now in the clinic or showing promise in clinical trials. Many of these methodologies are being applied more widely for more common diseases. The era of genomic medicine has arrived. The challenge for the future will be to not only develop more treatments, but also to ensure equal access for patients across the globe. The pace of change in human genetics research over the last few decades has been rapid and major scientific discoveries have proceeded in tandem with breakthroughs in the development of enabling technologies, particularly genome sequencing. Together, these advances are transforming our understanding of how genes underpin biological processes in health and disease and have the potential to generate major health benefits in the coming decades. The challenge will be to use personal genomic information to provide care plans at every stage of disease. The first draft of the human genome sequence was completed in 2000 and current sequencing projects are rapidly becoming tools in the diagnosis of rare mendelian disorders. Sequencing the human genome took a decade to complete and cost $3 billion. Since then, the price of sequencing has dropped rapidly to where it stands now at less than $1000 per genome and whole genomes can be sequenced in day. Even before the human genome sequence was complete, it was declared to be a landmark in medical research. Many people feel that the genomics revolution is long overdue and has not lived up to its promise. The pace of technological change and its impact on the treatment of genetic disorders through personalised medicine is dramatically illustrated by looking at progress in the treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Ten years ago, patient groups and parents were told that effective treatments might be on the horizon. Today, there are treatments are having a major impact in the clinic. More importantly, the genetic approaches are also applicable to many other rare genetic disorders. However, many of the therapies are expensive. The challenge for the future will be to not only develop more treatments, but also to ensure equal access for patients across the globe.
We are pleased to announce the upcoming Winter Lecture Series which will take place between January and March 2026. Across five thought-provoking lectures, special guests will discuss a range of subjects, with topics to be announced soon. Each lecture will be hosted at the University of Oxford Museum of Natural History. Join us on Thursday 5th March when writer and organic food grower Claire Ratinon will deliver her lecture.
The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching (tarryn.ching@nds.ox.ac.uk) if you would like to attend online.
📢 Ever thought about using your climate research to start a business? This full-day immersive course is for Oxford University academics curious about turning their climate-related research into impactful ventures. Whether you’re a DPhil student, Postdoc, or Professor, if you’ve never explored the spin-out path before, this is your chance to: – Explore what’s possible and decide if spinning out is right for you – Understand the spin-out pathway: from IP and team formation to fundraising – Access expert guidance and support available within Oxford – Build connections and learn from those who’ve done it
I will discuss two topics concerning visual and auditory spatial coding: 1. Early cross-talk between vision and hearing, in which eye movement signals trigger eardrum oscillations and create faint saccade-related sounds. 2. A new theory of neural coding, involving multiplexing of signals via fluctuating activity patterns. Such multiplexing could allow representations to encode more than one simultaneous visual or auditory stimulus. These findings emerged from experimentally testing computational models, highlighting the importance of theory in guiding experimental science. Selected References: Lovich, S. N., C. D. King, D. L. Murphy, R. Landrum, C. A. Shera and J. M. Groh (2023). "Parametric information about eye movements is sent to the ears." Proceedings of the national academy of sciences 120(48): p. e2303562120. Groh, J. M., M. N. Schmehl, V. C. Caruso and S. T. Tokdar (2024). "Signal switching may enhance processing power of the brain." Trends Cogn Sci 28(7): 600-613. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Jennifer M. Groh is Professor of Psychology & Neuroscience, Neurobiology, Computer Science, and Biomedical Engineering at Duke University, where she is a member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience and the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences. Her research concerns how the brain represents spatial information and performs computations on those representations. Her discoveries have shed light on how the brain transforms auditory signals to permit communication with visual signals - despite major differences in the neural “language” used by each sense. She is the recipient of numerous awards including a John Simon Guggenheim fellowship. She has authored many scientific publications as well as a well-regarded book for a general audience (Making Space: How the Brain Knows Where Things Are, Harvard University Press, 2014) and a related popular Coursera course The Brain and Space.
How can you make your research 'as open as possible, as closed as necessary?' Come to hear guidance on how to determine what you should and shouldn't share (e.g., with privacy or security concerns), and how to navigate the considerations of accessing datasets through VPNs.
A workshop outlining some of the key principles to bear in mind when working with sensitive or restricted research; whether collected yourself or obtained from a third-party source such as a data archive. Issues of confidentiality, informed consent, cybersecurity and data management will be covered. Examples of scenarios or concerns drawn from the research of participants are particularly welcome. The role of support services at Oxford will also be outlined and in particular the role of the Bodleian Data Librarian who will lead the session. Follow up consultations with the Data librarian or other subject consultants are also offered. Topics to be covered include: key best practice principles when working with sensitive or restricted research data; issues around creating original data; informed consent agreements; maximising the usage potential of data during and after a project; strengths and weaknesses of anonymisation, data blurring and similar techniques; key strategies for protecting data including encryption, embargoes, future vetting and access restrictions; and obligation put on researchers by legislation and research partners. Intended audience: taught student; researcher and research student; staff
In this 60-minute online workshop you will be introduced to the methodologies and principles underpinning the conduct of literature searches for systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other evidence reviews. The session will cover: formulating a focused research question; preparing a protocol; developing a search strategy to address that research question; choosing appropriate databases and search engines; searching for grey literature and ongoing studies; managing your references in Covidence; and documenting and reporting your search. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
Effective application of mathematical models to interpret biological data and make accurate predictions often requires that model parameters are identifiable. Requisite to identifiability from a finite amount of noisy data is that model parameters are first structurally identifiable: a mathematical question that establishes whether multiple parameter values may give rise to indistinguishable model outputs. Approaches to assess structural identifiability of deterministic ordinary differential equation models are well-established, however tools for the assessment of the increasingly relevant stochastic and spatial models remain in their infancy. I provide in this talk an introduction to structural identifiability, before presenting new frameworks for the assessment of stochastic and partial differential equations. Importantly, I discuss the relevance of our methodology to model selection, and more the practical and aptly named practical identifiability of parameters in the context of experimental data. Finally, I conclude with a brief discussion of future research directions and remaining open questions.
Throughout its life the ocean crust is a key boundary between Earth’s interior and the oceans/atmosphere. Hydrothermal circulation of seawater-derived fluids through the cooling and aging crust results in chemical exchange between Earth’s interior and oceans and atmosphere, playing an important role in long-term biogeochemical cycles. Altered ocean crust provides a time-integrated record of its geochemical exchange with seawater. Furthermore, hydrothermal minerals formed from ridge flank fluids record the evolving chemistry of the overlying oceans – itself an integrator of a range of Earth processes. I will present an overview of how scientific ocean drilling experiments across ridge flanks contribute to our understanding of the processes that control ridge flank hydrothermal exchanges, the role these exchanges play in global geochemical cycles, and the extent to which they record and respond to wider changes in the Earth system. In particular, the South Atlantic Transect (IODP Expeditions 390/393), designed to recover the upper crust and overlying sediments across the western flank of the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge to investigate hydrothermal aging and microbiological evolution of the ocean crust, and the paleoceanographic evolution of the overlying South Atlantic.
Recent IR literature suggests that populist ideology, while primarily a domestic phenomenon, has distinct foreign policy implications, as populist leaders reject Western hegemony, transnational elites, and liberal international institutions. Yet how impactful is this stance, given the potential costs of defying the liberal order? This paper argues that populist leaders can pursue more radical foreign policies only when shielded from international economic constraints – most notably through natural resource rents. The interaction of populism and resource wealth enables a distinct brand of radicalism, combining sovereigntist rhetoric with defiant foreign policy postures and withdrawal from institutional institutions. We evidence this argument through case studies of Bolivia, Ecuador, Iran, and Venezuela, showing how resource-backed populist leaders engage in sharp opposition to Western influence and retreat from liberal international organisations. To test the broader applicability of our theory, we conduct cross-national econometric analyses. Our findings show that neither populism nor resource rents alone reliably predict radical foreign policy. However, their interaction does: Countries with both features are significantly more likely to vote against the West at the UN, use sovereigntist rhetoric, avoid human rights-linked trade agreements, sign fewer investment treaties, and withdraw from international institutions.
Megakaryocytes are one of the rarest, yet largest, cells in the human body and have huge synthetic capabilities - with a handful of megakaryocytes releasing billions of platelets into our bloodstream every day. To achieve this, they undergo a unique form of the cell cycle that results is successive rounds of whole genome doubling (WGD) and an average ploidy of 16N. They then give rise to platelets - with no nucleus at all. This talk will cover two projects: The first - focusing on these fascinating and unusual aspects of their cell biology. Firstly, we performed a detailed interrogation of the megakaryocyte genome to unpick how megakaryocytes bypass cell cycle checkpoints and tolerate whole genome duplication while retaining p53 responses to other triggers, and examined the consequences for the genome integrity. Unexpectedly, we uncovered a conserved tolerance mechanism shared between megakaryocytes and WGD+, p53-intact solid tumours. In the second part of the talk, I will outline our recent discovery that despite lacking a cell nucleus, platelets contain a repertoire of DNA fragments acquired by sequestration of cell free DNA during peripheral circulation, including free fetal and cancer cell-derived DNA. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Beth is a Professor of Haematology and Group Leader at the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford. Her group has two research areas - identifying targetable disease mechanisms in myeloid blood cancers, and studying the cell biology of megakaryocytes and platelets, and their roles in cancer. Beth spends 20% of her time in the clinic, including running clinical trials with a particular interest in emerging mutation-selective targeted therapies for patients with myeloproliferative neoplasms, and has a national role in the delivery of clinical research as Chair of the Blood Cancer UK Research Network MPN Subgroup. Outside of work, she enjoys adventures with her family and running around beautiful Oxford with her overly-enthusiastic but surprisingly obedient cockapoo.
The significance of Hubert Henry Harrison (1883-1927) – as a journalist, activist, and educator – lies in his innovation of radical solutions to grave injustices, especially the staggering luxury for the few alongside the crushing poverty for the many in the first few decades of the twentieth century. White mob violence continually haunted African American communities, while imperial conquest and world wars wrought wanton destruction upon entire nations of people. These conditions sparked a global political awakening to which Harrison gave voice as a leading figure in cutting-edge struggles for socialism, in the free love movement, and in the Harlem Renaissance. He also played a pivotal role in the rise of Marcus Garvey and the establishment of the largest international organization of Black people in modern history. Because of his fierce and fearless radicalism, however, he has been erased from popular memory. Hubert Harrison presents a historical restoration of Harrison's numerous intellectual and political breakthroughs. Offering a fresh interpretation of his contributions to social movements for economic, racial, and sexual liberation, Brian Kwoba's richly textured narrative highlights the startling and continued relevance of Harrison's visionary thinking across generations. - Dr. Brian Kwoba grew up in Boulder, Colorado. After earning his undergraduate degree in philosophy at Cornell University, he spent six years teaching high school and middle school history and getting a Master’s in teaching at Tufts University in Boston before heading to the University of Oxford for his doctoral degree in history. Dr. Kwoba is currently an associate professor of history and also the director of African and African American Studies at the University of Memphis. Over the past two decades, Dr. Kwoba has been an activist on issues including anti-imperialism, immigrant workers rights, climate justice, Falastin, decolonizing education, pan-Africanism, and the movement for Black lives. In his spare time, he is a big time music lover (especially live jazz), an Afrobeats DJ, and a frequent traveler to Kenya where he visits his dad's side of the family.
*Professor Cora Gilroy Ware* is Associate Professor in the History of Art at Oxford. In her publications, exhibitions and teaching, she seeks to challenge the assumed universality of Western hegemonic perspectives. She is particularly interested in the fabrication of ideal beauty from the 17th century to the present day, and the role of classicising sculpture and pictorial art in the reification of "racial” difference. She is the author of The _Classical Body in Romantic Britain_ (2020).
The International Commission on the History of Mathematics are holding a meeting to celebrate honours recently awarded to historians of mathematics. A book of abstracts can be found here: https://www.bshm.ac.uk/sites/default/files/international_commission_on_the_history_of_mathematicsmeetin_0.pdf, and you can register for the meeting here: https://www.bshm.ac.uk/registration-ichm-meeting-celebrate-recent-honours. This event is followed by the annual Research in Progress meeting of the BSHM on 7 March, also in Oxford: find out more here: https://www.bshm.ac.uk/events/ichm-celebration-honours-recently-awarded-historians-mathematics *Programme* 14:00-14:45 Ursula Martin (University of Oxford) – DBE 2025 _Hidden figures: the women who made Oxford computing_ 14:45-15:30 Henning Heller (University of Bonn) – ICHM Montucla Prize 2025 _Mellen Woodman Haskell (1863–1948): An American mathematics student of the Wanderlust generation_ 15:30-16:00 Break 16:00-16:45 David E. Rowe (University of Mainz) _What Riemann learned from Gauss: When and How_ 16:45-17:30 Jan Hogendijk (University of Utrecht) _Applied mathematics in Ottoman Palestine: The treatise by Taqi al-Din on sundials_ 17:30-18:30 Drinks reception
Over the last 12 years, my lab has been building synthetic yeast chromosomes from scratch. These synthetic genomes are engineered to allow genome-wide directed evolution with a system call SCRaMbLE (Synthetic Chromosome Recombination and Modification by LoxP-Mediated Evolution). SCRaMbLE allows the synthetic cells to process the information (e.g. environmental stress) differently from their wildtype counterparts, and also enables them to re-configure the genomes to cope with the environments. I will present our latest progress in design, synthesis and transplant synthetic chromosomes and its applications. Finally, I will also discuss the progress of developing biocontainment strategies for synthetic genomes.
We develop a unified, nonparametric framework for sharp partial identification and inference on inequality indices when the econometrician only has coarse observations in the dimension of interest -- for example via grouped tables or individual interval reports, possibly with additional linear restrictions such as income ratios. First, for a broad class of Schur-convex inequality measures, we characterize extremal allocations and show that sharp bounds are attained by distributions with simple, finite support, reducing the underlying infinite-dimensional problem to finite-dimensional optimization. Second, for indices that admit linear-fractional representations after suitable ordering of the data (including the Gini coefficient, quantile ratios, and the Hoover index), we recast the bound problems as linear or quadratic programs, yielding fast computation of numerically sharp bounds. Third, we establish $\sqrt{n}$ inference for bound endpoints using a uniform directional delta method and a bootstrap procedure for standard errors. In our empirical examples we compute sharp Gini bounds from household wealth data with mixed point and interval observations, and use historical U.S.\ income grouping tables to provide bounds on the time-series for the Gini, quantile ratios, and Hoover index.
This 90-minute session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; and save a search and document it. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
Week Seven (6 March, Lecture Room VII) Primary: Marge Piercy, Woman on the Edge of Time, Chapters 17-18 Supplementary: Frances M. Beal, ‘Double Jeopardy: To be Black and Female’ in Black Women’s Manifesto (1969)
Seminar followed by Q&A and drinks - attend in person or join online - all welcome Abstract: Nature is in crisis in England; a country where half the land is owned by less than 1% of the population. Landowners often like to style themselves as stewards of the earth, but how can we ensure this isn't just greenwash? Can we design better policies to hold the biggest landowners to account for how they treat habitats and wildlife? This talk, drawing on Guy Shrubsole's latest book The Lie of the Land, will look at several proposals for making landownership more accountable and transparent: from the forthcoming Land Use Strategy and the government's new National Estate for Nature group, to Community Right to Buy and other initiatives to democratise decision-making over land use. Biography: Guy Shrubsole is an environmental campaigner and author of The Lie of the Land (William Collins, 2024), The Lost Rainforests of Britain (2022), and Who Owns England? (2019). He has twice won the Wainwright Prize for writing on conservation; worked for Friends of the Earth, Rewilding Britain, and DEFRA; and co-founded the Right to Roam campaign.
What does it mean to report from a country at war, from the heart of the state shaping the conflict? In this timely talk, Steve Rosenberg reflects on two decades of reporting from Moscow and the extraordinary pressures facing journalists covering Russia today. This is a rare opportunity to hear directly from one of the most recognisable Western journalists in Moscow, and to understand how news is gathered, tested, and told at a moment of historic consequence. For anyone trying to make sense of Russia’s role in today’s world, this promises to be an unmissable evening of analysis, reflection, and behind-the-scenes insight.
Hesitancy toward vaccination has been a constant since the practice’s inception at the end of the eighteenth century, yet the mid-twentieth century introduced a complex paradox: the simultaneous rise of vaccine skepticism and the mass acceptance of compulsory childhood immunization. This presentation examines how historical trends in religious, political, and secular objections to vaccination have persisted and mutated over the last 200 years. It will describe the impact of modern social drivers—including shifting gender roles, environmental concerns, economic imperatives, and the valuation of children—on vaccination discourse from the latter-twentieth century to today. This historical contextualization will offer insight into how today’s vaccination resistance and rejection both mirror and depart from the past. *Professor Elena Conis* is a historian of science and medicine whose research focuses on scientific controversies, science denial, and the public understanding of science. She is the author of _How to Sell a Poison: The Rise, Fall, and Toxic Return of DDT_, which received the 2024 William H. Welch Medal and was a finalist for the 2023 National Association of Science Writers Book Award; _Vaccine Nation: America's Changing Relationship with Immunization_, which received the 2015 Arthur J. Viseltear Award; and, with Aimee Medeiros and Sandra Eder, _Pink and Blue: Gender, Culture and the Health of Children_. Her current book project, _Measles: A Global History_, is under contract with Polity Press. Her research has been supported by the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Institutes of Health/National Library of Medicine, and the Science History Institute.
Please join us for the joint book presentation of Brutalist Paris' (Nigel Green & Robin Wilson) & 'Streetologie' (Ulysse Rabaté). The event is free and open to everyone, but please note that registration is required. From utopian visions to lived political realities, and from ideal object to political project, this joint book presentation will explore the pivotal place of Brutalist architecture in collective imaginaries and in the everyday spaces people inhabit. This talk is organised as part of the exhibition 'Brutalist Imaginaries: Radical Architectures of Oxford and Paris' by Photolanguage (Nigel Green & Robin Wilson), presented from 19 January to 14 March 20226 at the Maison Française d'Oxford. Brutalist Paris is the first thoroughly researched, English language study of Parisian Brutalist architecture. It constructs a unique photographic record of over 50 buildings across Paris and brings a new interpretation of Brutalism in the French context. The book is the result of many journeys, from the Parisian centre to its outer peripheries, and situates Brutalism within the broader social, political and cultural context of Paris, including its appearance in film and television. It describes Brutalism’s successes and failures in Paris, from an architecture of monumental urban form to intricately crafted living spaces; from valued, historic monuments to abandoned ruins. The book includes seven essays by Robin Wilson, details for more than 50 individual buildings, maps and more than 150 black and white photographs by Dr Nigel Green. Robin Wilson is a critic, curator and associate professor of history and theory at the Bartlett School of Architecture. He has published many reviews on art, architecture and landscape in the architectural press, and written extensively on representation and architecture in academic journals and books. Nigel Green is a photographer, artist and lecturer. He has exhibited and published many photographic projects that document genres of modernist architecture across the UK, Europe and the former Eastern Bloc. Wilson, R. & Green, N., 2023. Brutalist Paris: Post-War Brutalist Architecture in Paris and Environs. London: Blue Crow Media. ISBN 978-1-912018-73-4. ‘I don't do politics, I do things that people can see from their windows.’ The Streetology project analyses this shift: that of lifestyles, commitments, representations and power structures, deployed in everyday neighbourhood life, making their way into the ‘sacred’ realm of politics. The link between the street and politics is not obvious, and yet these two seemingly distinct worlds maintain a dialogue that this book seeks to explain. The humanities can analyse such an encounter if they question the negative definition of what happens on the street, far from the established frameworks of engagement. An ‘alternative’ aesthetic of politics is taking shape, and it is a matter of outlining its contours and connections. Ulysse Rabaté is a political science researcher at Paris 8 University Vincennes Saint-Denis. He has been an elected representative and activist in the Paris suburbs. Rabaté, U., 2024. Streetologie: Savoirs de la rue et culture politique. Paris: Éditions du commun. ISBN 979-10-95630-74-6.
Stephen Bush, Associate Editor and columnist at the Financial Times will discuss: “What do journalists owe the open society?” In a time of geopolitical uncertainty, demographic pressures, and in which the open society – which while journalism can exist without, it makes our jobs significantly easier – we talk a lot about what is driving these crises, what politicians should do, what businesses should do, what activists, universities or citizens should do. But what are our obligations as journalists to the open society – and are we meeting them? This is a free public lecture.
Our annual meeting which provides an opportunity for research students in any area of the history of mathematics to present their work to a friendly and supportive audience. Alongside the student speakers there will be a selection of posters on display throughout the day. The meeting will be held in person only, and will be held in English. Booking is required. Please note that bookings will close a week before the event, so do book in good time. If you would prefer to pay the registration fee by cash or cheque on the day of the meeting, please contact the meetings co-ordinator at "$":mailto:brigitte.stenhouse@bshm.ac.uk. The programme can be found on the website: https://bshm.ac.uk/event/research-in-progress/, or on the booking link: https://tinyurl.com/upcu4ms
His Majesty the Emperor of Japan said during the State visit to the UK by him and Her Majesty the Empress in 2024: the UK and Japan are “friends like no other”. They both studied at Oxford. Japan adopted the Westminster political system and the modern British social and industrial system. But after the post-war period of economic growth, Japan lost three decades of economic might. The Committee to Examine Japan’s Lost 30 Years has formulated comprehensive proposals for the fundamental reform of national governance, which will be presented at this lecture. The Committee contends that “the lost 30 years” were in fact “the 30 years we lost,” the result of political and bureaucratic inertia. At the heart of the problem lies the absence of statecraft—the strategic, long-term management of the state. The proposals demand a decisive break from the status quo with dynastic politics. They call for deep political reform, including the prime minister’s unchecked power to dissolve the parliament, and advocate for the construction of a new framework of statecraft that unites political leadership with effective executive governance. Can Britain help Japan to be reborn again so that Japan can support Britain’s economy and global leadership at a time of worldwide crisis?
For our next talk, in the BDI/CHG (gen)omics Seminar series, we will be hearing from Shamil Sunyaev, Professor of Biomedical Informatics, Harvard Medical School and Professor of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital. We’re delighted to host Shamil in what promises to be a great talk! Talk title: TBC Date: Monday 9 March 2026 Time: 9:30 – 10:30 am Location: BDI/OxPop Seminar room 0 Bio: awaited Abstract: awaited ———————————————————————————————————————— All members of the University are welcome to join, please let reception at BDI know you’re here for the seminar and sign-in. We hope you can join us! We also now have a mailing list – To be added, ping genomics_bdi_whg-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk (with any message), you should get a bounce-back with three options to confirm your subscription. Follow any of those options, and with a bit of luck you should be signed up! As a reminder, the (gen)omics seminar series runs every other Tuesday morning and is intended to increase interaction between individuals working in genomics across Oxford. We encourage in-person attendance where possible. There is time for discussion over, tea, coffee and pastries after the talks. Hybrid Option: Please note that these meetings are closed meetings and only open to members of the University of Oxford to encourage sharing of new and unpublished data. Please respect our speakers and do not share the link with anyone outside of the university. Microsoft Teams meeting https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/32071423216061?p=gKJKsuOCk1SsMX5uJE Meeting ID: 320 714 232 160 61 Passcode: E3h8oA3N
On Monday 9th March join us to celebrate International Women’s Day (Sunday 8 March). This IWD we are spotlighting women’s voices and stories with a day of reflection, practice, and conversation for women in academia and research. In an informal setting participants will explore together how to communicate who they are and what they do across multiple settings — from CVs and funding applications to public talks, online profiles, and everyday conversations — without losing coherence or compromising their values. The 3-hour workshop will run twice during the day so participants have the option to attend in the morning or the afternoon and stay for lunch if they choose.
*Kiera Vaclavik* (Department of comparative Literature & Culture, QMUL) and *Sophie Ratcliffe* (Faculty of English, Oxford) will talk about how their work crosses the boundaries of childhood histories and literary studies, opening up a wider discussion about interdisciplinarity in childhood studies. All welcome, and to join us for lunch afterwards.
Cancer cells display heterogeneous and dynamic states in glioblastoma, but how these malignant states arise and whether they follow a tractable cellular trajectory across tumours is poorly understood. Here, we generate a deep single cell and spatial multi-region atlas of glioblastoma that integrates transcriptomic, epigenomic and genomic analysis to comprehensively characterise their tumour heterogeneity. We describe spatially-patterned transitions of malignant cells from dev-like towards glial injury response- and hypoxia-defined states during tumour expansion. This malignant cell trajectory dominates glioblastoma, manifesting across tumours and genetically distinct subclonal lineages that are finely spatially intermixed within tumours. Moreover, this trajectory unfolds across specialised myeloid signalling environments that mirror the spatial compartmentalization of malignant cells. Our findings define a stereotyped trajectory of cancer cells in glioblastoma and unify glioblastoma tumour heterogeneity into a tractable cellular and tissue framework.
*Readings* Primary source: Jerónimo de Barrionuevo, _Avisos_ (1654-1658), 4 vols. (1892), vol. 3, 261-280 (available online here: https://archive.org/details/avisos1654165803barruoft/page/260/mode/2up) Tamar Herzog, ‘Early Modern Information: Collecting and Knowing in Spain and Its Empire’, in _Communication and Politics in the Spanish Monarchy: Managing Times of Emergency, 16th-18th Century_, ed. Domenico Cecere and Alessandro Tuccillo (2023), 39-58 (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/101jqdh/cdi_proquest_ebookcentralchapters_31361057_6_477) Isabel Yaya, ‘Wonders of America: The Curiosity Cabinet as a Site of Representation and Knowledge’, _Journal of the History of Collections_ 20, 2 (2008): 173-188 (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/ao2p7t/cdi_proquest_miscellaneous_1035909781) Edward Wilson-Lee, _The Catalogue of Shipwrecked Books: Young Columbus and the Quest for a Universal Library_ (2018),13-58 (Ch. 1: ‘The Return from Ocean’, and Ch. 2: ‘In the Chamber of Clean Blood’) (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/35n82s/alma991027187232507026) Daniela Bleichmar, ‘The Cabinet and the World: Non-European Objects in Early Modern European Collections’, _Journal of the History of Collections_ 33, 3 (2021): 435-445 (Ch. 1: ‘The Relative Native’) (available online here: https://solo.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/permalink/44OXF_INST/ao2p7t/cdi_crossref_primary_10_1093_jhc_fhaa059)
Energy systems are often defined by physical boundaries and framed as either connected (interconnected grids) or isolated (energy islands), yet this binary view obscures how they actually operate and are governed. To move beyond this limitation, the concept of “island-ness” is introduced as a socio-technical analytical lens capturing varying degrees of isolation and connectedness across systems — from spacecraft, energy communities, and microgrids to geographically bounded islands and nation-states. Rather than treating islands as fixed categories, this lens shows how infrastructure design, governance arrangements, operational practices, resource dependencies, and collective perceptions combine to produce different forms of island-ness. Motivations driving systems toward greater isolation or stronger connectivity include energy security and independence, climate goals, economic and technical constraints, ideological preferences, and broader geopolitical conditions, all of which both shape and are shaped by island-ness. Together, these factors influence infrastructure choices, governance arrangements, operational practices, and economic performance. As technologies evolve, ideologies shift, and geopolitical contexts change, the degree and character of island-ness change as well. Comparative case studies show how different combinations of motivations and conditions generate distinct configurations of island-ness. Prof Parag's talk will conclude with the case of Montserrat, a Caribbean island where recognising island-ness helps clarify vulnerabilities and opportunities. This case shows why analysing energy systems in isolation is insufficient and highlights links with other critical infrastructures through the co-location and co-design of water, sewage, and energy microgrids. At the same time, islands are embedded in wider geographical and social contexts, where regional exchange, cooperation, and shared identity shape opportunities and resilience. Viewed through this lens, islands emerge not as fixed entities but as dynamic configurations whose degree of island-ness changes over time.
What diversity of perspectives on the climate crisis become available to young readers not only through literature, but through literature in translation? In the Netherlands, the Dutch literary market has long shunned thematizations of the climate crisis in home-grown literature. Only recently has posthumanist Dutch author Eva Meijer earned accolades for her novel Zee Nu (2022), set in a distant dystopian future: the sea level has risen, and the Netherlands is lost to the water. Water management defines Dutch identity: the below-sea-level nation has only been made habitable by dikes, dams, windmills, and polders. But water has also defined the nation’s darker history: it was the sea that facilitated extractivist colonial commerce, and the long Dutch slave trade. Dutch authors, however, do not draw this link between environmental precarity and colonial history. Meanwhile, Indonesian flood narratives from the below-sea-level (and sinking) former capital of the Dutch East Indies stand in stark contrast to Dutch flood narratives. They are not speculative or futurist but respond to ongoing and existing crises. Through a close reading of Khairani Barokka’s poetry on “flood women”, I first tease out the Indonesian subjectivities of flood in contrast to Dutch subjectivities of flood as characterized in Zee Nu. I then turn to the short story “Buyan” by utiuts, in which self-driving electric cars fail to navigate a flooded Jakarta. This story moves beyond flood alone, linking major industries of the Capitalocene – the mining of nickel for batteries, the farming of rubber and palm oil, and the overdevelopment of urban areas – to Dutch colonization, ongoing green colonialism, and the epistemicide of indigenous language and knowledge. Whereas Dutch and Anglophone literary markets quickly categorize novels as “CliFi” or “Ecofiction”, Indonesian texts that deal with climate as one among many other pressing issues are now branded as such in translation, packaged and anthologized for Global North readers. How does this impact the characterization of Indonesian literature on the world stage, and the indigenous perspectives on climate precarity therewithin? Lucelle Pardoe is a doctoral researcher at University College London, where her interdisciplinary research is supported by scholarships in Translation Studies and Education Studies. With one foot in each field, she develops pedagogical methods based on translation and translanguaging theories to support creative self-narrative in multilingual classrooms. Drawing on her linguistic repertoire of Dutch, English, and Indonesian, her doctoral thesis explores the decolonizing potential of Indonesian literature in the Dutch curriculum. Her other research interests include children’s literary culture, translation for the cultural heritage sector, sustainability in literature, gender in translation, and digital literature. She is a translator from Dutch into English of scholarly articles, children’s books, and museum catalogues.
Teacher emotion regulation is widely recognized as a crucial factor influencing classroom climate and student engagement. However, much existing research relies on prespecified models that assume linear, static, and often unidirectional—or occasionally reciprocal—relationships, oversimplifying the complex interplay between teacher emotion regulation and student engagement. These studies typically treat emotion regulation and student engagement as separate constructs linked by pre-specified causal pathways, overlooking the dynamic and systemic nature of classroom emotional processes. This oversimplification has led to theoretical tensions, including inconsistent findings regarding directionality—for example, teacher emotion regulation influencing student engagement (Burić, 2025), student engagement influencing teacher emotion regulation (Wang et al., 2021), or reciprocal relationships between the two (Frenzel et al., 2018)—and an underappreciation of the multifaceted, evolving interactions between teachers and students. Dynamic network approach is a novel framework that conceptualizes teacher emotion regulation and student engagement as interconnected components within a multidirectional system. Unlike traditional models, this approach does not require prespecifying causal pathways, allowing it to reveal the complex teacher-student interactions occurring in classrooms. By modeling constructs as mutually influencing nodes in a dynamic network, the approach captures the simultaneous, reciprocal, and multidirectional relationships that shape classroom emotional exchanges. This perspective addresses key theoretical challenges by revealing how teachers’ emotion regulation strategies and student engagement co-evolve through complex feedback loops. Incorporating network approach into research on teacher emotion regulation offers a nuanced and systemic understanding of emotional dynamics in the classroom. This advancement not only deepens theoretical insight but also informs the development of more adaptive interventions to better support both teachers and students. Teams link https://teams.microsoft.com/l/meetup-join/19%3ameeting_NzY5NWMwM2EtYjVkNy00NDA4LWE4ZmEtNDFlYzM3Y2Y1ZTgw%40thread.v2/0?context=%7b%22Tid%22%3a%22cc95de1b-97f5-4f93-b4ba-fe68b852cf91%22%2c%22Oid%22%3a%224003529c-f252-47aa-8e83-ce1eff28df4a%22%7d
The 2013-2016 Ebola virus (EBOV) epidemic in West Africa further highlighted the need to understand the processes of zoonotic spillover events of filoviruses and other high consequence emerging viruses. Furthermore, the reports of subsequent outbreaks of Zaire and Bombali Ebola viruses in addition to Marburg virus, in the region, suggests numerous known and unknown emerging viruses have been circulating in animal reservoirs before the initial spillover event of EBOV in 2013. The evidence of EBOV virus persistence in the testes of male survivors provides additional threats of sexual transmission associated outbreaks. We have been studying EBOV disease survivors and wildlife hunters in the forested region of Guinea since 2015. The forest, which straddle the borders with Liberia and Sierra Leonne, has extensive biodiversity and is home to an array of bat species as well as other small mammals previously identified as reservoirs for emerging viruses. I will discuss our work on molecular and sero-epidemiology that provided evidence of prior spillover of emerging viruses in the region as well as long term virus persistence in male survivors and the public health implications of future outbreaks from the “human reservoir”. Professor Miles Carroll is Professor of Emerging Viruses and leads the High Consequence Emerging Viruses research group at the Pandemic Sciences Institute, University of Oxford. Previously Professor Carroll was Head of Research at the National Infections Service at Public Health England, Porton Down from 2008–2022. His current research portfolio includes: naturally acquired immunity to EBOV and other high consequence pathogens, understanding the host response to infection, high consequence emerging disease vaccines and diagnostics, and the application of molecular epidemiology to outbreaks. He is also involved in ongoing infectious disease research in West Africa which supports capacity building for the region. Professor Carroll serves on a variety of Scientific Advisory Boards including the UK Animal and Plant Health Agency, Defence Science and Technology Laboratories, UK Vaccines Network and the WHO R&D Road Map for Priority Pathogens. He has been awarded numerous honorary awards in recognition of his research contributions to the field of infectious diseases. . https://www.chg.ox.ac.uk/people/miles-carroll
Interdisciplinary research is increasingly recognised, both within and beyond academia, as essential to addressing many of today’s most pressing global challenges. In tackling complex, multi-faceted issues, cross-disciplinary approaches are not only valuable but vital for generating innovative and impactful solutions. Nonetheless, undertaking interdisciplinary research presents a distinctive set of challenges. These may include communication barriers, divergent research paradigms, difficulties in publishing and securing funding, and broader structural or institutional constraints. While interdisciplinary work is gaining momentum, it remains relatively new in comparison to long-established disciplinary traditions, and many of its practices and support structures are still developing. This panel will explore the value of interdisciplinary research, consider the practical challenges it entails, and share strategies for fostering effective collaboration—whether through team-based initiatives or individual researchers working across disciplinary boundaries. Bringing together scholars from a range of research backgrounds, the session will offer practical insights, highlight common pitfalls, and outline best practices for navigating the interdisciplinary research landscape. Ample time will be allocated for audience questions and discussion. Academic staff and doctoral researchers currently engaged in or considering interdisciplinary work are warmly invited to join the conversation. Objectives • Identify key challenges and barriers to effective interdisciplinary collaboration in research. • Recognise the potential of interdisciplinary research to drive innovation, enhance societal impact, and support both academic and professional development. • Gain insights from researchers engaged in interdisciplinary work and understand practical strategies for integrating diverse disciplinary approaches. Panellists Lena Easton-Calabria — DPhil Student, School of Geography and the Environment Amarachukwu (Amara) Ifeji — DPhil Student, School of Geography and the Environment Dr Maaret Jokela-Pansini — Senior Research Associate, School of Geography and the Environment Professor Federica Lucivero — Associate Professor in Ethics of Technology, Ethox Centre; Oxford Centre for Ethics and Humanities; Oxford Population Healt Moderator Dr Keiko Kanno
While public concern about climate change is growing, individuals often face information frictions and psychological barriers to pro-environmental behaviour. In this study, we design and test an edutainment intervention that aims at promoting more sustainable food consumption through a serious video game. Different game versions either link player actions to visual impacts on the in-game environment or to social feedback through interactions with non-player characters, or both. To evaluate the effects on real-life attitudes, knowledge, and behaviour, we conduct an online survey experiment (n = 4,034 UK adults) that embeds an incentivised grocery shopping task. Compared to subjects who played a control version without educational content, treated subjects purchase food products that are around 20% more environmentally sustainable immediately after playing the game. In a follow-up survey several weeks later, effects are still strongly significant at around 8-10%. These behavioural changes are driven both by improved knowledge about environmental impacts of food as well as an increase in pro-environmental attitudes. Effects are particularly persistent among individuals with lower baseline environmental attitudes.
The lymphatic vessels were once considered like ‘pipes’ that drain excess fluid, lipids and immune cells from tissues back to the blood circulation. We now know that lymphatic vessels and lymph nodes are dynamic structures, constantly changing in response to the surrounding environment, communicating with tissues such as fat and actively regulating the transport of molecules and cells to influence health and disease. The lymphatic system has also been found to play an active role in a range of diseases from cancer to inflammatory and metabolic diseases. Join me to hear about our adventures developing new ways to deliver medicines into the lymphatics and better treat metabolic and inflammatory diseases. Biography: Natalie Trevaskis is a Professor, Pharmacist and Heads the Lymphatic Medicine Laboratory at the Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Melbourne, Australia. Her research program is focussed on the role of lymphatics in acute, inflammatory and metabolic diseases, and understanding the delivery of therapeutics and vaccines to the lymphatics to treat these diseases. She has extensive experience in biopharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and delivery of a range of therapeutic types. Natalie’s research has resulted in >100 peer reviewed papers (9848 cites) including significant papers in Nature, Nature Metabolism, Nature Nano, Nature Rev Drug Discovery, Angew Chemie, J Control Rel etc. She is also an inventor of 10 patent families (>60 individual patents), including for a lymph-directing prodrug technology licensed to Seaport Therapeutics with three candidates currently in clinical trials. Natalie has worked and consulted extensively with industry (Pfizer, Novartis, Astra Zeneca, Eli Lilly, Amgen, Genentech, Janssen, Protagonist, PureTech Health, Noxopharm etc.) to solve drug delivery problems. Natalie has received several notable academic prizes. From 2022-24, Natalie was named a Clarivate highly cited (Hi-Ci) researcher in pharmacology (top 0.1% or ~120 worldwide). She received the Vice Chancellor’s Researcher of the Year for Monash University in 2025.
Dr Zilu Liang - Distinct roles of hippocampus and neocortex in compositional generalization Dr Alex Lau-Zhu - Disrupting “flashbacks" and “flashforwards": Translating experimental psychopathology for youth mental health’
Dr Lidwell-Durnin will be discussing his forthcoming book, _Explaining Famine in the British Empire_. The book retraces efforts to observe and measure the famines and food shortages that struck India and Britain at the close of the eighteenth century, and it explores how these crises and episodes of scarcity gave rise to scientific efforts to explain and quantify 'famine.' Focusing on the time period between the Bengal famine of 1770 and the food shortages in Britain in 1800, it explores the development of the concepts of 'artificial scarcity' (and 'artificial famine'), and how statistical science and philosophy played a role in the naturalization of famine. The talk will focus in particular on the formation of Britain's Board of Agriculture and its efforts to expand its own influence within Bengal and Madras. *Dr John Lidwell-Durnin* is a lecturer in the History of Science specializing in the intersection of agricultural science and environmental history. His research delves into how scientific practices have shaped societies' responses to challenges like food security and ecological change. With a diverse array of publications spanning leading historical journals (_The Historical Journal, British Journal for the History of Science) and scientific outlets (_Global Food Security_), his work bridges disciplinary divides. He is currently working to develop the History of Entomology, and his most recent publications have been working to strengthen our understanding of how entomological science has both contributed and responded to the environmental costs of agriculture and meeting the subsistence needs of the planet.
This talk argues that prostitution in colonial India was governed not through a stable definition of sexual commerce but through fluctuating demands about women’s presence and knowability. Taking as its analytic point of departure a reformist anxiety about “disguised prostitutes” in 1961, it reads this concern retrospectively to illuminate a longer colonial genealogy in which governance depended on rendering prostitution legible while never fully securing it. Through close readings of three archival encounters—Ameer Baksh in 1875, Munni in 1893, and Moti Jan in 1926—the talk shows how women actively shaped the terms under which they could be seen and governed. By claiming exemption or respectability, refusing bodily discipline, or calibrating narratives of intimacy and residence, women worked upon the classificatory logics of law and policing, producing an archive marked by faintness, excess, and distortion. Methodologically, the article holds recuperative and nonrecuperative approaches in tension to treat these uneven traces not as archival failures but as historically meaningful effects of struggle over visibility and presence. Bio Zoya Sameen is an Assistant Professor of History at Aga Khan University whose work focuses on gender, law, and empire in nineteenth- and twentieth-century South Asia; her current book project examines women subjected to colonial prostitution laws to explore the uncertainties of empire. She is committed to developing students’ historical and critical thinking, serves on the organizing committee of the Pakistan History Workshop, and has contributed to Pakistan’s national history curriculum review. She previously taught at University of Chicago, where she earned her PhD in History.
This event showcases the work of Professor Maia Chankseliani and Prof Velda Elliott, following the award of their professorships in 2025 by The University of Oxford. The schedule for the event will be: 5pm: Welcome Address 5.10pm: Lecture by Professor Maia Chankseliani and Q&A 5.55pm: Lecture by Professor Velda Elliott and Q&A 6.40pm: Drinks reception --- Professor Chankseliani will deliver her lecture titled “Seeing Otherwise: International Higher Education and the Possibility of Change”. This inaugural lecture examines international higher education as a formative process that reshapes how individuals learn to judge, act, and remain engaged in public and institutional life. Drawing on a large global body of qualitative research with returnees, it asks how experiences of international study are later carried into contexts marked by constraint. The lecture argues that international higher education works less through transfer or measurable impact than through formation, cultivating comparative judgement and sustained engagement. It introduces the concept of presence to explain how learning abroad becomes consequential after return, even when systemic change is slow or resisted. --- Professor Elliott will deliver her paper titled “Considering context through Shelley’s ‘England 1819’, or, How to Murder a Poem and Get Away With It.” In this paper I use the example Shelley’s (fairly obscure) ‘England in 1819’ to explore how we think about context when analysing and interpreting poems. The current assessment objectives for GCSE English Literature include AO3: ‘Show understanding of the relationships between texts and the contexts in which they were written’ (DfE, 2013, p.6). As well as playing whack-a-mole the historical allusion, I will consider the types of context that illuminate or obscure the poem and its meaning, and think about how and when we should be introducing context in the English classroom, drawing on Barbara Bleiman’s metaphor of ‘door-opening knowledge’ (2020). It is all too easy to murder a poem with context: the question is whether we really can get away with it.
The seminar will be followed by drinks.
Deliberative politics versus the Internet: is technology creating a democratic deficit? Constitutions like the US’s were deliberately designed to slow down decision-making and put ‘grit in the system’ (and England’s did so organically). Tech can speed things up dramatically with real-time polling and electronic voting, and facilitates a huge increase in immediate voter-to-legislator contact. Is that a boon for good decision-making or a challenge? Are there implications for parties and parliaments?
Labor Market Transitions: Measurement and Scalable Interventions This talk considers several questions relating to labor market transitions. What workers face challenges with labor market transitions, and what interventions help? What are the mechanisms through which different types of workers can improve their outcomes? How can methods from machine learning and generative artificial intelligence be used to better understand the sources of disparities in labor market transitions?
Convened by Stéphane Van Damme (MFO Director) Emerging as a historiographical field in the 1960s under the impetus of Philippe Ariès, the history of childhood long occupied a fragmented position, split between the study of literary and artistic representations, the sociology of the family, the sciences of education, and labour history. Following the pioneering scholars—some of whom, such as the historian Didier Lett, are invited to this Week—historical research on childhood has gradually become institutionalised within academia. In this respect, the Oxford Centre for the History of Childhood has played a key role in making research on childhood visible in Great Britain. Bringing together a range of disciplinary perspectives (anthropology, psychology, psychoanalysis, sociology, and history), this Childhood Week will showcase new approaches in the social sciences and humanities. As the sociologist Régine Sirota has observed, “we have moved from an invisible childhood to the child as a genuine cause,” whether through recognition of children’s rarity and preciousness in the context of advances in biomedicine, or through analysis of the widespread fascination with childhood that characterises contemporary societies. This growing awareness—embodied in the Convention on the Rights of the Child—has also drawn attention to issues such as abuse and children at risk. This Childhood Week seeks to reflect these renewed scholarly perspectives by addressing emerging topics such as infant cognition, emotions, and care, including the history of children’s hospitalisation, while also revisiting more established themes such as work, children’s art and literature, and naturalist approaches to learning. It will highlight avenues of scholarly renewal by questioning how childhood has been defined across different periods and societies, from transnational, imperial, and global perspectives. In turn, this body of research has shaped early childhood policies, fostering an expert milieu that challenges educational institutions and lends legitimacy to alternative forms of education. Keynote lectures, round-table discussions, and film screenings will punctuate the event. From the poor child to the “wild” child, from the workshop to the classroom, this Childhood Week offers an opportunity to reflect on a shared future for childhood in a time of uncertainty. https://mfo.web.ox.ac.uk/event/childrens-week
Week 8 Monday 9th March 5.15pm 10.019 Chris Pittard, University of Portsmouth ‘Arthur Conan Doyle and Cornwall’
The subject of our 2026 Manchester Lecture will be the Worthingtons, the Manchester-based family firm of architects that was responsible for designing and building the main college quad between 1889 and 1893, as well as many other buildings in Oxford and the North of England – and whose founder, Thomas Worthington, was a committed social reformer. William Whyte, Professor of Social and Architectural History at the University of Oxford and a Fellow at St John's College, will deliver the lecture.
Disputes between colleagues can have a significant impact on performance and wellbeing as well as affecting patient experience and safety. This course is designed to help healthcare professionals understand how and why conflicts arise within and between teams, as well as what they can do to try and resolve issues. This course aims to help participants: understand the causes and impact of colleague-to-colleague conflict in a healthcare context appreciate different types of conflict personalities identify how conflict develops learn de-escalation strategies
R Code Clinic: Variant Annotation Using Bioconductor Tuesday 10 March, 9:00 – 10:00 am OxPop/BDI Seminar room 1 Facilitator – Dr. Ana-Marija Krizanac This hands-on training session will introduce participants to variant annotation workflows using the Bioconductor project in R. The session will begin with an overview of key concepts in variant annotation, including genomic ranges, variant file formats, and commonly used annotation resources. Participants will afterwards work through practical examples using real-world data. By the end of this course, you'll have hands-on experience with: Through guided coding exercises, participants will learn how to import and manipulate variant data, map variants to genes and genomic features, and enrich variant calls with biological and functional annotations using Bioconductor packages such as VariantAnnotation, GenomicRanges, and annotation databases. Emphasis will be placed on understanding Bioconductor data structures and applying reproducible workflows. Pre requisite: Participants should ideally have basic familiarity with the R programming language; please bring your own device. Pre-Course Preparation – software required – Rstudio, BiocManager should be installed prior to the session. Registration - https://forms.office.com/e/KQuAZ57srR?origin=lprLink
Lifestyle interventions are increasingly central to treatment strategies for psychiatric and neurodegenerative disorders. This seminar will focus on ketogenic diet-based programs and GLP-1-supported lifestyle interventions, examining their metabolic and neurological rationale. I will discuss how AI-enabled digital platforms can support personalisation, adherence, and monitoring, while generating actionable data to inform both clinical care and research. The talk will highlight key evidence gaps and translational challenges, and will explore which lifestyle components, such as nutrition, physical activity, sleep, cognitive-behavioural strategies, and stress regulation, appear most critical for sustaining cognitive and psychiatric benefits. Opportunities and challenges for integrating AI-enables lifestyle platforms into clinical and research settings will be discussed. This seminar is hosted in person at the Department of Psychiatry Seminar Room. To join online, please use the below Zoom details: https://zoom.us/j/93311812405?pwd=9kbjSbEcO2fa7n7gFLZVqrChvr467B.1 Meeting ID: 933 1181 2405 Passcode: 169396
This 90-minute session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; save a search and document it. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
The way we work and interact with our peers and wider networks, has a huge influence on research outputs and outcomes. This workshop explores a set of core skills and mindsets to help you thrive in research and positively influence your working environment and teams. You will also be able to share your lived experience with peers and participate in focused discussions. COURSE DETAILS A powerful workshop for senior postdocs, aspiring PIs, new PIs, and research group leaders wanting to increase their impact and agility at a strategic time. Join this highly participative, in-person workshop, facilitated by Natacha Wilson, to explore three core skills and mindsets to thrive in research and positively influence your ecosystem: Developing and nurturing effective interdisciplinary and multi-sectorial collaborations for impact. Embracing openness and visibility in research across specific stakeholder groups to increase reach (including open science practices). Boosting creativity and innovation in your research project and team to overcome challenges. LEARNING OUTCOMES At the end of the workshop you will be able to: Prioritise areas supporting your own personal development. Identify relevant frameworks and guidelines. Share your experience with peers and reflect on best practice.
Join us for a digital scholarship coffee gathering - tea and coffee will be provided. At this session we'll have a talk titled 'Digital Methodologies for Understanding Historical Poetry Reading Styles' About the speaker Isabelle Stuart is a final year DPhil student in the English Faculty at Oxford, where she researches early twentieth century poetry recitation practices and their influence on modernist poetics. She is also part of the Shakespeare and Company Lab at Princeton University, which uses digitised library records from the Parisian bookshop to understand the early circulation of modernist literature. These will be held in the Visiting Scholars Centre, so to attend you’ll need to bring your Bodleian Card and to leave your bags in the lockers - this event is only open to University staff and students.
Are you planning to present a poster at an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This introductory session will provide you with some top tips on how to create a poster presentation which will help you to communicate your research project and data effectively. There will be guidance on formatting, layout, content, use of text, references and images, as well as advice on printing and presenting your poster. This session will also provide help with locating resources such as templates, free-to-use images and poster guidelines. By the end of this online session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of templates, formatting, text and images; and plan, prepare and present your poster. Intended audience: Medicine and NHS; Researcher and research student
Email oxchildpsych@psych.ox.ac.uk to request the Zoom link to attend online.
How does the climatic experience of previous generations affect today’s assessment of the importance of environmental concerns? We study this question by bringing together broad empirical evidence —spanning individual survey responses and group-level cultural records— with a new theory of costly environmental attention shaped by evolutionary cultural transmission across generations. We show that the intensity of ancestral climate anomalies leaves a persistent imprint on the perceived stakes of accounting for environmental considerations in decision-making (the subjective value of attention). The relationship is U-shaped: descendants of groups who faced more stable or more volatile climates report a higher importance of environmental considerations, with a dip at intermediate variability. Environmental content in folklore displays the same U-shape, consistent with a cultural-transmission channel linking ancestral experience to contemporary perceptions. We develop a general model in which environmental attention is a costly, endogenous choice made before climate conditions are realised, and perceptions of its stakes evolve through intergenerational transmission shaped by differential success. Because attention is chosen ex ante, evolutionary pressure is too imprecise to select for accurate perceptions state-by-state: it only disciplines perceptions through average realised payoffs under the climate distribution a group experiences, generating persistence in perceived stakes across generations. Finally, when attention serves two functions—using typical conditions effectively and protecting against extreme events—the model rationalises the U-shaped dependence of perceived stakes on ancestral climate variability.
High quality early childhood education (ECE) can make a crucial contribution to equal life chances for children. ECE staff tend to have a wide range of qualifications and experience, with variable skills and knowledge to support children’s development. In this talk, we will share recent collaborative work by our team from Cambridge, the Early Intervention Foundation and the Centre for Evidence and Implementation that aims to develop ECE workers’ professional learning using a novel methodology. We systematically reviewed ECE programmes with a strong research evidence base, then we extracted the common elements of practice from those programmes. These common elements were the basis for developing our Early Years Library. Next, we worked collaboratively with early years practitioners and implementation experts to co-design training and support materials through a series of rapid cycle testing and refinement. This talk situates the common elements methodology among other approaches to generating robust evidence, like more traditional randomized trials. We examine the notions of feasibility and enablers for implementation in the context of non-manualised approaches to professional learning. Bio: Prof Sara Baker is a Professor of Developmental Psychology and Education (Faculty of Education, Cambridge) and a 2022 UNESCO-IBE Senior Fellow in the Science of Learning. Dr Julia Birchenough is a Research Associate, Faculty of Education, Cambridge. This work is funded by the Nuffield Foundation Teams link: https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/3825967966058?p=oaa4boDA3tu5ZnqMja
We will have a plenary session with a talk by Professor Anneke Lucassen, Professor of Genomic Medicine. Director of the Centre for Personalised Medicine, University of Oxford. Professor Lucassen will talk about ethical issues in research.
Bio: Tom Bearpark is a PhD candidate in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy, advised by Professor Michael Oppenheimer. Tom is an interdisciplinary environmental economist who develops and applies statistical methods to quantify the socio-economic impacts of climate change. His dissertation research includes an econometric study of the mortality consequences of urban flooding in Mumbai, an interdisciplinary comparison of approaches to modelling climate-driven migration, and a methodological paper proposing new criteria for selecting time controls in climate impact studies. Before coming to Princeton, Tom was a pre-doctoral fellow at the Climate Impact Lab at the University of Chicago, and worked for two years as an economist at the UK government’s energy regulator. He holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and Philosophy from the London School of Economics, and an MPhil in Economic Research from the University of Cambridge. Abstract: Rainfall and flooding frequently disrupt the lives of urban residents worldwide, posing significant public health risks. Rapid urbanisation is exposing larger and more vulnerable populations to flooding, while climate change intensifies rainfall patterns and rising sea levels impair drainage systems. Despite the growing recognition and urgency of these hazards, the health impacts of rainfall remain poorly understood, and those of sea level rise are entirely unquantified. Here, we estimate the mortality consequences of rainfall in one of the world’s largest cities – Mumbai, India. We integrate high-resolution data on rainfall, tides, and mortality, to analyse how unmanaged rainfall and its interaction with tidal dynamics contribute to urban health risks. We find that rainfall causes more than 8% of Mumbai’s deaths during the monsoon season, and that more than 80% of this burden is borne by slum-residents. Children face the biggest increase in mortality risk from rainfall, and women face a greater risk than men. Additionally, we demonstrate that mortality risk from rainfall increases sharply during high tides and use this relationship to evaluate how rising sea levels could amplify rainfall-induced mortality in the absence of adaptation. Our findings reveal that the mortality impacts of rainfall are an order of magnitude larger than is documented by official statistics, highlighting the urgent need for investment in improved drainage, sanitation, and waste management infrastructure. Join the meeting online: https://shorturl.fm/HRHIm
We estimate how expenditures on durable goods respond to transitory income shocks using variation from the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008. The estimated responses are large: Households spent about 80 percent of their stimulus payment within three months of receiving the income transfer on durables alone. Most of this spending was on motor vehicles, either financed, used, or both, and about 20 percent of the total expenditure response was on smaller items. To purchase motor vehicles the average household levered up by 40 cents on the dollar using vehicle loans. Our findings suggest that durable goods and their financing are key to understanding the link between current income and spending.
Higher Education in the UK and worldwide faces multiple challenges and calls for reform. Some people argue for a higher level of participation, some for less, and some for more focus on employer needs, some for more attention to the wider self-formation of students. At the same time, there are deepening concerns about the sustainability of an economy based on over-consumption and trust in knowledge amid epistemic fracture. In this talk, Tim Blackman sets out why the dominant qualification in the sector – the full-time, often residential, honours degree – is a cause of many of the issues higher education and society face on these fronts. Past policy failures point to a need for a radical rethink, including limiting higher education providers’ freedom to design their own courses and a complete overhaul of how they are accountable for their contribution to a sustainable economy and rebuilding trust in knowledge.
Is Brussels strangling European competitiveness with red tape, or quietly building the foundations of a new industrial strategy? At a time of global subsidy races, Chinese competition, and mounting geopolitical pressure, the European Commission is under scrutiny for how it shapes the Single Market, regulates industry, and supports innovation. In this conversation, Kerstin Jorna, Director-General of DG GROW, discusses how the EU plans to boost competitiveness after the Draghi report, close the scale-up gap for innovators, balance strategic autonomy with open markets, and ensure that green and digital regulation strengthens, rather than weakens, Europe’s economic future.
The Production of Value: Metrology, Land Revenue, and the State in Colonial India, 1820-1900 Shankar Nair (Oxford) The mapping of India has long been viewed as an instrument of colonial governmentality and control. In this view, scientific survey and map-making legitimised British territorial possession and extraction, presenting an image of imperial rule at once enlightened and powerful. More recently, historians of science have called for a greater focus on local contributions to colonial cartography, emphasising the labour and knowledge of the ‘go-between’ in the circulation of scientific knowledge and the often-imperfect manifestation of science-making on the ground. The focus in all these studies has been on grand surveys, notably The Great Trigonometrical Survey of the nineteenth century, and on particular scientific innovations. This paper, part of the AHRC-funded ‘Colonial Standards’ project at History of Science Museum (HSM) Oxford, looks instead at the ideas and practices of land surveying in the nineteenth century that underpinned a vital function of the British colonial state: the land revenue system. The largest single source of colonial revenue, the land tax has long been a contentious issue in Indian economic and social history. Yet, little is known of the social, material, and political-economic considerations of this system, the techniques used to determine value, and the interaction of this cadastral knowledge with local forms of power and ordering such as caste. Using the scientific instrument collections at HSM Oxford and archival materials, the paper argues that an engagement with the material and social practice of land surveying provides fresh insight into the making of the colonial state and the lasting entanglement of land and power in India. My research focuses on the social and economic history of science and technology and its relation to the history of empire in South Asia in the 19th and 20th century. I am particularly interested in agricultural and rural industrial production, and the history of scientific and commercial standardisation in a transnational and comparative perspective. I am currently a Linda Hall Library Fellow in the History of Science and Technology (2025-26). I previously worked as a Lecturer in the History of Science and Technology at King’s College London (2024-25) and co-convened the Centre for the History of Science, Technology, and Medicine (CHoSTM) during this period. The Big Sequence: chronology and the pan-Africanisms of the twentieth century Rachel King (UCL) During the mid-twentieth century archaeology on the African continent was fixated on producing chronological sequences of artefacts and dirt: elements that held the key to a comprehensive picture of the continent's deep past. This recognition catalysed an unprecedented project to collate a continent's worth of distinct sequences, excavated under varying paradigms by different research teams in various languages, with an ambition of presenting the first scientific pan-African archaeology: an Atlas and accompanying Lexicon of African Prehistory. While this archaeological project did not explicitly align itself with other contemporary pan-African politics, it had to contend with these amidst the rapidly changing landscape of the independence period. In particular, the ultimate pariah status of the apartheid government - representing the country with one of the best-documented human fossil chronologies on the continent - forced conversations about the limits of scientific cooperation, with fractures ultimately forming between African and Euro-American archaeologists. This seminar explores how aspirations of organising time without borders in Africa's deep past confronted other forms of solidarity and resistance, and led to a reckoning in archaeology's purpose on the continent. Rachel King is an inter-disciplinary scholar specialising in the study of the recent past in southern Africa. Her most recent publications include her 2025 book The Neoliberalisation of Heritage in Africa (Cambridge University Press), her 2024 co-edited textbook Methods and Methodologies in Heritage Studies (UCL Press), and several forthcoming articles on the impacts of South Africa's framework for protecting the past after 30 years of democracy.
This presentation explores how irregular migration is governed through sharply differentiated city-level practices in Türkiye, revealing a hidden geography of pushbacks and pushforwards. Drawing on multi-sited fieldwork in Van, Iğdır, Edirne, and İzmir, the webinar session demonstrates how border control varies dramatically across geopolitical contexts, migration routes, and European Union externalisation policies. By foregrounding cities as critical sites of migration governance, the analysis demonstrates how local actors, infrastructures, and spatial practices become central to managing irregular migration beyond formal legal categories. The findings highlight the importance of city-level perspectives for understanding contemporary border governance and raise broader questions for European cities about responsibility-sharing, informal containment practices, and the human rights implications of differentiated migration control regimes. Register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/my/globalexchange?pwd=Leg0c2vc0qBp797m1urqaie8cQ9Zhq.1&omn=95791367141
This paper offers a comparative analysis of the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in the Gospel of Luke alongside analogous eschatological motifs in the Qur’an, situating both within the broader landscape of religious exchange in Late Antiquity. Focusing on the Qur’anic articulation of impassable barriers between the blessed and the damned, as well as between the living and the dead, the study examines three key passages (i.e., Qur’an 7:41–53, Qur’an 23:99–115, and Qur’an 57:10–24) to explore how Christian narrative themes are received, reworked, and reinterpreted within the Qur’anic discourse. Central to the analysis is the Qur’an’s use of distinct yet interrelated concepts of barriers (aʿrāf, sūr, and barzakh), which resonate with the Lukan depiction of an unbridgeable chasm between the righteous and the condemned. Building on earlier observations by Geoffrey Parrinder and Emran El-Badawi regarding stylistic and thematic correspondences between the Qur’an and Christian texts, as well as the work of Tommaso Tesei and George Archer on the Qur’an’s engagement with extra-biblical traditions, this study argues that such parallels reflect a complex intertextual environment rather than simple borrowing or replication. Although the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus is not explicitly referenced in the Qur’an, the recurrence of comparable motifs points to a nuanced engagement with pre-Islamic traditions familiar to the Qur’an’s audience. In particular, the analysis of Qur’an 7 reveals an awareness of Gospel imagery, including motifs such as the camel passing through the eye of a needle. The diversity of Qur’anic terminology for barriers further suggests interaction with multiple streams of tradition or layered interpretive processes operative in Late Antiquity rather than direct textual dependence. The paper concludes that the motifs associated with the Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus likely belonged either to a broader pre-Gospel tradition that continued to circulate into the Qur’anic milieu, or to a constellation of derivative traditions that evolved from the parable itself. By tracing these intertextual dynamics, the study illuminates how the Qur’an participates in a wider dialogue of religious narratives, offering valuable insight into the reception and transformation of Gospel themes among early Islamic and Arabian communities.
Archaeological evidence suggests that dogs diverged from wolves during the Palaeolithic >15,000 years ago. The earliest unequivocal genetic evidence, however, is associated with dog remains from Mesolithic archeological contexts (~10,900 years ago). To test for evidence of dogs in the Palaeolithic, we generated both nuclear and mitochondrial genomes from canid remains at Pınarbaşı (Türkiye) and Gough’s Cave (UK) directly dated to between 15,800 and 14,300 years ago. We also generated genomic data from dogs excavated from two Mesolithic contexts in Serbia (Padina and Vlasac). Combined, our genetic analysis demonstrates that dogs were widely distributed across West Eurasia during the Late Upper Palaeolithic (~14,300 years ago), and may have spread alongside the expansion of human ancestry associated with the Epigravettian culture (16,000–13,000 years ago). Even more interestingly, these dogs, were genetically a great deal more similar than expected given the ~3,500km geographic distance between them and statistically, they were more anomalous than both Tiger Woods and Lionel Messi. I’ll present the latest insights related to the origins and dispersal of dogs and the degree of correlation between human and dog movements across Eurasia, the Americas and Oceania.
All welcome
This talk uses the ironic figure of the ‘Great White Circumcisers,’ echoing the trope of Great White Hunters, to rethink debates on male and female circumcision in Kenya. Drawing on long-term ethnographic research and multi-sited archival work, it challenges the assumption that genital cutting is a timeless, exclusively African tradition. Instead, circumcision is framed as an emergent, entangled, and politically charged social process shaped through sustained interaction between African actors and European missionaries, doctors, and global health experts. Reframing circumcision in terms of cultural proximity rather than alterity, the talk argues that contemporary polarisation reflects deeper struggles over moral authority, provision, and belonging. Dr Mark Lamont is Lecturer In Sustainable Development at the Open University. Mark's research explores the interplay between culture, politics, and health in global development. His work engages two main areas: (a) the politics of global health, particularly how biomedical knowledge, ethics, and power shape interventions and policies; and (b) the relationships between cultural heritage and development, with a focus on ocean health, blue economy, and the transformation of maritime communities. He is also engaged in writing a book about male circumcision in Kenya from early missionary efforts to control indigenous sexuality to ongoing medical male circumcision campaigns to prevent HIV. His interest is understanding how race, identity, and sexuality link these histories.
I will be presenting part of my research on anti-colonial dissent in 1884–1915 German Southwest Africa, present-day Namibia. Drawing on and critically engaging with the archives of the German colonial administration in Windhoek and Berlin, the project explores how labour was a key site of both collective and everyday resistance to German colonial rule. One strand of the project sheds light on the exploitation of Namibian labour in railway construction and mining. Here, I discuss unstudied archival material on numerous workers’ strikes and their violent suppression, emphasising the sustained challenge of Namibians to colonial accumulation. A second strand turns to the exploitation of domestic labour, an arena crucial to the reproduction of empire, yet usually marginalised in accounts of colonial expropriation. My research traces the varied ways in which Namibian women, forced to perform domestic labour in the German home, resisted their oppressors through fugitivity, work refusal, and troublemaking. Methodologically, this project is grounded in an approach of reading against the archival grain, challenging the epistemic violence of colonial archives and stretching their interpretive boundaries to trace otherwise obscured voices and practices of resistance.
Is nuclear conflict manageable, or does any use of nuclear weapons inexorably push states toward escalation? And how do these dynamics differ between nuclear- and conventional-armed attacks? Many theorists have considered these questions, but empirically answering them is difficult given the absence of historical data. We address this challenge by fielding a pre-registered experimental survey of American adults designed around a series of hypothetical vignettes featuring attacks on the United States. The vignettes vary in the targets struck (conventional military installations, nuclear facilities, or civilian facilities) and the means of attack (conventional munitions or nuclear weapons). We then measure preferences over concession versus retaliation, the form and intensity of retaliation (including nuclear options), and respondents’ stated reasons for and against nuclear use. To probe mechanisms, we capture emotional reactions and broader situational assessments using both closed-ended measures and free-response prompts. By assessing the public’s response to various attacks across a range of targets, our study identifies what actions are more (less) likely to generate public pressure for (de)escalation. And by probing the emotional reactions and logic evinced by respondents, our study offers potential insights into the affective microfoundations underlying nuclear conflict dynamics. Dr Lauren Sukin is the John G. Winant Associate Professor in US Foreign Policy in the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, as well as a Professorial Fellow in Nuffield College at the University of Oxford. Dr Sukin's research examines historical and contemporary challenges in international security, focusing particularly on the role of technology—including nuclear weapons—in alliances. Dr Sukin is an Affiliate at Stanford University's Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), a Nonresident Scholar in the Nuclear Policy Program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and a Fellow at Charles University's Peace Research Centre Prague. She holds a PhD and MA from the Department of Political Science at Stanford University and ABs in political science and literary arts from Brown University. Dr Sam Seitz is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Oxford's Department of Politics and International Relations and a Deterrence Futures Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute. He was previously a Stanton Nuclear Postdoctoral Fellow at MIT, where he was affiliated with the Security Studies Program. De Seitz’ work primarily concerns the causes and consequences of states' military procurement choices and the effect of these choices on alliance politics. He is especially interested in the way that procurement choices relate to issues of nuclear strategy and the role that status and prestige concerns play in shaping military force postures.
Conversations about Digital Ethics, Accountability, and Systemic Impact with Joanna Kavenna (author of ZED and SEVEN) and Oxford Academics
Personal correspondence and early modern diplomacy: information flow and career strategies in the correspondence of Jacob and Peter von Stählin (1770s-1780s) and a presentation of the new volume Vladislav Rjéoutski et al. (eds.), _Translation in Early Modern Diplomacy_ (London, 2026)
📚 Book Launch | Extraction: The Frontiers of Green Capitalism🌱 What does the green transition really require, and at what cost? Join us in Oxford for the launch of Extraction, where Thea Riofrancos examines how lithium, critical minerals, and global supply chains are reshaping development, politics, and climate action. Based on fieldwork in Chile, Nevada, and Portugal, the book explores the environmental and social consequences of the global race for lithium, and asks how climate action can be aligned with social justice. 🗓 Tuesday, 10 March 2026 🕓 4:30 to 7:00 pm 📍Researchers Common Room, Department of Earth Sciences Co-organized by the TIDE Centre and Oxford EARTH. The event will feature a conversation with the author, readings, and a drinks reception.
To follow
In this talk, Arthur Rose (Exeter University) will revisit earlier work on the reception of Franz Kafka’s part ownership of an asbestos factory to think about the sights, sounds and textures that Kafka’s biography and works conjure up. This hybrid event is organised by the AHRC-funded project Kafka’s Transformative Communities and all are welcome.
The seminars will take place on Tuesdays during term time, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. at Corpus Christi College in Merton Street. Please ask the porters for directions. No registration is required. For more details: https://tolkien50.web.ox.ac.uk/event/tolkien-seminars-ht-2026
All College members and colleagues are invited to the JRF Research Showcase, a fantastic opportunity to gain insights into the research activities of early career researchers at Kellogg. Junior Research Fellows (JRFs) are an important part of Kellogg College’s academic community. Together, they represent an impressive breadth of disciplinary expertise and research interests, from the sciences and social sciences to the humanities and beyond. Presenters will share not only what they do, but why it matters. They’ll be telling us about the intellectual journey behind their research: the questions that drive them, the methods they use, and the insights their work offers. The aim is to inspire curiosity, invite constructive feedback, and build bridges across disciplines. Join us to be part of a rich and fascinating journey of multidisciplinary discovery with our JRFs. Each presentation will be no more than 10 minutes, with opportunities for questions with the researchers. The event will be followed by a drinks reception for networking and further conversations. Presenters to be announced shortly
TBC
Does public sector employment make graduates less likely to join anti-regime protests? Recent scholarship argues yes, with consequences for bottom-up democratization in late-developing economies with expansive public and higher education sectors. This paper examines whether this thesis travels to the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). We find that well-educated public sector employees were actually more likely to join anti-regime protests in Algeria and Egypt, while we estimate null effects for state dependency in Lebanon, Iraq, Sudan, and Tunisia. Supplementary analyses show that educated public sector employees who protested in Algeria – a critical case for the state-dependency argument – prioritized political rights and grievances over economic considerations. Importantly, these preferences were not visible in surveys from the pre-protest period. The findings put bounds on the external validity of the state middle class thesis, caution against inferring future protest participation from attitudinal data, and identify political conditions when the state middle class may suddenly become more protest prone.
Polish-Ukrainian reconciliation was one of the most significant events in Europe following the fall of communism. Its importance is comparable to the Franco-German reconciliation after World War II: just as the former served as a cornerstone for a united and peaceful Europe, the latter offered a chance to extend it further East. However, since the 2010s, relations between Poland and Ukraine have shown a deteriorating trend. In this year’s Leszek Kołakowski lecture, Professor Yaroslav Hrytsak, one of Ukraine's leading modern historians, will address three critical questions: What went wrong, what could be mended, and what consequences might this have for the future of Europe amidst the ongoing Russian-Ukrainian war? Dr Anna Wylegała will offer a commentary, focusing particularly on recent Polish politics and social attitudes.
We are delighted to invite you to attend a lecture by entrepreneur Nick English, co-founder of British Luxury watchmaker, Bremont, as part of the St Cross Professionals in Residence programme. The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception and all are welcome. Nick will set out his inspirational life story from a near fatal plane crash in 1995, to establishing Bremont as a globally recognised watch brand (partnering with Williams Formula 1, Boeing and the UK Ministry of Defence). Nick is a sought-after keynote speaker and talks with passion about the challenges of securing Bremont’s role in the reinvigoration of British watchmaking and precision component manufacturing, as well as his championing of UK precision engineering. Since selling his stake in Bremont in 2022, Nick has remained an active investor and brand builder, focused on preserving and growing heritage manufacturing businesses. The Professionals in Residence Programme is generously sponsored by our alumnus, and prominent U.S. lawyer, Doug Wigdor (1993, MLitt Social Studies), with the scope to attract to St Cross, highly distinguished professionals from outside the world of academia.
10 March (Week 8) Speakers TBC
An exemplary life: the scientific and humanitarian legacy of Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Georgina Ferry is a science writer, author and broadcaster. A former staff editor and feature writer on New Scientist, she has presented science programmes on BBC Radio. Her biography of Britain's only female Nobel-prizewinning scientist, Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin: Patterns, Proteins and Peace, was reissued by Bloomsbury in 2019. She has published further books on 20th and 21st-century science. Currently she edits obituaries for Nature and contributes reviews, obituaries and features to The Guardian, Nature and The Lancet. She lives in Oxford.
10 March, 5.30pm (room 00.079, Schwarzman Centre) '"The Universal Vibration of Life": William Bartram's Swarm Ecology'
Cities have the potential to play a significant role in meeting national conservation and biodiversity goals. However, there is a growing understanding that just quantifying the total area of green spaces in cities is not sufficient - connectiveness between sites of biodiversity is equally important. The built environment and transport infrastructure can act as barriers to this connectivity without us being fully aware. To understand how to better “connect up urban nature’ there is a need to develop more refined tools to identify the optimal connectiveness, size and structural heterogeneity of urban sites to enhance biodiversity. One such model has been developed by Oskar Kindvall and his colleagues from Chalmers University for the city of Gothenburg in Sweden. In this free online lecture and panel discussion, we will learn how city leaders, planners, transport officials, ecologists, environmental managers, and property developers can learn from this new approach, which is also about to be applied here in Oxford.
This Week's focus: Religion as a Site of Fragmentation, Unity, and Re-Articulation. Religious institutions, identities, and sacred space as sites of division and re-articulation. This reading group examines the political, geographic, economic, cultural, and linguistic fragmentations that have shaped Palestinian life over the past century, from the West Bank, Gaza, and the ’48 territories to the multiple Palestinian diasporas. By engaging with scholarship across history, political theory, and cultural studies, this reading group interrogates how these divisions have been produced, institutionalised, and normalised, and how they continue to shape Palestinian belongings, identities, and futures. Our aim is to consider both the unity that persists within fragmentation and the fragmentation that structures the very notion of Palestine. Central Question: How are ideas of Palestine and Palestinian collective identity shaped, challenged, and rearticulated under conditions of fragmentation? Structure: The group will convene biweekly throughout Hilary and Trinity Terms 2026, with each session lasting two hours
LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: What experience and characteristics you need to have to gain a fellowship. The application process. How to work with University’s systems and procedures to optimise your application and its chance of success. You will have an opportunity to practice interviewing/being interviewed for fellowship applications.
*Please email "$":mailto:mori.reithmayr@history.ox.ac.uk to join the reading group mailing list.* *Session Theme: TBD*
Join Philippa Christoforou, Social Venture Lead at Oxford University Innovation, for an inspiring GROW session on building businesses that create positive social and environmental impact. Discover practical strategies for turning research into ventures that tackle global challenges, and learn how to embed purpose and sustainability into your entrepreneurial journey.
TBC
In this seminar, Professor Kathryn Oliver will introduce research drawing on interviews with policymakers and academics to explore how different forms of knowledge gain credibility in policymaking, and what this means for transparency and public health. The seminar is hosted by PSI and will be chaired by Tess Johnson. It will take place on Wednesday, 11 March 2026, from 12.30 to 13.30, followed by lunch and a chance to network with colleagues. About the speaker Professor Kathryn Oliver is a social scientist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. She is interested in how we make, mobilise and use evidence in policy and practice. Professor Oliver co-directs the research collaboration 'Transforming Evidence', which brings together funders, decision-makers, practitioners and researchers from a range of disciplines and sectors. This collaboration aims to both do research on evidence production and use, and to ensure that the research scientists do is used by policymakers. Seminar outline Debates about the role of evidence in policymaking have tended to focus primarily on how to increase the influence of academic research evidence on policy. This approach to the role of knowledge in policy sidesteps the question of what types of knowledge are used and valued in policymaking, and how different forms of knowledge may interact with policy. Drawing on 55 interviews with policymakers and academics, Professor Oliver will explore how personal/institutional characteristics and processes confer credibility to knowledge for policy in informal and formal contexts. Using the generation of credibility as a lens to understand the effects of these values on scientific and policy processes allows us to understand the broader strengths and limitations of different forms of knowledge within the policy arena. Professor Oliver will close with some reflections on transparency in policymaking, and the implications of this for public health.
Sudarshana Banerjee (University of St Andrews), Incorporation and Marginalization: Medical Knowledge-Making, Power, and the Politics of Knowledge Circulation during the Company Era This paper examines the contested nature of scientific and medical knowledge-making in colonial spaces and the complex politics of knowledge transmission beyond the colonial borders in the early nineteenth-century by focusing on the activities of George Playfair (1782–1846), an East India Company official and member of the Indian Medical Service. Playfair’s medical career in India, spanning from 1805 to 1842, was marked by active engagement with indigenous remedies and medical texts and efforts to incorporate them into Western medical practices. Recent scholarship on the transnational circulation of knowledge has emphasized the need to recognize the barriers to knowledge transmission. While earlier studies have focused on the movement of knowledge, they have often overlooked the role of the State and institutional structures in shaping what knowledge was allowed to circulate. Playfair’s career offers a lens through which to explore these frictions in medical knowledge circulation during the Company era. This paper analyzes two key moments: Playfair's attempt to introduce Mudar (powdered form of a plant abundantly found in various regions of India and utilized by native healers) into Western medicine as a remedy for various disruptive diseases like leprosy, and his English translation of the Taleef Shereef, an eighteenth-century Unani medical text (Playfair’s translation was published by the Calcutta Medical and Physical Society in 1833). I will contrast and interrogate the enthusiasm with which knowledge of Mudar was circulated and received in the British medical press with the relative silence surrounding the Taleef. I will demonstrate that while early nineteenth-century knowledge-making by Company officials within the Indian subcontinent was characterized simultaneously by processes of collaboration (albeit marked by asymmetrical relations of power) and erasure, the circulation and reception of this knowledge within the metropole and broader Empire were further shaped by concerns of imperial utility, commercial profitability and racial prejudice. Operating both at the level of the Company-State and metropolitan medical press these concerns ensured selective, calculated incorporation and systemic marginalization of indigenous medical knowledge. Rishabh Bajoria (National University of Singapore), High Developmentalism and Stubborn Ecologies: A Pre-History of the Indus Waters Treaty, 1948-54 This paper focuses on attempts by diplomatic elites to decontextualise the Indus rivers from the territory over which they flow—the disputed region of Kashmir. The most pronounced of such attempts was by David Lilienthal in 1951. Lilienthal was the former Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority—an ambitious dam-building project designed to be the centrepiece of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal in the US South—and his intervention reflected the same ‘high developmentalist’ ideal. I show how Lilienthal changed the future of Kashmir and the Indus waters by arguing that harnessing the waters for India and Pakistan’s postcolonial development required setting aside Kashmiri demands for self-determination. Lilienthal’s 1951 piece for Collier’s magazine set the agenda for World Bank-led negotiations between India and Pakistan during 1951-54. The paper draws on diplomatic archives from the US, UK, and India to trace how Lilienthal’s proposal to set up a Tennessee Valley Authority [‘TVA’] for the Indus could not be realised because even while the territory of Kashmir could be abstracted from the Indus waters in legal and political discourse, the ecology of Kashmir could not be disappeared from riparian politics altogether. Thus, it explores how the inability of regional and global elites to align recalcitrant ecologies with their developmental agendas opened up political possibilities for subalterns to assert self-determination over Kashmiri territory and waters. Six decades on, dams constructed under the Treaty continue to cause flooding in Kashmir, placing the environmental costs of New Delhi and Karachi’s development onto Kashmiris.
For our next talk, in the Digital Phenotyping seminar series, we will hear from Professor Mihaela van der Schaar, John Humphrey Plummer Professor of Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence and Medicine at the University of Cambridge on Wednesday 11 March, 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm, at the Big Data Institute (BDI). Title: TBC Date: Wednesday 11 March Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm Venue: BDI/OxPop, Seminar Room 0; followed by refreshments in the atrium Abstract: awaited Hybrid Option: awaited Microsoft Teams meeting https://teams.microsoft.com/meet/33185133262319?p=XtTkRrfbxVFFvmOOjs Meeting ID: 331 851 332 623 19 Passcode: yC25fC3x ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you wish to know more or receive information related to trainings and events at BDI, please subscribe by emailing bdi-announce-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk. You'll then receive an email from SYMPA and once you reply you'll be on the list!
*Sudarshana Banerjee* (University of St Andrews) *Incorporation and Marginalization: Medical Knowledge-Making, Power, and the Politics of Knowledge Circulation during the Company Era* This paper examines the contested nature of scientific and medical knowledge-making in colonial spaces and the complex politics of knowledge transmission beyond the colonial borders in the early nineteenth-century by focusing on the activities of George Playfair (1782–1846), an East India Company official and member of the Indian Medical Service. Playfair’s medical career in India, spanning from 1805 to 1842, was marked by active engagement with indigenous remedies and medical texts and efforts to incorporate them into Western medical practices. Recent scholarship on the transnational circulation of knowledge has emphasized the need to recognize the barriers to knowledge transmission. While earlier studies have focused on the movement of knowledge, they have often overlooked the role of the State and institutional structures in shaping what knowledge was allowed to circulate. Playfair’s career offers a lens through which to explore these frictions in medical knowledge circulation during the Company era. This paper analyzes two key moments: Playfair's attempt to introduce Mudar (powdered form of a plant abundantly found in various regions of India and utilized by native healers) into Western medicine as a remedy for various disruptive diseases like leprosy, and his English translation of the Taleef Shereef, an eighteenth-century Unani medical text (Playfair’s translation was published by the Calcutta Medical and Physical Society in 1833). I will contrast and interrogate the enthusiasm with which knowledge of Mudar was circulated and received in the British medical press with the relative silence surrounding the Taleef. I will demonstrate that while early nineteenth-century knowledge-making by Company officials within the Indian subcontinent was characterized simultaneously by processes of collaboration (albeit marked by asymmetrical relations of power) and erasure, the circulation and reception of this knowledge within the metropole and broader Empire were further shaped by concerns of imperial utility, commercial profitability and racial prejudice. Operating both at the level of the Company-State and metropolitan medical press these concerns ensured selective, calculated incorporation and systemic marginalization of indigenous medical knowledge. *Rishabh Bajoria* (National University of Singapore) *High Developmentalism and Stubborn Ecologies: A Pre-History of the Indus Waters Treaty, 1948-54* This paper focuses on attempts by diplomatic elites to decontextualise the Indus rivers from the territory over which they flow—the disputed region of Kashmir. The most pronounced of such attempts was by David Lilienthal in 1951. Lilienthal was the former Chairman of the Tennessee Valley Authority—an ambitious dam-building project designed to be the centrepiece of US President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal in the US South—and his intervention reflected the same ‘high developmentalist’ ideal. I show how Lilienthal changed the future of Kashmir and the Indus waters by arguing that harnessing the waters for India and Pakistan’s postcolonial development required setting aside Kashmiri demands for self-determination. Lilienthal’s 1951 piece for Collier’s magazine set the agenda for World Bank-led negotiations between India and Pakistan during 1951-54. The paper draws on diplomatic archives from the US, UK, and India to trace how Lilienthal’s proposal to set up a Tennessee Valley Authority [‘TVA’] for the Indus could not be realised because even while the territory of Kashmir could be abstracted from the Indus waters in legal and political discourse, the ecology of Kashmir could not be disappeared from riparian politics altogether. Thus, it explores how the inability of regional and global elites to align recalcitrant ecologies with their developmental agendas opened up political possibilities for subalterns to assert self-determination over Kashmiri territory and waters. Six decades on, dams constructed under the Treaty continue to cause flooding in Kashmir, placing the environmental costs of New Delhi and Karachi’s development onto Kashmiris.
We all understand that knowledge shapes the fate of business and the growth of nations, but few of us are aware of the principles that govern its motion. The Infinite Alphabet unravels the laws describing the growth and diffusion of knowledge by taking you from a failed attempt to build a city of knowledge in Ecuador to the growth of China’s innovation economy. Through dozens of stories, you will learn why aircraft manufacturers in Italy began manufacturing scooters after the Second World War and how migrants like Samuel Slater shaped the industrial fabric of the United States. Knowledge is the secret to the wealth of nations. But to understand it, we must accept that it is not a single thing, but an ever-growing tapestry of unique ideas, experiences and received wisdom. An Infinite Alphabet that we are only beginning to fathom. César A. Hidalgo, will walk you through the “three laws” and the many principles that govern how knowledge grows, moves, and decays. By the end of this journey, you will understand why knowledge grows exponentially in the electronics industry and what mechanisms govern its diffusion across geographic borders, social networks, and professional boundaries. Together these principles will teach you how knowledge shapes the world. About the speaker: César A. Hidalgo is a Chilean-Spanish-American scholar, Professor at the Toulouse School of Economics (TSE), and head of the Center for Collective Learning (CCL), a multidisciplinary research laboratory with offices at TSE and at Corvinus University of Budapest. Hidalgo is known for developing methods to estimate economic complexity and relatedness, building several national economic data observatories (oec.world, datamexico.org, datasaudi.sa, etc.), and proposing the idea of augmented democracy. These contributions have been recognized with numerous awards including the 2018 Lagrange Prize and three Webby Awards. Hidalgo holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Notre Dame and is the author of four books, The Atlas of Economic Complexity, Why Information Grows, How Humans Judge Machines, and The Infinite Alphabet that explores the principles governing the growth, diffusion, and valuation of knowledge.
The Older Scots Reading Group is for people interested in literature produced in Scotland between 1375-1550. This is an incredibly rich period, featuring authors experimenting with form and language. The texts themselves are written in Older Scots – a language closely related to Middle English, but with some unique attributes. This reading group will provide a relaxed introduction to this period and language. This term we will focus on reading the Palyce of Honour, a dream vision poetry by Gavin Douglas that often draws parallels with the House of Fame. But is it purely derivative or is there something more subtle at work? Join us to find out! Please bring your own copy of the text if you can – the 2018 TEAMS METS edition by David Parkinson is recommended. No intensive preparation required. Both undergraduates and postgraduates are welcome and there are usually snacks. If you have any questions, contact megan.bushnell@ling-phil.ox.ac.uk.
About the series: This series will feature master classes, seminars, workshops and talks with Laura Rival, research collaborators and colleagues, throughout academic year 2025-2026. Beginning in Michaelmas term 2025, the theme for the term, in answer to the series question, was 'In Latin America, by Greening the State at the Top and from Below'. In Hilary term, the theme is 'By Knowing Nature Differently'. In Trinity term, the theme will be 'By Imagining a New Civilization and Building the Next Political Economic Order'.
Computers have long been useful for studying mathematical problems. But recently computer techniques have been used to prove new theorems in geometry, specifically related to the study of gravity through Einstein's theory of General Relativity. This talk will describe these developments and what they might mean for the future. Jason Lotay is Professor of Mathematics in the Mathematical Institute at the University of Oxford, and one of the inaugural Fellows of the Academy of Mathematical Sciences. Please email external-relations@maths.ox.ac.uk to register to attend in person. The lecture will be broadcast on the Oxford Mathematics YouTube Channel on Wednesday 25 March at 5-6 pm and any time after (no need to register for the online version). The Oxford Mathematics Public Lectures are generously supported by XTX Markets.
*Leo Shen* (University of Cambridge) The Missed Encounter: Yan Fu and the Glocalization of Logical Knowledge in Late Imperial China *Yuxuan Zhou* (University of Geneva) The Qing Empire’s Gift to the Permanent Court of Arbitration: Transforming Gift- Giving Practices and Engaging the International Order (1907–1911)
As the 20th century recedes, how should its history be written? The 1920s and 1930s were a time of paradox, of great conflict and contradiction. If those years were the crucible of a new metropolitan modernity and its possibilities, what were the forward-moving forces and ideas? What were their effects and where did they lead? _The Modernist Wish_ provides a comprehensive, non-hierarchical and integrated history of Europe's early 20th century across the whole of the continent. Uniting social, cultural-intellectual, and political history alongside military-strategic and geopolitical dimensions, Geoff Eley examines the distinctiveness of early-20th century modernity. He draws out the exceptional character of the interwar years and their longer-run social and political fallout, based in the excitements of metropolitan living, the progressive achievements of an industrialized machine world, and the material possibilities for fashioning new forms of selfhood. In presenting a truly European history for our time, this study encompasses both the grand narratives of large-scale transformations, and the everyday realities of individual lived experiences. *Geoff Eley* is Karl Pohrt Distinguished University Professor of Contemporary History Emeritus at the University of Michigan. His specialisms include modern European history; nationalism and fascism; the European Left; historiography; and social and cultural theory. Previous publications include _Reshaping the German Right_ (1980); _Forging Democracy_ (2002); _A Crooked Line_ (2005); _Nazism as Fascism_ (2013); and _History Made Conscious_ (2023). _The Modernist Wish_ is available from CUP from May 2026 and is part one of a two-volume history of the twentieth century Join the talk and discussion on Microsoft Teams here: https://tinyurl.com/4z8zxrdc
Join online via Microsoft Teams by clicking here: https://tinyurl.com/bdff6tpt
Achieving a more fair and equitable sharing of refugee protection responsibilities between states has been a perennial challenge of the global refugee regime. The Refugee Convention did not codify a legal obligation of responsibility sharing and as a result any assistance to refugee host states remains voluntary. This responsibility sharing gap has in turn negatively impacted on the quality of refugee protection and on interstate relations by exacerbating existing inequalities undermining the fairness of the international refugee law regime. This book offers a pragmatic yet principled solution to the responsibility sharing gap. It puts down a detailed proposal for the long-resisted UN Protocol on Responsibility Sharing which would codify a light package of responsibility sharing obligations by requiring states to contribute to refugee protection and solutions under a framework of common but differentiated responsibilities based on capabilities. Building on the Global Compact on Refugees and drawing inspiration from international climate change law, the book makes a compelling case for further multilateral law making. About the speaker Elizabeth Mavropoulou, Ph.D. (2021), is a Lecturer in International Law at the University of Westminster. Elizabeth researches and publishes in the fields of international refugee and human rights law. Her research has focused on international cooperation on refugees, externalisation of asylum and the protection of human rights at sea. She had held visiting lecturer positions at University of Westminster and at the School of Advanced Legal Studies, University of London. Before joining academia full time, she worked eights years for a human rights NGO, leading its research and advocacy work and overseeing its programmes. She currently sits on the advisory board of the NGO Human Rights at Sea, as Non-Executive Director (NED).
Godfrey Stafford’s career as a physicist began with research in cosmic rays in the 1940s and he lived to see the discovery in 2012 of the Higgs boson at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. He made major contributions to the construction and exploitation of accelerators at the Rutherford Laboratory in the UK and was its Director from 1969 to 1981. During this period he oversaw the diversification of the Laboratory into the multi-disciplinary centre it is today. He was Master of St Cross College, Oxford from 1979 to 1987 and led the College as it settled into its new home on the Pusey House site. His tenure as Master was seen as transformational in several respects, and he maintained strong links with the College and its Fellowship throughout his subsequent retirement. His association with St Cross as Visiting Fellow, Master and then Honorary Fellow, spanned more than 40 years.
Godfrey Stafford’s career as a physicist began with research in cosmic rays in the 1940s and he lived to see the discovery in 2012 of the Higgs boson at the CERN Large Hadron Collider. He made major contributions to the construction and exploitation of accelerators at the Rutherford Laboratory in the UK and was its Director from 1969 to 1981. During this period he oversaw the diversification of the Laboratory into the multi-disciplinary centre it is today. He was Master of St Cross College, Oxford from 1979 to 1987 and led the College as it settled into its new home on the Pusey House site. His tenure as Master was seen as transformational in several respects, and he maintained strong links with the College and its Fellowship throughout his subsequent retirement. His association with St Cross as Visiting Fellow, Master and then Honorary Fellow, spanned more than 40 years. All the details and the weblinks to register for the lecture to attend in person or online are given on the webpage below: https://www.stx.ox.ac.uk/event/happ-lecture-godfrey-stafford-physicist-director-master
To mark the centenary of Rilke’s death there will be a series of Oxford Centenary Readings held in the Queen’s College in HT 2025. These will be informal papers with plenty of discussion, about one poem or a handful of poems, that offer close readings and new insights. Papers will be in English and English translations will be provided for all poems and quotations (except for the session in week 4 with the visiting poets) making these sessions accessible to anyone with an interest in this remarkable poet and poetry in general.
Join Ngaire Woods, Dean of the Blavatnik School, in conversation with Devi Sridhar, author of How Not to Die (Too Soon) - The Lies We’ve Been Sold and the Policies That Can Save Us. In her latest book, Devi Sridhar asks if you have ever questioned why, despite the avalanche of self-help books and optimisation hacks, we remain embroiled in multiple global health crises. Populations worldwide are gaining life-shortening excess weight (even in poorer countries), and water contamination is rampant (even in richer countries). In such dire circumstances, a gratitude journal won’t help. She writes that the stark reality is that we’ve been sold a monumental lie. The obsession with individual health optimisation is a distraction from the real game-changer: holding governments accountable for policies that can significantly extend lifespans. How Not to Die (Too Soon) is a vital, transformative guide that shifts the focus from individual responsibility to societal accountability. It’s time to demand the changes that will save lives. Devi Sridhar is a writer, broadcaster and world-leading expert in public health and wellbeing. She is Professor and Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh and has advised the WHO, UNICEF, UNESCO and the Scottish, UK and German governments. Devi appears regularly on ITV and Channel 4 News, has a weekly column in the Guardian, tweets to over 300,000 followers, and recently became a certified Level 3 Personal Trainer. Her first book, Preventable, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and a Sunday Times bestseller.
This popular day seminar provides an ideal opportunity for practitioners to update their current immunisation knowledge and learn the latest news on the topic of vaccination. Our target audience consists of (but is not limited to) practice nurses, health visitors, school nurses, community nurses and general practitioners. Click here to for the full programme: https://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/events/2026-imms-seminar Programme highlights: • Determinants of future health with Dr James Gilchrist, Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Immunology • Communicating the importance of maternal vaccination programmes with Professor Chrissie Jones, Professor of Paediatric Infection and Immunity, University of Southampton • Chickenpox and Shingles vaccination with Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, Immunisation and Vaccine Preventable Diseases, UKHSA • Advantages and disadvantages of higher valent pneumococcal vaccines with Professor Stefan Flasche Einstein-BUA Strategic Professor of Infectious Disease Dynamics and Global Health, CharitéCenter for Global Health, Berlin Click here to register – https://www.oxforduniversitystores.co.uk/product-catalogue/paediatrics/events/ovg-immunisation-seminar-2026-hcps
We are an interdisciplinary reading group which focuses on the social science, history, and theology of demons, the Devil, and supernatural evil as they relate to politics, identity formation, and social conflicts. Each week we will examine one academic paper or book chapter on these topics, gaining familiarity with subjects such as: the psychology of dehumanization, the conceptual development of the term “demon,” and contemporary political demonologies like QAnon. Hilary Term 2026, Thursdays from 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM Weeks 1,3,4,5,6,7,8: 21 St Giles (Kendrew Quad) Teaching Room G4 Week 2: 14 St Giles (next door to the Lamb & Flag) Seminar Room H Please contact Scott Maybell for the readings or for any questions: scott.maybell@sjc.ox.ac.uk
Thursday 12th March 2026 VENUE: Richard Doll Lecture Theatre, Richard Doll Building, Old Road Campus, Oxford, OX3 7LF ORGANISERS: Oxford HDRUK and Omics & Brain Health, Oxford Population Health Agenda: 09:30 – 10:00 REGISTRATION* & REFRESHMENTS (ATRIUM) 10:00 – 13:00 MAIN SESSION 10:00 – 10:15 From John Snow’s cholera map to the transmission of Mad Cow disease (BSE) across species and humans (Professor Cornelia van Duijn) 10:15 – 10:30 Common infectious diseases and risk of dementia: evidence from the EPIC Norfolk study (Dr Tom Littlejohns) 10:30 – 10:45 The evidence of a role of viral infections in dementia: a cross-omics analysis in UK Biobank (Associate Professor Najaf Amin) 10:45 – 11:00 The recombinant shingles vaccine is associated with lower risk of dementia (Associate Professor Maxime Taquet) 11:00 – 11:30 COFFEE AND TEA BREAK 11:30 – 13:00 KEYNOTE LECTURES 11:30 – 12:15 Trials and tribulations designing a quasi-experiment on VZV and dementia (Professor Angela Wood) 12:15 – 13:00 The study needed for repurposing VZV vaccination for dementia prevention (Professor Simon de Lusignan) 13:00 – 14:00 NETWORKING LUNCH (ATRIUM) 14:00 – 15:00 PANEL SESSION 14:00 – 14:45 The significance and relevance of quasi experimental studies: What next? All speakers & additional experts 14:45 – 15:00 Audience Q&A 15:00 – 15:15 BREAK 15:15 – 15:55 EDUCATIONAL SESSION 15:15 – 15:55 Focused discussion session unpacking key themes and ideas raised throughout the day including ethics, biological mechanisms and potential next steps for dementia‑prevention aimed at Early Career Researchers and Masters/DPhil students (Dr Tom Littlejohns & Associate Prof Najaf Amin) 15:55 – 16:00 CLOSING REMARKS (Dr Tom Littlejohns) *Please note registrations close Monday 9th March 2026 at 12:00
This talk reconceptualizes Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics ('Xi Thought') not as a coherent doctrine but as a rhizomatic ideological formation. Drawing on Deleuze and Guattari, it treats Xi Thought as a configuration in which coherence is not presupposed but produced through the continual recombination of fragments across institutional sites. Based on an analysis of official publications, including collected works, excerpt volumes, and study readers, Prof. Mittelstaedt shows how Xi’s speeches are disassembled and reassembled across domains such as law, economy, diplomacy, and culture. These recompositions render ideology modular and resilient, allowing elements to be activated, reweighted, or sidelined without destabilizing the system as a whole. Prof. Mittelstaedt further argues that ideological coherence is generated through distributed and compulsory participation by Party and state actors, who are required to embed fragments of Xi Thought into institutional practice. Conceptualizing Xi Thought as a rhizome shifts analysis from doctrinal meaning to the operational logic through which ideology acquires administrative force within the Chinese Party-state. Jean Christopher Mittelstaedt is Professor of Modern Chinese Studies and Chair of Modern Chinese Studies at the University of Zurich. He previously held positions at SOAS, University of London, and the University of Oxford. His research focuses on the ideological and institutional foundations of Chinese Communist Party rule, with particular attention to Party governance and cultural governance. His work has appeared in The China Quarterly, Modern China, Asian Survey, and China Information, among others.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Dr. Niels Hammer, M.D., Dr. habil., is an internationally recognized anatomist and clinical–translational researcher with a strong focus on musculoskeletal and pelvic biomechanics. He is Chair and Professor of Macroscopic and Clinical Anatomy and Head of the Department of Anatomy at the Medical University of Graz, where he also leads the Anatomy-Biomechanics and Translational Research Laboratories. His academic training includes a medical degree, summa cum laude doctoral thesis, habilitation with venia legendi, and board certification as a specialist anatomist, complemented by international appointments in Germany, New Zealand, and Japan. Scientifically, Dr. Hammer is author of almost 300 peer-reviewed publications and has delivered more than 400 invited and contributed presentations worldwide. His research integrates classical anatomy, advanced imaging, and experimental biomechanics to improve clinical understanding of the sacroiliac joint, pelvic ring, and related surgical interventions. He has supervised a large number of undergraduate, doctoral, and postdoctoral researchers and has received multiple competitive awards and industry-linked research grants. In addition to his academic leadership, Dr. Hammer is Founding Chair of the Austrian Society of Anatomy and has served as president of major international anatomy congresses. He holds key editorial roles in the field and is currently Editor-in-Chief of the Annals of Anatomy, reflecting his standing as a leading authority shaping contemporary anatomical and biomechanical research.“
Designed for research staff who are considering their next career move—whether within Oxford, within academia more broadly, or in other sectors. This interactive workshop supports researchers in navigating their career development with greater confidence and clarity. It offers participants the space to reflect on their ambitions, explore alternative futures, and engage in structured peer discussions to share insights and challenges. Participants will use design-thinking approaches to consider different career scenarios. The session then moves into goal setting and peer advice-sharing, helping researchers to build practical short-term plans and identify supportive resources and networks. Participants are introduced to key tools and services available through Oxford to support their development as they prepare for their next step, whatever that may be. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: * Articulate multiple possible career directions, including both preferred and alternative pathways. * Identify actionable short-term goals that support career progress. * Reflect on and assess their professional development to date, including skills, motivations, and values. Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23006&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUNFk4NDEwVkVLWklPNDc5WjZKWFU2VEMwWC4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
Lesson of the week, clinical cases and research. All clinical and academic staff and students welcome. Coffee and Tea will be served.
A warm welcome to our first session of the EDI Forum where our distinguished panel will take a closer look at academic careers and their journey to professorship. We will hear from our panellists on how they forged their path, which obstacles they had to overcome and what role EDI plays in their career. All are welcome to join us for this insightful panel and networking drinks afterwards in the IDRM Cafe. Please register if you want to join us.
A practical 180-minute workshop where participants will work on searches for their review across multiple databases. Librarians from the Bodleian Health Care Libraries will be on hand to demonstrate online tools for facilitating the process and give practical advice on refining individual search strategies. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: improve a search strategy that you are working on; adapt the search across multiple databases; use tools such as Yale MeSH Analyzer and Polyglot; describe alternative methods for identifying references, including citation chaser; use Covidence for your review; and report your search methods according to PRISMA-Search. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
The field of movement ecology has benefited hugely from tags that allow animals to be tracked as they use the landscape, and such information has been vital to many conservation efforts. However, tags for tracking bees are either too heavy for the study of most species, too expensive, or are unable to function in complex environments, precluding study of bees in many natural habitats. We have developed and deployed a prototype landscape-scale bee tracking method using rotating Bluetooth transmitters placed across a landscape and <40mg tags attached to foraging bees. Power constraints cause uncertain and noisy data, so a Gaussian Process prior is placed on the flight path, incorporating our assumptions around possible flight paths made by insect foragers. Doubly stochastic variational inference is used, which results in ‘probabilistic triangulation’ of the probable flight path the bee took. The system has successfully tracked and inferred the movement path of foraging Bombus terrestris workers through a complex outdoor landscape. Preliminary work has begun on integrating sensors including photodiodes and accelerometers with the tags to infer behaviour alongside position, enabling biologging of flying insects for use in fields such as energetics. Bio-sketch: Mike Smith is a senior lecturer in Machine Learning in the School of Computer Science, at the University of Sheffield. He currently works on developing new methods for tracking small animals at a variety of scales, from lab to landscape. His focus is how Bayesian machine learning can be employed to extract as much information as possible from situations where there are substantial limitations on energy- and compute-. He is also leading a Leverhulme grant that includes the development of novel hardware, including microbatteries and on-board active learning.
Policy debates are fundamentally distributive: who bears costs and who receives benefits influences perceived fairness and shapes public acceptability. Although fairness is known to correlate with environmental policy support, evidence comes mainly from wealthy Western democracies. We address this gap by examining how cost and benefit targeting affects fairness judgments and public support for environmental policies targeting urban transportation in Delhi (India) and Jakarta (Indonesia), two cities that recently experienced fairness-driven public resistance in response to government action. We field a pre-registered factorial vignette survey experiment in both cities (n = 3,400) that randomises who pays and who benefits, measuring fairness-to-me and fairness-to-others perceptions and testing heterogeneity through car-ownership interactions. Results show that targeting benefits and costs reduces both fairness perceptions compared to universal allocations, more asymmetrically so in Jakarta. In both cities, fairness-to-me is a stronger correlate of policy support than fairness-to-others. Car ownership shifts only fairness-to-me evaluations, implying that material stakes shape self-oriented fairness without spilling over into broader societal fairness assessments. Benefit targeting under shared costs carries higher backlash risk, while targeted costs can remain viable when benefits are universal, especially where equality norms shape collective fairness independently of material stakes. ————————————————————————————————————————————— Speaker bio: Dr. Liam F. Beiser-McGrath is an Associate Professor in International Social and Public Policy in the Department of Social Policy, Chair of the Sustainable Social Policy and Welfare States Research Hub, Associate of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment, and Affiliate of the Data Science Institute at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Liam is also an Editor for the journal Environmental Politics and the organiser of EPG Online, an online seminar series covering Environmental Politics and Governance. Liam’s research primarily focuses on the political economy of climate change, using experimental research designs and machine learning. This research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Nature Climate Change, the Journal of Politics, Science Advances, European Journal of Political Research, Comparative Political Studies, Political Analysis, Climatic Change, Political Science Research & Methods, Environmental Politics, Global Environmental Politics, the Journal of European Social Policy, Energy Policy, Regulation and Governance, Electoral Studies, and the Journal of Public Policy. ————————————————————————————————————————————— Booking is required for people outside of the Department of Social Policy and Intervention (DSPI). DSPI Members do not need to register
This week brings together members of WGQ (perhaps the MSt cohort in particular) and participants in the Archival Fragments, Experimental Modes Collective, reflecting on what we have learned methodologically, conceptually and theoretically across the series. *Contributors/Respondents:* Archival Fragments, Experimental Modes Sara Johnson (UC San Diego, and AFEM) will be here in person.
Professor Ellen Hazelkorn is Professor Emeritus, Technological University Dublin; Joint Managing Partner, BH Associates; and Joint Editor, Policy Reviews in Higher Education (http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/rprh20/current). She has authored/co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed articles, policy briefs, books and book chapters, and delivered over 200 keynotes speeches. Ellen is internationally recognised for her writings and analysis of rankings and other forms of quality and transparency instruments, and on higher education and policy. Ellen was named one of the ‘top 2%’ of all scientists in 2020, when self-citations are excluded, on the list released by Elsevier/Scopus and Stanford University. She was placed 956th out of 70,063 scientists whose primary field was Education, ranking her in the top 1.3% in Education worldwide.
As digital transformation, political pressure, and audience fragmentation reshape contemporary media environments, public service media face growing challenges in maintaining their democratic role. This talk examines how these pressures are reflected in everyday editorial choices by focusing on changes in television news at NHK, one of the world’s largest public broadcasters. Taking NHK’s flagship evening news programme as its starting point, the talk looks at how television news has changed over time at the level of topics, narrative styles, and the portrayal of political and social actors. It asks how developments in routine news content and representation relate to broader shifts in Japan’s political system, media environment, and public expectations of journalism. The talk then considers why such changes take place, situating micro-level developments in news production within a wider set of influences, including institutional constraints, political pressure, journalistic routines, and competition for audiences. By linking changes in everyday news content to macro-level transformations in Japan’s politico-media environment, the talk contributes to broader debates on the evolving democratic role of public service media in the digital age.
Authoritarian regimes increasingly engage in transnational information campaigns to expand their political and cultural influence beyond national borders. We argue that such operations can exacerbate ethnic polarization in target countries, specifically between diaspora communities and ethnic majority populations. Drawing on Social Identity Theory, we theorize that transnational propaganda exacerbates affective polarization by reducing intergroup social and political tolerance, while also increasing polarization in foreign policy preferences in racially diverse settings. To test these expectations, we conduct a preregistered survey experiment in Malaysia and examine whether China's transnational propaganda affects intergroup and foreign policy attitudes among ethnic Chinese and Malays. The results show that China's propaganda decreases Malays’ social tolerance toward Chinese Malaysians while strengthening Chinese Malaysians' – but not Malays' – agreement with China's foreign policy positions in the region. These findings highlight how transnational propaganda can undermine social cohesion and create divergent policy preferences within multicultural societies. Dr Jeremy Siow is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Quantitative Political Science at the University of Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations. His research focuses on education policy and the politics of identity in Malaysia and Singapore. His work has appeared in the Journal of Politics and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Prior to his PhD, he graduated with an MA in Political Science and International Studies from Yonsei University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the National University of Singapore.
The DORMEME project investigates how early modern owners, readers, and users engaged with printed polyphonic music books, focusing on 1500–1545, when music printing introduced new modes of circulation alongside manuscript and oral transmission. This technological shift expanded and reshaped how individuals interacted with music books—as tools for performance and teaching, as collectable objects, and as sites of confessional negotiation. Our project undertakes a copy-based survey of surviving printed polyphonic books across European and North American collections, documenting marks of use and developing case studies that reveal how these books were used, altered, and understood. This paper presents the project’s first synthetic results. We outline a taxonomy of interventions—textual, musical, material, and paratextual—and consider them in relation to user motivations such as correction, performance facilitation, confessional adaptation, education, personalisation, and proof-reading. Drawing on detailed examples, we examine textual changes in religious motets, musical annotations including crosses, numbers, custodes, and barline-like dashes, and patterns of personalisation that illuminate different types of owners and users. We also address the distinctive role of the proof-reader as the “first reader,” whose interventions bridge production and use. Together, these findings show how annotations can reshape our understanding of early modern musical practice and book culture.
To join online, please register in advance: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/WWqjr8SgT_WrzTodI65cdg
*To attend online via Microsoft Teams, please email "$":mailto:ian.archer@history.ox.ac.uk*
How do we talk about surveillance—and its role in tracking and preventing outbreaks of disease? Disease surveillance helps us spot outbreaks early, track patterns, and look after public health. But it can also feel uncomfortable. As more everyday data is used to predict and prevent pandemics, questions about trust, transparency, and who gets a say become harder to ignore. We're excited to share our second 'Let's Talk About' event created with the Pandemic Sciences Institute. Join us at the History of Science Museum for conversations exploring questions such as ‘how do you identify emerging pandemic threats?’ and ‘how should we navigate everyday data — from social media to wearable devices — being used in public health?’. You'll hear from four thought-provoking speakers who will guide small breakout discussions centred around unique objects that tell a story about their work. You'll also have an opportunity to contribute to the conversation as we explore how all of us can shape future research on these topics. Will hearing each other’s stories shift how we think? Let’s talk about surveillance.
The old centre of Johannesburg is the setting for The Chaos Precinct, the title of Tanya Zack’s new book and the theme of our seminar. The orthodoxy is that the inner city of Johannesburg is declining, but we will be asked to think differently about Johannesburg – as an African city, a port city and one that is leading a globalised trade in fast fashion, spreading across the subcontinent and affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of Africans. Tanya Zack will share her perceptive insights and experiences born of a fifteen-year immersion in the life of the precinct. Speaker: Tanya Zack Tanya Zack is a South African Urban Planner and writer whose work has focused on urban regeneration, contemporary migration, informal work, urban policy and affordable housing. Her previous book Wake Up: This Is Joburg (Duke University Press, 2022) has been lauded for its originality and new insights.. This seminar is designed for anyone interested in urban regeneration. The event will speak to the College’s teaching and research interests in Sustainable Urban Development and Migration Studies. It will also speak to those interested in South Africa, Ethiopian migrants and business.
The event is free to attend but booking is required due to limited spaces. Reserve your spot by sending an email to oxford@ilcorno.co.uk
As Hungary approaches another pivotal national election, the stakes extend far beyond the country itself. Viktor Orbán’s long tenure has reshaped Hungary’s political system, strained relations with the European Union, and positioned the country at the centre of debates about rule of law, sovereignty, and democratic backsliding. Will the upcoming election consolidate the current trajectory, or open the door to political change? This panel brings together Hungarian opposition politician Miklós Hajnal alongside leading scholars of Central European politics to examine the state of Hungarian democracy, the structure of electoral competition, and the prospects for meaningful reform. The discussion will also consider what Hungary’s political future means for the European Union, regional stability, and the broader contest over liberal democracy in Europe.
We are joined by Alister McGrath, speaking on a cross-section of some of his most well known areas, Science and Religion, and C.S Lewis. Interviewed by Ruth Jackson co-host of Premier Unbelievable's The CS Lewis Podcast , Alister will be speaking to us about his newest publication, followed by a time of audience questions, refreshments, and selling initial release copies of the book. About the event Alister McGrath’s Science and Religion in the Imagination of C. S. Lewis offers the first comprehensive exploration of Lewis’s perspectives on the interplay between science and religion. Written by a globally recognized expert on both Lewis and the science-religion dialogue, this work offers an original and penetrating analysis of Lewis’s views on the roles that science and religion play in humanity’s quest for meaning and significance. This study emphasizes the vital, constructive role of imagination—not just the analytical function of reason—in shaping an authentic “model of the universe.” It breaks new ground by investigating Lewis’s apologetic use of scientific concepts and methods, particularly the idea of identifying the “best explanation” or “best model” of our universe. This book serves as an essential introduction to a crucial yet often overlooked dimension of Lewis’s thought and its relevance to the life of faith today. The evening continues with a drinks reception, book sale and signing. All are welcome, and booking will be essential!
We are pleased to announce the upcoming Winter Lecture Series which will take place between January and March 2026. Across five thought-provoking lectures, special guests will discuss a range of subjects, with topics to be announced soon. Each lecture will be hosted at the University of Oxford Museum of Natural History. Join us on Thursday 12th March when Plantsman and horticultural educationalist Fergus Garrett will deliver his lecture.
Carlotta Tomboloni/Alice Warwick - Sepsis and Infection Specialist Nurses Andrew McCallum - ID/AGM Consultant Nicky Jones - ID/AGM Consultant, ID lead for Antimicrobial Stewardship Lou Dunsmure - Consultant Pharmacist for Antimicrobial Stewardship The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching (tarryn.ching@nds.ox.ac.uk) if you would like to attend online.
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; taught student; researcher and research student
The UK Catalysis Hub are seeking input into a new data infrastructure for the UK catalysis community. This resource will enable data sharing and collaboration within and across different catalysis disciplines, in particular for advanced data-driven (digital) approaches to catalysis. It will be suited for both experimental as well as computational data, and seek to establish and promote best practices adhering to FAIR principles. If you have relevant expertise or specific suggestions for shaping and delivering this new service hosted by the Physical Sciences Data Infrastructure (PSDI) you are invited to attend our workshop at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus on the 13th March 2026. Speakers include: Dr. Ulrich Hintermair, Bath Prof. Simon Coles, UKRI STFC Prof. Adrian Mulholland, Bristol Dr. James Gebbie, UKRI STFC Prof. Natalie Fey, Bristol Dr. Abraham Nieva de la Hidalga, Cardiff Dr. Vladislav Mints, Imperial To secure one of the limited places available please send a short application outlining i) your background and expertise as relevant to the project, ii) your current and future research interests, and iii) your motivation for joining the workshop per email to corinne.anyika@chem.ox.ac.uk by the 4th March 2026. For any questions about the workshop, you may contact Dr. Ulrich Hintermair at uh213@bath.ac.uk. If you are interested in using the new resource, please attend the UK Catalysis Summer Conference at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory, Harwell Campus on the 17th & 18th June 2026 for more information about the first call for exemplar projects later in 2026.
Everything you have been taught about Turing patterns is wrong! (Well, not everything, but qualifying statements tend to weaken a punchy first sentence). Turing patterns are universally used to generate and understand patterns across a wide range of biological phenomena. They are wonderful to work with from a theoretical, simulation and application point of view. However, they have a paradoxical problem of being too easy to produce generally, whilst simultaneously being heavily dependent on the details. In this talk I demonstrate how to fix known problems such as small parameter regions and sensitivity, but then highlight a new set of issues that arise from usually overlooked issues, such as boundary conditions, initial conditions, and domain shape. Although we’ve been exploring Turing’s theory for longer than I’ve been alive, there’s still life in the old (spotty) dog yet.
This seminar lecture addresses some profound challenges facing post-war reconstruction in Syria after more than a decade of destructive conflict. Entire neighbourhoods, towns, and in some cases, cities were reduced to rubble. Millions of people were forcibly displaced both internally and externally. Approximately 2.2 million people resided in camps, of whom around 1.2 million remain today. In parallel, an estimated 2.5 million residential units were damaged or destroyed to varying degrees. A current governmental priority is to ensure that no one continues to live in camps, placing the return of displaced populations as a central mission. However, restoring housing and livelihoods requires unprecedented reconstruction at multiple scales, ranging from repairing individual homes and basic infrastructure to rebuilding entire towns and cities. While the presentation itself focuses primarily on housing and reconstruction dynamics, the discussion session will engage participants in reflecting on how these processes impact traffic, transport, and mobility systems—already under strain from both long-standing and post-war conditions—and in exploring policy directions and interventions that could steer reconstruction toward a more sustainable future.
As neuroscientists, we are accustomed to using biological reagents to manipulate neural activity and to discover brain functions. These reagents can be drugs, genetic tools, light-activated molecules, and so on. Their use has given us great insights in all areas of neuroscience. Visual neuroscientists have a additional advantage – another set of reagents: visual stimuli. By designing and implementing images and movies with particular properties based on the long and rich traditions of visual psychophysics, we have been able to identify and characterize brain circuits that process visual information about pattern, form, color, and motion. By using well chosen stimuli, we can draw strong conclusions about the brain mechanisms of visual information processing. Moreover, the widespread influence of visual neuroscience on systems neuroscience more broadly has shown that similar mechanisms play important roles in other brain systems. SPEAKER BIOGRAPHY Tony Movshon studies vision and visual perception, using a multidisciplinary approach that combines biology, behavior and theory. His work explores the way that the neural networks in the brain compute and represent the form and motion of objects and scenes, the way that these networks contribute to perceptual judgments and to the control of visually guided action, and the way that normal and abnormal visual experience influence their development in early life. Movshon was born and raised in New York, received his BA and PhD from Cambridge University, and then joined the Department of Psychology at New York University in 1975. In 1987 he became founding Director of NYU’s Center for Neural Science. Among his honors are the Young Investigator Award from the Society for Neuroscience, the Rank Prize in Optoelectronics, the António Champalimaud Vision Award, and the Karl Spencer Lashley Award from the American Philosophical Society. He is a Member of the US National Academy of Sciences, a Foreign Member of the Royal Society, and a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and of the Association for Psychological Science.
Dr. Lo grew up in Taiwan and trained in the U.S., completing her PhD with Paul Allen at Washington University in St. Louis and her postdoctoral training with Art Weiss at UCSF. She now leads a lab at the University of Utah investigating how T cell ligand recognition is translated into faithful intracellular signaling, and how tuning T cell receptor signaling shapes self-reactivity, activation thresholds, and T cell fate decisions
This paper presents a novel application of graph neural networks for modeling and estimating network heterogeneity. Network heterogeneity is a concept characterizing the dependence of an individual’s outcome or decision on their diverse local network scenarios. Graph neural networks are powerful tools for studying this dependence. We delineate the convergence rate of the graph neural networks estimator, as well as its applicability in semiparametric causal inference with heterogeneous treatment effects. The finite-sample performance of our estimator is evaluated through Monte Carlo simulations. In an empirical setting related to microfinance program participation, we apply the new estimator to examine the average treatment effects and outcomes of counterfactual policies, and to propose a Pareto frontier of strategies for selecting the initial recipients of program information in social networks.
Week Eight (13 March, Old Library) Primary: Marge Piercy, Woman on the Edge of Time, Chapters 19-20 Supplementary: Sara Ahmed, ‘A Killjoy Manifesto’ (2017)
Seminar followed by Q&A and drinks - attend in person or join online - all welcome Abstract: The relationship between forests and rainfall has intrigued humankind for millennia and has been a focus of scientific inquiry for more than a century. Forests strongly influence land–atmosphere exchanges of energy, water, and trace gases, giving rise to complex climate interactions that are still not fully understood. In this talk, I will present recent advances in our understanding of the mechanisms through which forests shape climate across local to regional scales. Rapid deforestation across the tropics is transforming land surfaces, altering regional temperature and rainfall patterns, and affecting the livelihoods of millions of people. By combining observational datasets with climate and Earth system models, we quantify how tropical deforestation modifies local and regional climate. We then use this improved process-level understanding to assess the impacts of deforestation on human health, agriculture, and fire activity. Our results demonstrate that tropical deforestation has profound consequences for local climate and public health. Beyond its role in driving global climate change, tropical deforestation emerges as a major and immediate public health hazard. A clearer understanding of this hazard may help broaden societal consensus around the value of tropical forest conservation. Biography: Dominick Spracklen is Professor of Biosphere-Atmosphere Interactions at the University of Leeds. His research focuses on understanding how land-use change, particularly tropical deforestation, influences climate, air quality, and human health. Using a combination of observations and Earth system modelling, his work has helped quantify the impacts of forests on rainfall, temperature, fire, and public health across the tropics. He works in partnership with organisations worldwide to support evidence-based and community-led approaches to nature recovery. He serves on the Conservation Advisory Panel of the World Land Trust. In the UK, he leads the Upper Duddon Landscape Recovery and Restoring Hardknott Forest projects, sits on the steering group of Wild Ingleborough, and is a Trustee of the John Muir Trust.
Please join the Oxford Medieval Manuscripts Group (OMMG) for a lecture by Julian Harrison, Curator of pre-1600 Historical Manuscripts at the British Library. Dr Harrison will be presenting on Sir Robert Cotton and Oxford. This event is free and open to the public.
TRAVELS THROUGH PREHISTORIC SPAIN Professor Gary Lock (Emeritus Fellow) Spain is a large country with many different landscapes presenting a wide range of prehistoric monuments. This talk will be a chronological review of the main monument types covering most of Spain together with some background information. Included will be the cave paintings of Cantabria (could Neanderthals have started them?) and the castros of Asturias (were Iron Age people fond of saunas?). Some sites are truly remarkable like the scenes within Levantine art and the settlement of Los Millares. Other categories of site are interesting for their variation, like the thousands of dolmen which occur all over Spain both in large cemeteries and as isolated individuals. So, if you only know Spain through beaches and the Costas, now is your chance to dig deeper. Tea, coffee, and biscuits provided from 5.00pm. No booking required
As part of the Music at St Edmund Hall series, the Holywell Music Room welcomes Rivka Golani, one of the foremost viola soloists of her generation, together with her friends Michael Hampton – piano, Yohei Nakajima – viola, and Gabor Somfai – viola for an evening in which the richness and lyricism of the viola truly take centre stage. 19:00: Welcome and pre-concert talk with Director of Music, Carlos Rodríguez Otero 19:30-21:15: Recital
Oriana Skylar Mastro is a Center Fellow and Director of the Indo-Pacific Policy Lab at the Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies and Courtesy Assistant Professor of Political Science at Stanford University where her research focuses on Chinese military and security policy, Asia-Pacific security issues, war termination, and coercive diplomacy. She is also a Non-Resident Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. She continues to serve as a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Air Force Reserve for which she currently works at the Pentagon as Deputy Chief of Reserve China Global Strategy. For her contributions to US strategy in Asia, she won the Individual Reservist of the Year Award in 2016 (CGO) and 2022 (FGO). She has published widely, including in International Security, Security Studies, Foreign Affairs, Journal of Strategic Studies, The Washington Quarterly, the Economist and the New York Times. Her most recent book, Upstart: How China Became a Great Power (Oxford University Press, 2024), evaluates China’s approach to competition. Her book, The Costs of Conversation: Obstacles to Peace Talks in Wartime (Cornell University Press, 2019), won the 2020 American Political Science Association International Security Section Best Book by an Untenured Faculty Member. She holds a BA in East Asian Studies from Stanford University and an MA and PhD in Politics from Princeton University.
Chris received his Ph.D. from the CRUK Cambridge Institute (University of Cambridge) followed by a Sir Henry Wellcome Postdoctoral Fellowship at The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to study how oncogenes signal across multiple cell types in cancer. Chris now leads the Cell Communication Laboratory at UCL Cancer Institute and uses custom single-cell technologies and novel organoid co-culture models to study how multiple cell-types collaborate to drive cancer.
Are you preparing a poster presentation for an upcoming conference, meeting or symposium? This interactive session, or ‘poster clinic’, will include a group discussion of different examples of poster presentations, as well as an opportunity to present your own draft of your poster presentation to your fellow attendees. It is expected that the small group of peers in attendance will provide feedback and respectful comments on each other’s work. By the end of this classroom-based session you will be able to: evaluate the effectiveness of your poster presentation and others; and summarise the content of your poster concisely in preparation for a conference. Intended audience: Medicine and NHS; Researcher and research student
Are you looking to learn about the ways in which to transmit scientific ideas and make your research accessible to a non-specialist audience through a variety of mediums? This session will serve as an introduction to science communication and how it can be successfully incorporated into our roles. By the end of this session you will be able to: define science communication and provide a list of examples; explain why science communication is important for both our CPD and the public; and list ways in which we can all get involved in science communication. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; taught student; researcher and research student
The Oxford Climate Research Network (OCRN) 'Strategic Horizons in Climate x Health Research' forum convenes researchers, clinicians, policy leaders, funders, and external partners to strengthen Oxford’s position in the rapidly evolving climate and health landscape. The core purpose of the forum is to function as an initial opportunity to build a shared understanding of current and emerging funding opportunities, funding strategies, and collaboration models, while creating space to connect people working across disciplines to identify synergies and develop potential joint initiatives. The Vice Chancellor, Professor Irene Tracey, will give the opening speech. Networking reception begins at 17:00
Abstract: Primary prevention of heart failure (HF) is an increasing clinical priority, driven by the rising burden of non-ischaemic cardiovascular disease and the availability of effective preventive therapies. The Predicting Risk of Cardiovascular Disease Events HF equation (PREVENT-HF) is the first guideline-endorsed tool for HF risk prediction, but it lacks large-scale external validation. We evaluated PREVENT-HF in more than 10 million individuals from two UK cohorts: the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD), a nationally representative primary care population, and UK Biobank (UKB). We additionally developed TRisk-HF, a Transformer-based survival model using longitudinal electronic health records (EHRs), to identify additional prognostic signals for HF risk in routine care data. In CPRD, PREVENT-HF demonstrated strong discrimination (concordance index [C-index] 0.840, 95% CI 0.837–0.843) and good calibration (slope 1.06, 1.05–1.07). TRisk-HF achieved higher discrimination (C-index 0.868, 0.866–0.871). Explainability analyses highlighted atrial fibrillation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and alcohol use disorders as important contributors to HF risk. Incorporating these variables into PREVENT-HF improved performance (C-index 0.850, 0.847–0.853), substantially narrowing the gap with the Transformer model. Results were directionally consistent in UKB. These findings establish PREVENT-HF as a robust foundation for HF risk prediction and demonstrate a pragmatic, data-driven approach to refining clinical risk equations using information already embedded in longitudinal EHRs. Short Bio: Zhengxian Fan is a DPhil student working at the intersection of artificial intelligence and clinical medicine, using large-scale electronic health record data.
In her presentation of “Making Labor Markets Work for Workers and Businesses”, Roulet will discuss how thoughtfully designed labor market policies can safeguard workers while fostering business growth. She will also explore the broader implications of AI adoption on employment prospects for younger and future generations. The talk is followed by an open Q&A session. Registration is required.
Like in many other parts of the world, the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has profoundly impacted all aspects of higher education in Macao, including university-level teacher education for both pre-service and in-service teachers. In this webinar, the speaker intends to examine and discuss the issues and opportunities that AI—especially generative AI—brings to teaching and learning for teachers at the classroom and school levels, as well as the challenges it poses for university-level teacher education, with a focus on Macao’s educational context. The speaker will also share his experiences and reflections on how university education can address the challenges through innovative, multi-facet measures, which include, among others, offering faculty professional development programmes at the university level, integrating AI into existing university courses to transform teaching and learning practices, and providing a systematic and diverse range of new pre-service and in-service training programmes for school teachers and practitioners.
COURSE DETAILS By participating in exercises and discussions the attendees will learn how to review manuscripts quickly and effectively. Learning Outcomes By the end of this session participants will have: Developed an understanding of how the peer review system works. Developed an understanding of reveiwers' responsibilities. Awareness of what editors expect in a review; critically evaluate a manuscript. Developed an understanding of what to include in written comments to editors and authors. Developed practical methods for reviewing a manuscript quickly and effectively.
COURSE DETAILS Issues covered will include work-life balance, planning, prioritising, the need to differentiate between importance and urgency, and using a range of strategies and time-saving ideas. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: A range of time saving techniques. Time wasting activities and learn how to deal with them. The difference between important and urgent. The importance of planning and setting time aside.
How does the US research–policy landscape operate? What can be learned from the experience of those who have engaged directly with it? Drawing on insights from MIT, this session explores these questions by outlining the main institutions and mechanisms that support engagement between academic research and policy in the United States.
An introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement
Carter Group Speaker(s): TBC Title(s): TBC Band Group Speaker: Lydia Jennings Title(s): Does malaria parasite genetic variation affect vaccine efficacy?
A showcase of recent innovations in surgical practice and policy. For surgically inclined students, trainees and consultants. The international Oxford Surgical Innovation Conference (OxSI) is returning for its 8th consecutive year in 2026 with both in-person and virtual attendance options available. This year, the conference will feature an exciting programme of keynote talks, hands-on workshops, and interactive career-focused seminars, encompassing a broad range of surgical specialties and emerging perspectives. Talks from keynote speakers: Mr Ed Sideso - 'Innovations in thoracic aortic disease Dr Harald Veen – ‘Surgery in conflict zones’ Ms Sumrit Bola – ‘Advances in tumour markers in head and neck cancer’ Professor Peter Friend – ‘Taking an idea from concept to market: The OrganOx story’ Workshops: Suturing and knot tying Laparoscopic skills Rib fixation Ultrasound for vascular access Plus hybrid interactive surgical careers-focused workshops. Ticket fees are as follows: Students: £25 (in-person) / £10 (virtual), Trainees: £50 (in-person) / £25 (virtual), Consultants: £75 (in-person) / £30 (virtual). In-person registration includes lunch, refreshments throughout the day, and dedicated opportunities for networking with leaders across surgical disciplines. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite: https://oxsi2026.eventbrite.co.uk We are now inviting abstract submissions for posters and oral presentations, with prizes available in each category. Submissions may be made via the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/GdjWDAnve5
This session provides doctoral students in the third year and above with information about the viva, guidance on planning a proactive approach to it, and opportunities to practise. COURSE DETAILS The course will look at the rules and expectations of the viva exam and identify and practise practical ways to prepare. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the session participants will be able to: Develop their awareness and understanding of the rules and expectations of the viva exam. Use tools and strategies to prepare for the exam. Develop an awareness of the examiner's perspective. Know what to expect of the exam.
Discover what elements of storytelling and narrative can be used to enhance a profession in the sciences. Craft compelling and moving stories from your experiences as a scientist using these key story elements: character, conflict, structure, metaphor and description. Apply these storytelling and narrative skills to working in the sciences: communicating research to a range of audiences (including publics, media and funding bodies); enhancing presentation skills; telling scientific stories across a range of media.
Irene is a GSK D.Phil student in Adam Al-Diwani's Team. Adam Al-Diwani is a Senior Clinical Researcher at the Department of Psychiatry working at the interface of neuropsychiatry and neuroimmunology to understand bi-directional neuro-immune mechanisms.
Lesson of the week, clinical cases and research. All clinical and academic staff and students welcome. Coffee and Tea will be served.
Despite substantial growth in implementation research, the field has become increasingly dominated by frameworks and studies that catalogue barriers and enablers to implementation success. While these approaches have been instrumental in identifying contextual determinants of uptake, they often stop short of explaining how implementation strategies produce change. As a result, implementation studies frequently emphasize what strategies were used to support putting an innovation into practice, and whether those strategies achieved intended outcomes, while paying far less attention to the cognitive, relational, organizational, and team-level processes through which change unfolds. This imbalance has left a noted critical gap in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that are activated by strategies to generate desired implementation outcomes. In this lecture, Dr. Carolyn Steele Gray draws on insights from cognitive psychology (e.g., habit formation and mental models), sociology (e.g., professional identity, power, and social networks), organizational and team science (e.g., leadership, sense-making, and team processes), and theories of innovation and adoption (e.g., diffusion of innovations) that can help reveal the mechanisms that can underlie strategy success. Using empirical examples from studies of digital health and integrated care implementation, the lecture illustrates how a developed understanding mechanisms can help better tailor strategies to unique environments, helping to shape adaptation, spread, and sustainability of innovations in complex health systems. The session also explores the methodological challenges associated with studying mechanisms, including issues surrounding definitional clarity, complexity, temporality, and multi-disciplinary dynamics that may not be adequately captured by dominant evaluation approaches. By foregrounding mechanisms as a critical but understudied force in implementation, this lecture argues for a more theory-driven and mechanism-informed approach to strategy development which can help to enable scale, transferability, and long-term sustainability of innovation. This talk is part of the Health Organisations and Policy course, which forms part of the Translational Health Sciences programme. This event is free and open to all. Carolyn Steele Gray, MA, PhD holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Implementing Digital Health Innovation. She is a Senior Investigator at the Science of Care Institute and in the Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum Research Institute at Sinai Health, and an Associate Professor in the Institute for Health Policy, Management and Evaluation at the University of Toronto in Canada. Dr. Steele Gray is an Implementation Scientist whose program of work focuses on the role of digital health in supporting integrated, person-centred and primary care delivery for patients with complex care needs, applying implementation science theory and approaches, along with evaluation methods to uncover to how best to embed technology into novel delivery models. Key to her transformational work is her international leadership in the areas of digital health and integrated care, notably through her work as a Senior Associate with the International Foundation for Integrated Care (IFIC), and a member of the Executive committee with IFIC Canada, where she co-leads a Special Interest Group in Digital Services and Data Enabling Integrated Care, providing strategic guidance and expertise through IFIC programs like their international Integrated Care Academy. Her national and international leadership in the fields of digital health implementation and integrated primary care was recognized by Digital Health Canada who awarded her Digital Health Leader of the Year in 2025 as well as by the North American Primary Care Research Group who awarded her the Mid-Career Scientist Award in 2025.
Is current law and practice fit for purpose and how can we work together to make it better? Professor Turner-Stokes is a consultant in Rehabilitation Medicine and Director of the Regional Hyper-acute Rehabilitation Unit at Northwick Park Hospital; and Chair of the Royal College of Physicians Guideline Development Groups for Prolonged Disorders of Consciousness. All welcome. The lecture will be followed by a short drinks reception. This lecture is convened by Professor Jenny Kitzinger (University of Cardiff) as part of a project supported by the Sheila Kitzinger Programme.
The event is free to attend but booking is required due to limited spaces. Reserve your spot by sending an email to oxford@ilcorno.co.uk
Please join us for the Oxford Pain Network Seminar, taking place on the third Friday of every month in the Newsom-Davis Room, OxCIN Annexe and online (email the organiser or join the mailing list for the link). Each meeting will have a different speaker, either internal or external to the University, followed by a short Q&A. Open to all researchers/students/clinical staff in Oxford interested in pain research. For more details about future events, please join the mailing list: oxin-paingroup-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk March's speaker: Dr Andrew Marshall is a Senior Clinical Lecturer in Pain Neuroscience at the University of Liverpool and an Honorary Consultant Clinical Neurophysiologist at The Walton Centre. His broad research focus involves investigating the physiology and functional anatomy of nociceptive (pain related) and touch pathways in both health and disease (e.g. in small fibre neuropathy, fibromyalgia and central post-stroke pain). Talk Abstract: TBC
Romain Bertrand (Sciences Po/CERi) Now almost forgotten, Jean and Raoul Parmentier's 1529 expedition from Normandy to Sumatra's Westcoast was posited in the XIXth century as a successful, even glorious French contribution to the (alas mostly Iberian) achievements of the "Age of Discovery". Whereas it actually was a pitiful endeavor, either by economic or by political standards, it was raised to the status of an almost fabled event so as to boost French wavering colonial credentials. Even if it has shed a more realistic light on this enterprise, contemporary intellectual history may have helped restore its mystifying aura by turning it into a piece of evidence of the way "Renaissance high culture" travelled on board commercial ships by the early XVIth century. Using a social history perspective and building on unpublished archival material from Dieppe, Rouen and Le Havre, this presentation will attempt to show that officers and mariners on board "La Pensée" and "Le Sacre" were not would-be literati, but the bearers of highly localized, "situated" knowledges that had more to do with subaltern analogist understandings of the world than with any naturalist ontology-in-the-making. This, in turn, will lead us to reappraise the epistemic conditions of possibility of the (failed) "first encounters" between Europe and Southeast Asia.
The Graupera lab takes advantage of the PI3K pathway as a paradigm to understand how intracellular signalling pathways regulate vessel morphogenesis, and how this knowledge can be translated into therapeutic opportunities for diseases characterized by aberrant vessel growth. Our research has identified key and selective roles of several members of the PI3K pathway, including PI3Ka, PI3Kb, PTEN, and PI3K-C2b (J Exp Med, Nat Commun, Clin Cancer Res, Sci Transl Med, Circulation, Nature Metabolism, EMBO Mol Med, Sci Sig). Over the last decade, PI3Kα/PIK3CA has been recognised as a master regulator of EC biology. M Graupera has dedicated more than 20 years to studying this isoform in ECs. These discoveries span from: (1) the selective and cell-autonomous requirement of PI3Ka in developmental angiogenesis (Graupera et al. Nature 2008); (2) the contribution of PI3Ka in tumour angiogenesis (Soler et al. JEM 2013); (3) the understanding of the primary cell biological function of PI3Ka in angiogenic ECs (Angulo-Urarte et al. Nat Commun 2018); (4) the discovery that PIK3CA is mutated in the embryonic ECs, leading to venous malformations (Castillo et al. Sci Trasl Med 2016); (5) the PIK3CA-dependency to growth factor for pathogenesis (Kobialka et al. Embo Mol Med 2022). We have published a very comprehensive review on PIK3CA mutations in congenital disorders (Angulo-Urarte et al. NCVR 2022). Together, these observations have represented a breakthrough in the field, capitalizing on the repurposing of PI3K for these diseases. The Graupera lab works in close collaboration with paediatric clinicians at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, to apply her discoveries in clinical practice to treat these patients. About Mariona Graupera: I am a vascular biologist with expertise in signalling. I have been trained in several institutions, including the University of Barcelona, the Hospital Clinic de Barcelona, the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, and the Bart’s Cancer Institute in London. In 2009 I established my lab as an independent investigator at d’Investigació Biomèdica de Bellvitge (IDIBELL) funded by the Ramon y Cajal program. In February 2021, I joined the Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute as Group leader. In June 2022, I was elected President of the European Vascular Biology Organization (EVBO), and I served as a resident until June 2025. In January 2023, I was appointed ICREA Research Professor.
John le Carré’s books famously explored the constantly shifting ethical borders “between us and them” in the murky world of espionage. This talk explores how the concept of spying differs in reality between authoritarian regimes—marked by internal security obsessions and paranoia—and democracies, and how it manifests itself in Putin’s Russia today. Andrei Soldatov is a Russian investigative journalist in exile, a visiting fellow at King’s College London and the co-author of Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation (2025). Irina Borogan is a Russian investigative journalist in exile, a visiting fellow at King’s Centre for the Study of Intelligence, and the co-author of Our Dear Friends in Moscow: The Inside Story of a Broken Generation (2025).
The speaker will argue that as the most diverse employer in the country, the NHS faces the formidable task of not only becoming an inclusive and fair workplace for its employees but also promoting the fair treatment of patients in relation to healthcare access, experiences and outcomes. This workshop will begin by looking at five schisms or tensions being witnessed in relation to EDI, and how that might challenge work as healthcare professionals. It will then utilise the following three-step framework to develop a sense of self-awareness and presence that can promote cultures that build greater inclusion: Looking inward: Self-reflection Looking outward: Considering others Looking around: Mindful presence
Applications are now open for Oxford Spring School in Advanced Research Methods 2026! Apply now: https://cvent.me/0EaK99 This renowned social science methods course will take place from Monday 23 March to Friday 27 March 2026, in both in-person and online formats. Our week-long programme offers graduate students and researchers a unique opportunity to learn cutting-edge methods in social science. Oxford Spring School 2026 consists of eight courses, which will be taught over five days. Four of the courses will run concurrently in the mornings (09:30-12:30) and four courses will run concurrently in the afternoons (14:00-17:00). The full list of course options for 2026 are: Morning Courses: Qualitative Methods: Interviews & Fieldwork Machine Learning Causal Inference 1: Social Science Experiments Text Analysis Afternoon Courses: Data Analysis for the Social Sciences Large Language Models Advanced Qualitative Methods Causal Inference 2: Design Based Approaches Applicants can select any morning course and any afternoon course together, and those selecting two courses will receive a 20% discount on the second course fee. In-person attendees will have the opportunity to experience a formal dinner at Lady Margaret Hall. There is also the option to book accommodation at Lady Margaret Hall, with breakfast included (please see the Spring School website for room options and prices). Find and more and apply: https://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/spring-school
We are pleased to invite colleagues from outside the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences (NDS) to join us for the first half of the inaugural NDS Research Symposium on Monday 23 March 2026 at the Richard Doll Lecture Theatre, Old Road Campus. The morning session will feature a series of 15-minute research presentations from NDS early and mid-career researchers, showcasing the breadth and diversity of scientific work taking place within the department. This will be an excellent opportunity to hear about emerging research, spark new conversations, and explore potential collaborative links ahead of the interactive afternoon workshop reserved for NDS participants. Representatives from our sponsors 10x Genomics and ThermoFisher will be in attendance and available to discuss research needs with participants during the networking breaks. Please register to attend the NDS Research Symposium by Friday 20 February 2026.
Uncover strategies to identify supportive employers, cultivate resilience, and strike a balance between professional and personal life. During this session we shall cover the following: * Defining resilience and why it’s important in your job search * Building confidence in your decision to transition * Recognising Your Transferable Skills & Aligning with Your Values * Addressing and Overcoming Psychological Barriers * Building Your Personal Resilience Toolkit The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Do you want to make sure that your work complies with the open access policy for REF 2029? In this focused online briefing, we will: step you through the changes and new requirements; provide links to further REF information and guidance; let you know where to find help at Oxford; and answer as many questions as we can. Intended audience: Researcher & research student; Staff
Charities and not for profit organisations offer intellectually challenging, values driven careers that draw on many of the skills developed through doctoral and research work. This panel brings together professionals working across the charity and not for profit sector who have previously worked in academic research. Panelists will discuss how they moved from academia into the sector, the types of roles available, and what the transition looked like in practice. There will be time for questions and open discussion in which we can explore how research skills translate into charity and not for profit work, what employers in the sector look for, and how to approach career exploration and applications. This event is aimed at PhD students and research staff who are interested in careers beyond academia and want to better understand opportunities within charities and not for profit organisations. The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
We are thrilled to invite you to attend the European Phagocyte Workshop taking place on March 23-25, 2026 at Keble College, in the historic and iconic city of Oxford, United Kingdom. This popular workshop series highlights the latest advances in phagocyte biology. We will bring together 250 researchers from across the globe, providing plenty of networking opportunities to encourage new connections and collaborations. Our keynote speakers will be Ana-Maria Lennon-Duménil (Institut Curie) and Steffen Massberg (Ludwig-Maximilians University) and expert speakers from varied career stages will discuss key topics including Phagocytosis & Efferocytosis; Paediatric Innate Immunity; Phagocyte Mechanosensing; Phagocyte Flavours; Evolution & Development of Phagocytes; Phagocytes in Infection; Phagocyte-stromal interactions in Disease. The programme offers opportunities for junior researchers to deliver oral presentations, flash talks and posters. Registration is now open, please register early to avoid disappointment. Visit the conference website for more details: https://www.phagocytes2026.com/ Key dates Early registration deadline: 1 December 2025 Abstract submission deadline: 9 January 2026 Standard registration deadline: 1 February 2026 Late registration deadline: 1 March 2026 Please direct any questions about the workshop and registration to Charlotte: phagocytes2026@kennedy.ox.ac.uk
Many researchers want to remain in the university environment but are unsure what roles exist beyond academic research and teaching. This panel brings together Oxford University staff who began their careers in academic research and have since moved into a wide range of careers across the University. Panelists will share their career journeys and how they navigated the move beyond research while staying within Oxford. The session will explore the variety of career paths available, the skills and experience that transfer well, and practical insights for those considering a similar transition. There will be time for questions and discussion. This event is aimed at PhD students and research staff who are curious about non academic career options within Oxford University and want to make informed, realistic career choices. *Panelists* *Dr Zoë Lee*, Research Funding Manager, Research Funding & Contracts Team, Research Services University of Oxford *Dr Monica Palmero Fernandez*, Research Practice Coordinator, Research Services, University of Oxford *Dr Afra Pukol I Campeny*, Educational Policy Officer, University of Oxford *Dr Kristina Pikovskaia*, Research Manager, Department of Economics, University of Oxford The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
This panel talk will give you the opportunity to hear from a patent attorney and an intellectual property lawyer about their work, how they use their science background in their jobs, and the differences between these two professions. Plenty of opportunities to ask questions. The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
What do 50 tiny plastic ducks have to do with careers...? Find out at this keynote session. Navigating careers beyond academia can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re managing the demands of a busy PhD or postdoc. This session is designed to help you get clearer on what you actually want from your next steps, focusing on the parts of yourself you can take with you from academia and apply elsewhere, rather than dwelling solely on what you might be leaving behind. This isn’t about having a perfectly formed career plan (because, let’s face it, who does…?). Instead, it’s about making sure you don’t waddle blindly into your next role, and that you have your ducks in enough of a row to spot better-fit opportunities, make more intentional decisions, and gradually build clarity and confidence. *Holly Prescott* is a career guidance practitioner specialising in supporting doctoral and postdoctoral researchers, with 10 years’ experience helping researchers to feel more confident about their next steps and to make career transitions into a variety of sectors. She is also the founder of Post-PhD careers blog ‘PostGradual’ which, since its launch in 2021, has attracted over 75,000 unique readers in over 150 different countries. Holly’s book, ‘Navigating Careers Beyond Academia: A Practical Handbook for Doctoral and Postdoctoral Researchers,’ is due for publication by Routledge in 2026. Holly holds a PhD from the University of Birmingham, PGDip (QCG) in Career Guidance from Coventry University and the Career Development Institute, and is a Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA). The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Is it ok to love teaching students more than research? Is it possible to carve out an academic career that focusses primarily on teaching rather than research? We see many DPhil students and research staff who get more of a buzz from working with students than their research. Perhaps, for you, teaching appeals because you enjoy working with people, or sparking a light-bulb moment for your student, or perhaps you love sharing ideas about your subject and creating a tangible impact. Understanding the appeal of this side of your academic work can unlock a host of potential career paths, both within higher education and beyond it, in the classroom and in other education-related roles. In this session we'll explore a multitude of career paths relating to a love of education. We'll answer the question: Is it possible to carve out an academic career that focusses primarily on teaching? And we'll look at the potential to transition to a myriad of other teaching roles. Then we'll broaden the discussion into alternative career areas that have education values at their heart and build on the research skills that you already have such as education policy, advisory and development roles and more. Join Dr Abby Evans, one-time academic, ex-high school teacher and current careers professional, for this information-filled session on alternatives to academia in the education sector. The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Communication skills are fundamental to a researcher’s day-to-day work. This panel session features speakers who have built on these skills to go into healthcare and medical communications, careers that aim to raise awareness of therapies and medical devices that could transform lives. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Join Kieran Nevin from Student Welfare and Support Services as he shares his CI story, showing how making a complex process visible revealed risk, waste and opportunity. The session explores how data and customer insight were used to shape clear options, build a strong funding case and move confidently from analysis to action.
Have you decided that an academic career is not for you? It is easy to get stuck after coming to this realisation and wonder what to do next. During the session we will look at tools and strategies for identifying attractive roles and understanding what a job really entails, whilst also considering the importance of knowing your own skill set and preferred parameters and using that knowledge to shape your job search. Workshop objectives: Identify appropriate tools to clarify your personal work preferences and skills Discover resources and strategies for investigating career options in a structured way Observe tools for gathering evidence of careers paths for transitions from academia The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Researchers with strong analytical and quantitative skills are in demand across the finance sector. Roles in quantitative research, software development, and strategic analysis often draw directly on the methods, coding, problem-solving, and rigour developed through academic research. In this panel, professionals from quantitative finance will share insights into the day-to-day realities of their work and what they look for in candidates with research backgrounds. You’ll explore how academic skills translate into finance, how to position your experience for these roles, and what to expect from recruitment processes, including technical interviews and assessments. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Coaching skills can help you build positive and effective working relationships with all those you work with. Coaching is a highly impactful approach to people development and can support individuals to identify goals, gain insights into challenges, consider options and plan actions. They are a valuable asset to leaders and managers and can be useful in a range of workplace conversations, such as feedback, delegation and career development reviews.
European cities face a critical challenge: how to implement rights-based, effective policies to support precarious migrants and refugees, given that national and EU frameworks are often restrictive or contradictory. To best support these communities, cities must consider not only which specific policies to implement but also the characteristics and practices that enable them to develop and implement pro-migrant policies. This webinar will present findings from a recent study on the local dynamics of 28 cities across Europe. Drawing on data collected by the Berlin-based advocacy organisation Moving Cities, this research identifies three overarching themes: the empowerment of municipal actors, collaborative approaches, and integrated frameworks. These findings validate research on migrant solidarity policies conducted in cities across the continent and offer a more comprehensive framework for how cities can integrate migrant support across all levels of government and society. The presentation will be followed by a discussion on how these factors apply across contexts. Register in advance for this meeting: https://zoom.us/my/globalexchange?pwd=Leg0c2vc0qBp797m1urqaie8cQ9Zhq.1&omn=92471320458
This study investigates whether cultural soft power generated through educational exchange produces measurable institutional outcomes, using alumni of the Taiwan ICDF scholarship programme as an empirical case. While prior research demonstrates that international scholarships foster cultural affinity and intercultural competence, less is known about whether these attitudinal shifts translate into behavioral and organizational change. Addressing this gap, the study proposes and tests a three-stage framework — Affinity → Integration → Influence — linking individual experience to institutional diffusion. Drawing on survey data from over 500 alumni across countries, sectors, and cohorts, the analysis examines whether Taiwan-related knowledge application and sustained transnational networks predict behavioral integration, defined as the adoption of Taiwan-influenced practices in alumni’s home contexts. It further assesses whether integration is associated with organizational influence, particularly among alumni in leadership roles. Results highlight that affinity alone is insufficient; practice transfer and positional authority are critical conditions for converting soft power into institutional impact. The findings contribute to education diplomacy literature by clarifying the mechanisms through which cultural attraction becomes organizational diffusion. The framework also has contemporary relevance, as AI-enabled transnational networks and digital alumni platforms may further accelerate practice transfer and influence pathways in global knowledge diplomacy.
Richard Sever is Chief Science and Strategy Officer at openRxiv, the non-profit organization that runs the preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv, which he co-founded. Richard obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford, graduating with 1st Class honours in Biochemistry. He switched to Cambridge for his PhD, researching gene regulation at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Richard then trained as an editor, working first at Current Opinion in Cell Biology and then Trends in Biochemical Science. He later became Executive Editor of Journal of Cell Science at The Company of Biologists, where he played an important role developing their publication program. Richard joined Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 2008 and was appointed Assistant Director of its press in 2012. He launched the journals Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology and Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, serving as Executive Editor, alongside Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. He also edited several books, including the textbook Signal Transduction and the handbook Career Alternatives for Biomedical Scientists. Richard co-founded bioRxiv in 2013 and medRxiv in 2019 to allow scientists to share research much more rapidly. The servers became essential resources for researchers and played critical roles during the pandemic. Richard is widely acknowledged as a leading thinker in scientific communication. In 2022, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cold Spring Harbor School of Biological Sciences in recognition of his work, and in 2025 he was recognized by Time magazine in their Time100 list of the most influential people in health. Richard was awarded The Royal Society Research Culture Award in 2025 for outstanding work in the improvement of the research system.
The ability to utilise research skills - critical thinking, project management, communication - mean that consulting careers are rewarding and engaging for many researchers moving beyond academia. In addition, consultants are sought from a broad range of disciplines and backgrounds. Whether it's social enterprises or finance, technology or research, having impact in an area that interests you is possible through a career in consulting. This panel session will feature PhD holders who are now working in consultancy across a range of sectors. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Dr Mike Moss FRSC FRSA will provide an overview of $2.75 Trillion of research and development globally. Innovation is putting together what is needed with what is possible. In general, scientists and engineers will be able to define what is possible based on available or foreseeable technology. What is needed by the business or market, by customers or consumers can be defined by anyone with any degree subject with an interest in the human condition and societal trends. He will outline an industrial view of disruptive and sustaining innovation strategy, innovation funnels, project management, programme and portfolio management, intellectual property considerations and organisational structures. Out in the real world, organisations will have their own structures, systems, nomenclatures, metrics and job titles but this general introduction will help you to navigate this complexity in the organisations and career paths that you are considering. There will be much more research for you to do, but this introduction is a great start to your personal career journey whether you end up in industry or academia. Dr Mike Moss, Careers Adviser, Oxford Careers Service "As a careers adviser at Oxford Careers Service, my role is to provide more than 700 careers appointments for students, researchers and alumni and more than 40 specialist training workshops each year. I did a BSc and PhD in Chemistry at the University of Birmingham, and then a 2 year postdoc in the California Institute of Technology. At 27 I joined Procter & Gamble Research & Development on their graduate scheme. During my 22 years at Procter & Gamble, I lived in the UK, Rome and Brussels, conducted in-depth consumer and market research in thirteen countries including Japan, Malaysia, United States, Morocco, Algeria, Turkey, Russia and most European countries, I published 54 patents, managed a significant acquisition and was site leader of an R&D Technical Centre." The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Do you need help managing your references? Do you need help citing references in your documents? This online session will introduce you to EndNote, a subscription software programme which can help you to store, organise and retrieve your references and PDFs, as well as cite references in documents and create bibliographies quickly and easily. On completing the workshop you will be able to: understand the main features and benefits of EndNote; set up an EndNote account; import references from different sources into EndNote; organise your references in EndNote; insert citations into documents; and create a bibliography/reference list. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; taught student; researcher and research student
How do you ensure that your research is credible, to yourself and others? Preregistration means specifying in advance your hypotheses, methods, and/or analyses for a study, in a time-stamped file that others can access. Many fields, including behavioural and medical sciences, are increasingly using preregistration or Registered Reports (where a journal accepts your study at preregistration phase, and guarantees to publish the results if you follow the registered plan). If you've never preregistered a study before (or even if you have!) it can be complicated and hard to do well. In this workshop, we will go over the 'what,' 'why,' and 'how' of preregistration, and after some practice exercises, you will start drafting your own preregistration. We will also discuss some of the common challenges of preregistration, and its limitations. After the course, you will be able to: describe what preregistration and Registered Reports are (and how they differ); explain the benefits (and drawbacks) of preregistration and Registered Reports; identify what types of research are most suited for preregistration and Registered Reports; recognise the common pitfalls in writing a preregistration; identify the logistics of preregistering: which format and platform to use; and demonstrate the ability to write an effective preregistration, with an appropriate balance of specificity and concision. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
In this session, with the help of our panel of publishing professionals, we will explore the options for researchers in publishing – the roles, the skills, the areas of publishing where a doctorate is essential and the areas where it is a ‘nice to have’; how a doctorate degree is viewed and how best you can promote the skills you have developed on your DPhil. The panel includes: *Manuel Breuer*, chief editor at Nature Communications for Springer Nature Following studies in Germany and the US, Manuel received his PhD in cell and developmental biology from the Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris. After post-doctoral work in Edinburgh, he moved to academic publishing as an editor for Journal of Cell Science and The FEBS Journal. In 2021, he joined Springer Nature, first at Communications Biology and now as chief editor for cell & developmental biology at Nature Communications. Over the past decade, Manuel gained extensive experience working with editorial teams across the globe and overseeing editorial boards. *Caroline Kuhtz*, production editor at Berghahn Books Caroline Kuhtz (they/them) has studied English, Literature and Cultural Studies at the Universities of Bielefeld and Hildesheim, Germany, and graduated with a PhD thesis on queer identities in 2013. Since 2016 they are employed as a production editor at Berghahn Books in Oxford and launched their own indie imprint, Wollschweber Publishing, in 2024. The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
This panel event will feature speakers sharing their insights in transitioning from academic research to a career in the Creative Industries. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Richard Sever is Chief Science and Strategy Officer at openRxiv, the non-profit organization that runs the preprint servers bioRxiv and medRxiv, which he co-founded. Richard obtained his undergraduate degree at the University of Oxford, graduating with 1st Class honours in Biochemistry. He switched to Cambridge for his PhD, researching gene regulation at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology. Richard then trained as an editor, working first at Current Opinion in Cell Biology and then Trends in Biochemical Science. He later became Executive Editor of Journal of Cell Science at The Company of Biologists, where he played an important role developing their publication program. Richard joined Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in 2008 and was appointed Assistant Director of its press in 2012. He launched the journals Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Biology and Cold Spring Harbor Perspectives in Medicine, serving as Executive Editor, alongside Cold Spring Harbor Protocols. He also edited several books, including the textbook Signal Transduction and the handbook Career Alternatives for Biomedical Scientists. Richard co-founded bioRxiv in 2013 and medRxiv in 2019 to allow scientists to share research much more rapidly. The servers became essential resources for researchers and played critical roles during the pandemic. Richard is widely acknowledged as a leading thinker in scientific communication. In 2022, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Cold Spring Harbor School of Biological Sciences in recognition of his work, and in 2025 he was recognized by Time magazine in their Time100 list of the most influential people in health. Richard was awarded The Royal Society Research Culture Award in 2025 for outstanding work in the improvement of the research system.
Research funding organisations play a central role in shaping research agendas, supporting innovation, and influencing how research delivers impact. Many roles within this space draw directly on academic and research experience. This panel brings together professionals working in major research funding organisations, including individuals who previously worked in academic research. Panelists will share how they moved into research funding roles, what their work involves day to day, and how they apply their research background in a funding context. The session will showcase some of the career paths available within research funders, the skills and experience that are valued, and what to consider when preparing for a career in this space. There will be time for questions and discussion. This event is aimed at PhD students and research staff who are interested in careers beyond academic research and want to understand opportunities within research funding organisations. Panellists *Dr. Janina Pescinski*, Training and Development Manager for The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network, The British Academy *Dr Nikolay Ogryzko*, Research and Innovation Careers Policy, UKRI This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
COURSE DETAILS The session will cover: What makes a good DPhil Planning to write up your DPhil – structure, content and what makes good writing What the viva will explore What the examiners are asked to consider FAQs and Q&A LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of the session participants will be able to: Engage productively with the final stages of the DPhil. Apply a range of time management techniques. Identify and apply the characteristics of effective writing. Apply effective structure to the thesis. Understand what is required in the viva. Take opportunities to raise and discuss concerns.
In this two-part careers-adviser led session, we will first provide an overview of careers in International Development, discussing how the sector is structured, different types of roles and how to find jobs and work experience opportunities. In the second part, we will provide an overview of the varied and rewarding careers in diplomacy, and share methods you can use for identifying the relevant routes into diplomatic roles and how to find out more about your chosen career path. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
The second in a duo of courses (attendees should attend the Fundamentals course prior to Logistics) that will cover the logistics of researching, publishing, and locating open scholarship resources and tools at the University of Oxford. Subjects include: what is the Oxford University Research Archive? depositing work into ORA via Symplectic Elements; depositing data into ORA-data; applying for one of Oxford’s APC block grants; registering or connecting your ORCID; how to be included in the rights retention pilot; and locating and checking funder policies. Ideally the Fundamentals of open access course will have been attended. If you’re not in a position to attend this course you can find similar information in our e-learning package (Digital induction to open access (MSD)) to work through prior to attending Logistics. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
Are you wanting to apply for job roles beyond academic research? Creating a strong CV and Cover letter is vital to unlocking the next stage of the job application process. However, there can be many differences in the format and content of application materials focused towards a role beyond academia compared to one for university research positions. This presentation will share the building blocks of creating effective CVs and Cover Letters, including how to best translate our research and wider experience into language employers want to see. The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Lesson of the week, clinical cases and research. All clinical and academic staff and students welcome. Coffee and Tea will be served.
This is a unique opportunity to meet representatives from a variety of organisations that are looking to hire researchers. Join the fair for details about the jobs and programmes they have available and discuss the careers paths you could follow in their sector. Conference booklet The 2026 conference booklet will be available closer to the event. This event is part of: *Careers Beyond Academia: Options and Pathways for Researchers* _The careers conference for Oxford University research staff and DPhil students_ Monday 23 March - Thursday 26 March 2026 online and in-person in Oxford. The careers fair will take place at the Careers Service, 56 Banbury Road, OX2 6PA. Register for the fair "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23516&service=Careers+Service
Puzzled by PICO? Daunted by databases? Baffled by Boolean? This one-hour introductory class will offer top tips and advice on how to find literature to answer a research question. No prior experience necessary! Together, we will break down a question into the PICO format, put together a structured search, and try it out in PubMed. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what structured searching is, and when to use it; break your research question down into searchable concepts; and make use of Boolean operators (ANDs/ORs) in your structured searches. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; taught student; researcher and research student
Traditional reductionist paradigms in cognitive science often miss the richness of real-world behavior. While naturalistic paradigms have recently expanded in vision, audition, language, and social cognition, publicly available closed-loop neuroimaging datasets—where participants actively act on and reshape their sensory input—remain scarce. In parallel, state-of-the-art artificial agents can now learn to navigate a wide range of situations with high proficiency, but fall short at generalizing to unseen contexts, which humans excel at. To bridge these gaps, we built the Courtois Neuromod Mario dataset as part of the CNeuromod project: an open deep-phenotyping resource spanning multiple cognitive domains, including 84 hours of Super Mario Bros. (Nintendo, 1985) gameplay collected from five naïve participants. In this talk, I will introduce the dataset, motivate the design choices behind its acquisition and annotation, and show how reliable brain responses can be recovered from naturally occurring game events. I will then present a comprehensive framework for operationalizing the platformer by segmenting continuous gameplay into short, well-contained, unitary challenges that facilitate the parsing and analysis of behavior. Finally, I will discuss ongoing and future research avenues, including the development of benchmarking baselines for continual reinforcement learning, investigations of the neural basis of motor sequence learning, and the use of intracranial EEG to identify neural correlates of flow states. Together, these ingredients position Super Mario Bros. as a total laboratory, where multiple distinct experiments targeting different facets of cognition can be conducted within a single, unified environment.
Hosted by the University of Oxford in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the "Fondation Wiener-Anspach (FWA)":https://fwa.ulb.be/?lang=en , this collaborative event convenes academic partners from the University of Oxford and the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) to reflect on how knowledge can circulate responsibly and effectively across multiple communication channels in service of the public good. Bringing together perspectives from research, policy, and public engagement, the programme will explore how academic work can reach broader audiences while retaining integrity, accessibility, and impact.
The Centre’s Annual Symposium is a celebration of the passion and commitment to cancer research that is shared across our community. Registration to attend the symposium will be open until Tuesday 3rd March 2026. With approximately 300 people attending each year, it provides an opportunity for our members to network and build new collaborations.
In this talk, I will present a broad overview of progress to date in biological research in psychiatry, highlighting important advances but also noting the absence of more meaningful breakthroughs. Given the enormity of the topic, my perspective will necessarily be selective but representative. I will end with some observations about potential opportunities to advance the field in the coming years. This seminar is hosted in person at the Department of Psychiatry, in the Seminar Room. To join online, please use the Zoom details below. https://zoom.us/j/93311812405?pwd=9kbjSbEcO2fa7n7gFLZVqrChvr467B.1 Meeting ID: 933 1181 2405 Passcode: 169396
Nowadays, driven by AI, such as recommendation algorithms, content ranking, and automatic summaries, social media increasingly shapes how academics discover, share, and engage with knowledge. This has transformed the environment for knowledge exchange, creating new expectations for academics to be accessible, efficient, and responsible communicators. Drawing on nineteen semi-structured interviews with Chinese academics and platform representatives, this study examines the institutional logics underlying the current Chinese academic environment for knowledge exchange via social media and the strategies academics adopt in response. The study’s insights aim to prompt reflection on how AI-mediated social media platforms are reshaping academic knowledge exchange and offer practical guidance for academics to enhance public engagement in China and beyond.
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. In this session you’ll learn: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
How are the many distinct cell types that characterize a mature nervous system genetically specified? For a terminally differentiating neuron this question boils down to a gene regulatory question: how is the expression of the distinct batteries of genes that define the terminal, functional properties of a distinct neuron type induced and maintained? Using genetic loss-of-function approaches in the nematode C.elegans, my laboratory has begun to uncover what appear to be simple, phylogenetically conserved principles underlying the generation of diverse neuronal identities.
MitOX is our annual meeting packed with short talks and posters on cancer metabolism, neuroscience, diabetes, mitochondrial disorders and general mitochondrial biology. You can find more infomation and the booking link on our website: https://www.wrh.ox.ac.uk/news/mitox-2026 Dr Michele Frison: Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Cambridge Title: Ubiquitin-mediated mitophagy regulates the inheritance of mitochondrial DNA mutations Prof Ian Ganley: University of Dundee Title: Balancing mitophagy: a role for AMPK Dr Raffaele Sarnataro: Centre for Neural Circuits and Behaviour, University of Oxford Title: Mitochondrial origins of the pressure to sleep Dr Tom Nicol: DPAG, University of Oxford Title: Regulating complex I assembly in development and disease – Controlling the MCIA complex Dr Joerg Burgstaller: University of Vienna Title: Segregation of an mtDNA OriL microsatellite in heteroplasmic mice Prof Benoit Kornmann: Biochemistry, University of Oxford Title: Miro GTPases and their conserved role in mitochondrial quality control Dr Konstantinos Lekkos: IDRM, University of Oxford Title: Opposing roles of Mdh1ab and Slc25a51b in regulating long-term heart regeneration through OXPHOS-dependent cardiomyocyte redifferentiation
In 1969 Michel Serres was elected professor in the history of science at University Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne where he served until 1989. However, this mathematician turned philosopher considered this election as a mistake or even a mischief and he never endorsed the role of historian. He taught the history of science in spite of himself although he was an expert in this domain, unlike Sganarelle, the Doctor in spite of himself staged by Molière. For him, teaching the history of science was a way to reconcile his two passions for science and literature. In this paper I will outline three aspects of Serres’s unorthodox view of the history of science: i) there is no rigid boundary between science, fable and myths; ii) science generates a time of its own that is neither amenable to the arrow of progress nor to a timeline; iii) his history science raises a philosophical question: who are the subjects of knowledge?
Convened by Frank A.J.L. James (UCL) This meeting is being held to commemorate the life, work and legacy of William Hodgson Brock (1936-2025), who spent his entire career at the University of Leicester. Sometime chair of SHAC and editor of its journal Ambix, Brock was one of the leading historians of chemistry in his time, writing the Fontana/Norton History of Chemistry, as well as biographies of William Crookes, Justus von Liebig and Henry Edward Armstrong. (An extended obituary can be found at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00026980.2025.2489298). The papers to be presented at this meeting take their starting point from Brock’s work and historical interests. There is no charge for this meeting, but please let Frank James, frank.james@ucl.ac.uk, know if you wish to attend. Programme 9.30am Welcome: Stéphane Van Damme, MFO, and Frank James, SHAC 10.00am First Brock Award Lecture: Bernadette Bensaude-Vincent, Université Paris 1-Panthéon-Sorbonne 'The history of chemistry through the lens of materials. A very short introduction' 10.45am Session 1: Alan Rocke, Case Western Reserve University: The Best of Frenemies: Liebig and Dumas (A Tribute to William H. Brock) 11.15 Coffee Session 2: Eira H. Betthell (Booth), University of Essex: 'From Laboratory to Library: Bill Brock’s Prolific Writing as Chemical Practice' Matthew Daniel Eddy, Durham University: 'A Context for Colonial Chemistry: Thinking with Bill Brock about the Biomedical Relevance of Dr J. A. B. Horton's Experiments on the Soil of Sierra Leone' Georgiana D. Hedesan, University of Oxford: 'The Foundation of the Society for the Study of Alchemy and Early Chemistry in 1935: Between Historical Research and the Transmutational Paradigm' Michael Jewess, Independent Scholar: 'Working with Bill: Robert Fergus Hunter (1904-1963)' 13.15 Lunch 14.30 Tribute from the Brock family: Susannah Ahluwalia, Gareth Brock and Benjamin Brock 14.50 Session 3: Julia Carr-Trebelhorn, University of Cincinnati: 'Burning Diamonds: Lavoisier, Guettard, and the 1771 Development of Reduction Firing and Hard-Paste Porcelain in Paris' John R.R. Christie, University of Oxford 'Commerce, Manufacture and Practical Chemistry in 18th-Century Britain' Robert Bud, Science Museum/UCL: 'Poison gas and Art Deco: analysing early 20th century ambivalence about chemistry' 16.00 Coffee 16.20 Session 4: Robin Mackie (Open University and Gerrylynn K Roberts, Independent Scholar) 'Counting the British Chemical Community, 1881-1971: Opening the ‘Black Box'' Annette Lykknes, Norwegian University of Science and Technology: 'Crookes’ Vis Generatrix in teaching and learning' 17.15 Closing remarks
The present study focuses on persistence in research productivity over the course of an individual’s entire scientific career. We track “late-career” scientists—scientists with at least 25 years of publishing experience (N = 320,564)—in 16 STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) and social science disciplines from 38 OECD countries for up to 5 decades. Our OECD sample includes 79.42% of late-career scientists globally. We examine the details of their mobility patterns as early-career, midcareer, and late-career scientists between decile-based productivity classes, from the bottom 10% to the top 10% of the productivity distribution. Methodologically, we turn a large-scale bibliometric data set (Scopus raw data) into a comprehensive, longitudinal data source for research on careers in science. The global science system is highly immobile: Half of global top performers continue their careers as top performers and one-third of global bottom performers as bottom performers. Jumpers-Up and Droppers-Down are extremely rare in science. The chances of moving radically up or down in productivity classes are marginal (1% or less). Our regression analyses show that productivity classes are highly path-dependent: There is a single most important predictor of being a top performer, which is being a top performer at an earlier career stage.
From militarised border regimes to racialised technologies of policing, from extractive geopolitics to nationalist media and electoral campaigns, the grammar and practice of fascism is global. This interdisciplinary conference examines how fascism and global Africa are entangled politically, economically, and imaginatively across time and space. By foregrounding geographies of anti-Blackness and imperial capitalism as core dimensions of fascist rule, we set out to look at how racial capitalism, colonial legacies, and authoritarian formations intersect in the making of global fascist orders. The concept of global Africa builds upon contemporary Pan-African thought and practice as generative and contested geographies of thought, solidarity, resistance. We are witnessing a revival of Pan-African solidarities in activist, intellectual, and cultural spaces, including transnational campaigns against state violence, police brutality, constitutional amendments, arbitrary detainment, mobilisations for liberation, and more in Burkina Faso, Sudan, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Congo, Senegal, South Africa (and so many more!), signalling renewed possibilities for anti-imperial, anti-fascist, and (potentially) anti-capitalist futures. Across the Americas, from Brazil and Colombia to the United States and the Caribbean, Black and Afro-Indigenous movements continue to confront police killings, environmental dispossession, and authoritarian repression while forging alliances that link struggles on the African continent. We are particularly interested in bringing geographers into conversation with scholars of politics, history, anthropology, and media studies. Geographers, with our attention to spatiality, mobility, territory, and networks, possess a valuable toolkit for examining how fascism travels and operates transnationally—through shared ideas, international activist and organisational networks, capital (including surveillance capital, far-right tech investors and platform owners, and artificial intelligence systems), militarised technology, and the legal, activist, intellectual, and political struggles that resist it.
A treatment policy strategy if often used to handle intercurrent events such as treatment withdrawal in clinical trials. Such an approach seeks to estimate the effect of a treatment, regardless of whether patients withdraw from the treatment schedule early. This requires the collection of outcome data following treatment withdrawal, however data is often missing after treatment withdrawal complicating the analysis. In this setting, retrieved dropout multiple imputation has been proposed as a useful method for estimation. This approach imputes off-treatment data based only on observed off-treatment data. But this may be impractical with limited observed data post-treatment withdrawal. Alternatively, reference-based multiple imputation can be used which assumes treatment withdrawals behave like those observed in a specified reference group. But this makes strong assumptions and disregards observed off-treatment outcomes. This presentation will review these two different methods of imputation followed by an introduction to a novel approach, referred to as retrieved dropout reference-base centred multiple imputation, that draws its influences from the two aforementioned methods. The expected bias and root mean square error (RMSE) for this new method will be analytically explored, followed by application to an anti-depression trial.
To elucidate the virological characteristics of newly emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants in real-time, I launched a consortium, “The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan)”. With the G2P-Japan consortium colleagues, we have revealed the virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 variants. In this talk, I briefly introduce the scientific activity of G2P-Japan consortium and our current study focusing on the dynamics of coronavirus infection and spread in Asian countries in the wild. I would like to discuss the possibility for international collaboration to prepare for the outbreaks and pandemic that will happen in the future. Bio Sketch: Dr. Kei Sato is a professor in the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, Japan. In March 2010, he got a Ph.D. (Medicine) in Institute for Virus Research, Kyoto University, Japan. In April 2018, he started his own laboratory as a principal investigator in the Institute of Medical Science, the University of Tokyo, Japan. His laboratory is named "Systems Virology", and the aim of his laboratory is to expand and deepen the knowledge and method in virology. To investigate the dynamics of virus infections such as HIV and emerging viruses including SARS-CoV-2, he uses a variety of multiscale analytic techniques, such as experimental virology, bioinformatics and molecular phylogenetic. Such interdisciplinary investigations through experimental virology and other sciences will pioneer a new scientific field of infectious diseases. In January 2021, he launched a consortium, "The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan)". https://www.ims.u-tokyo.ac.jp/SystemsVirology/eng-index.html
In this 60-minute online workshop you will be introduced to the methodologies and principles underpinning the conduct of literature searches for systematic reviews, scoping reviews and other evidence reviews. The session will cover: formulating a focused research question; preparing a protocol; developing a search strategy to address that research question; choosing appropriate databases and search engines; searching for grey literature and ongoing studies; managing your references in Covidence; and documenting and reporting your search. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
We are thrilled to announce that registration is open for OGOS 2026, taking place on 16 April 2026. Building on the success of the last three years, another exceptional programme has been curated - this time delving into covering the breath of UGI benign and malignant disease! The 2026 faculty line up once again brings together world-class experts who will share cutting-edge insights and foster dynamic, thought-provoking discussions, promising unparalleled opportunities to learn, engage and get inspired. There are places for consultants, trainees, Allied Health Professionals, medical students and patient advocates and we encourage you all to register as soon as possible to secure your place before registration closes at midday on 27 March.
The EHR is hosting a one-day symposium in St John's College, Oxford, to celebrate the recent publication of the journal's 600th issue. In marking this milestone, and in line with the journal's generalist ambitions, the symposium addresses a problem which matters to all historians: what to do when there are no sources. Five leading scholars, working across diverse chronological and geographical areas, will grapple with the methodological problem of paucity of source material, discuss how such absences affect their area of research, and demonstrate how they have chosen to solve the problem. All interested parties, from senior scholars to graduate students, are invited to register to attend. You can register and also see the full programme here: https://tinyurl.com/bd8d8sny
We are delighted to invite colleagues to the Second Oxford Academic Kidney Network Symposium, building on the strong foundations established at last year’s inaugural meeting. Aims: The OAK Network brings together clinicians and researchers from departments and disciplines across Oxford to strengthen renal research collaborations towards patient benefit. We draw on the breadth of local expertise and resources to promote opportunities for collaboration. Areas of Focus: The symposium will be of interest academics, clinical staff, and students working in fields related to kidney health and disease. Sessions will include a focus on early career researchers, advances in data management, and engaging wider patient groups with research. We very much hope you will be able to join us as we continue to develop this important network. Abstracts of up to 250 words for oral or poster presentations, in any research topic relevant to the kidney, are warmly welcomed. Register here (Free to attend): https://forms.office.com/e/2gv2gvPjvb Abstract submission form by the 13th of March: https://forms.office.com/e/bfuTNK9ki4 Learn more about the OAK Network https://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/oxford-academic-kidney-network Sponsored by CSL Vifor and Stada UK.
A half-day online immunisation update training course, delivered via Microsoft Teams. This training is primarily targeted at healthcare professionals and healthcare support workers who already administer, promote and/or advise about vaccines. 3 CPD hours of participatory learning. The content is aligned with UKHSA (Health Security Agency) National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Vaccination Training - GOV.UK. Content Areas: Any recommended changes to practice, policies and guidelines in relation to: 1. Vaccine schedules 2. Vaccine-preventable diseases 3. Current issues 4. Communication 5. Legal issues 6. Storage and handling of vaccines
The Science Media Centre (SMC) is an independent press office and not-for-profit organisation that aims to improve the quality of science coverage in the media by ensuring journalists have rapid access to reliable, evidence-based scientific expertise. The Science Media Centre’s main function is to bridge the gap between science and journalism. It does this through three core roles: Supporting journalists: The SMC provides expert reactions, background briefings, and access to qualified scientists so journalists can report scientific stories accurately and quickly. Supporting scientists and institutions: It trains scientists to engage effectively with the media and helps research institutions handle science stories responsibly, encouraging open communication even on controversial issues. Policy and Public Engagement: The SMC contributes to government and parliamentary discussions on science communication and studies how the public receives science through media. This talk will cover how the SMC works with researchers and journalists on the contentious and politicised topics in science and health. It will be of most relevance to those working on these trickier media issues which include but are not restricted to obesity drugs, antidepressants, gender incongruence, cancer screening, vaping, vaccines, diet and nutrition, social media and young people, psychedelics, microplastics, and forever chemicals. If you work in a field which is frequently reported on in the media, often in a highly charged or sensational way, this talk will explain why the media is still a key avenue for engagement and effective communication, and the different ways the SMC can support you to get your expertise and research out to the public.
OMPF is an interest group to facilitate discussions on membrane protein structure and function. We are holding a half-day meeting on with short talks and posters to showcase the latest research, this is followed by drinks and pizza/snacks. Please register by 21 March 2026 if you would like to attend as a presenter or audience. A more detailed programme will be distributed via email closer to date. Please contact the organisers georgia.isom@path.ox.ac.uk or anna.li@ndcn.ox.ac.uk if you have any questions! Key words: ion channels, transporters, enzymes, GPCRs, vesicles, membrane receptors, electrophysiology, cryo-EM, cryo-ET, neuroscience, biochemistry, structural biology, X-ray crystallography, biophysics
This meeting is part of the NetDRIVE project, which focuses on delivering authoritative advice to UK Research and Innovation on sustainable digital research infrastructure. It will promote discussion on the shape, constraints, and opportunities of the emerging UK power supply, alongside broader questions of community leadership, scientific credibility, and digital transformation in support of net zero. Keynote speakers will include (additional speakers to be confirmed): Professor David Wallom, Professor in Informatics, Associate Director - Innovation of the Oxford e-Research Centre Professor Myles Allen, Principal Investigator, Oxford Net Zero Meeting objectives 1. Practical approaches to community leadership and scientific credibility in defining and implementing net zero 2. Understanding the shape, constraints, and opportunities of the emerging UK power supply 3. Engaging across generations to help guide the digital transformation Expected outputs 1. Recommendations on a framework for defining and implementing net zero, including approaches to balancing unavoidable emissions. The aim is not to re-review technical options, but to summarise available and emerging approaches and how these may inform infrastructure procurement policy. 2. Draft recommendations on the use of flexible approaches to siting and operating infrastructure to reduce carbon footprint and costs. 3. Recommendations for enhancing opportunities for postdoctoral researchers to engage in the development of sustainable digital research infrastructure. Poster sessions will form part of the programme (details to follow).
A half-day online immunisation update training course, delivered via Microsoft Teams. This training is primarily targeted at healthcare professionals and healthcare support workers who already administer, promote and/or advise about vaccines. 3 CPD hours of participatory learning. The content is aligned with UKHSA (Health Security Agency) National Minimum Standards and Core Curriculum for Vaccination Training - GOV.UK. Content Areas: Any recommended changes to practice, policies and guidelines in relation to: 1. Vaccine schedules 2. Vaccine-preventable diseases 3. Current issues 4. Communication 5. Legal issues 6. Storage and handling of vaccines
This 90-minute session will cover some more advanced techniques for finding medical literature to answer a research question. We will recap some basics, then demonstrate searching in several medical databases, including using subject headings (MeSH) and the differences between platforms. By the end of this session, you will be able to: explain what subject headings are, and how to use them; search for words that appear near to other words; take a search from one database into another; save a search and document it. Intended audience: medicine and NHS; researcher and research student
OxPeace invites applications for this year’s (2026) intensive two-day training workshop, Thurs 23 - Fri 24 April 2026 (0th Week, Trinity Term) in international and local negotiation, mediation, and diplomacy, covering core concepts, lessons learned from the field and hands-on exercises. The course will in particular focus on how to mediate conflict and negotiate with difficult actors, who resist agreements for mutual gain and disregard established international norms and principles. Participants gain an overview of the practice — and theory — of peace and conflict negotiation and mediation. They will develop an understanding of the core concepts of distributive and integrative negotiations and will explore the particularities of international political negotiations, including intercultural aspects and value conflicts. Lessons learned from real-life peace mediation cases will be presented. Several role-plays help participants fine-tune key techniques for reaching agreements that work in the real world. Participants will explore evidence-based conflict mediation and negotiation tools and apply them in a wide range of practical exercises. They will learn about best practices from real life international negotiation and peace mediation cases and will discuss the benefits and challenges of using these concepts when dealing with difficult actors. On Day 2, participants build on their learnings, applying the concepts to engaging with difficult actors. Interactive discussions and exercises support participants to anchor and apply these concepts further. Who can apply: Applications are invited from students, practitioners, and academics from the areas of government and diplomacy, civil society including business and faith-based organisations, NGOs, the media, and all with a particular interest in international and local negotiations, conflict mediation, peacemaking and peacebuilding. Trainers: Martin Albani and Valentin Ade. Martin Albani is the former Head of the Peace Mediation and Dialogue Sector in the Foreign Service of the European Union (European External Action Service). A career EU diplomat (currently on sabbatical) he has more than 15 years’ experience in foreign affairs, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. Martin regularly lectures and holds workshops on peacebuilding and international negotiations at different universities and for international organisations. Dr Valentin Ade teaches negotiation at the University of St. Gallen, for the UN, and for a wide range of businesses, government organisations, and civil society actors. He is the founder of The Negotiation Studio (www.negotiationstudio.com). Participation fee and practical details A subsidy from the Oxford Peace Research Trust allows the fee to be just £50 for students, £100 for academic staff, and £350 for practitioners, with the voluntary option to help subsidise the student fee by paying an additional £50 or £100.The fee includes teas, coffees, sandwich lunches, and informal dinner on Thursday, but please note that accommodation is not included. The course organisers are not able to help participants to find accommodation, which can be expensive in Oxford and needs to be booked well in advance. Application Please submit a short statement (up to 200 words) stating why you would like to participate in this workshop, together with your brief CV (including your present course of study if you are a student), any dietary requirements, and your full contact details (email, phone, and full postal address) to Assistant Organiser Thomas Chapman Thomas.chapman@balliol.ox.ac.uk, Please apply as soon as possible, and at latest by 1 April 2025. Early applications are encouraged. We will reply as quickly as possible to let you know if you have a place. We will send bank details for payment, and your place will be confirmed on reception of the fee. NB: Visas: Any applicant who needs a visa should request an invitation letter (email all necessary personal details to Thomas Chapman) and start applying, immediately on acceptance to the workshop.
This is the centre’s eleventh annual conference, hosted by Oxford’s Department of Education. Building on the success of 2025, this will be fully hybrid, with 30 parallel panels and roundtables across six different streams: ‘Why it’s hard to make the finances add up’, ‘Equity, quality and affordability’, ‘Mobilities and inequalities’, ‘Freedoms and geopolitics’, ‘Governance and leadership and democracy’ and ‘Sustainability and reparative futures’. The opening plenary of CGHE 2026, to be held in Wolfson College, will celebrate the life and contributions of Professor Claire Callender, whose academic and policy interests helped prepare the ground for CGHE. Her groundbreaking work on student attitudes towards debt and its long-term consequences, along with her policy advocacy, are being taken forward by colleagues across CGHE’s international community. A key focus for the conference is equity and sustainability. Across the world, governments are wrestling with how to fund the escalating costs of higher education. The global shift to knowledge-based economies, a focus on life-long learning, and the aspiration for universal tertiary education all put traditional models under strain. These new financial models have to balance a range of societal expectations: affordability, equitable access, high quality provision, flexibility and long-term sustainability. Some countries, such as England, Canada and Australia, have chosen a high-tuition/high-aid funding model, often predicated on income-contingent student loans. Others, including much of Europe, have opted for low-tuition models to prioritise affordability, though there is also a growing private sector. Emerging economies in Africa, Latin America and Asia see rapid higher education expansion and differentiation, with fierce competition for the free or low-fee elite public universities, alongside growing tuition-charging private HE provision. Chile, South Africa, and the Philippines have recently implemented income-targeted free-tuition policies, highlighting the failings of previous systems. There is much to learn from these different models and the shared challenge of protecting the public good dimensions of higher education amidst constrained state finances.
How does the structure of a neural network shape its function? In this talk I will introduce partially recurrent neural networks (pRNNs): a model in which a set of connection pathways can be combined combinatorially to generate a complete taxonomy of architectures between feedforward and fully recurrent. I will present two functional explorations across these structures. First, using closed-form solutions, I will demonstrate that linear pRNNs exhibit surprisingly diverse temporal dynamics, including transient amplifications and oscillations, which are approximately invariant to network size. Second, using nonlinear pRNNs trained with deep reinforcement learning, I will show that distinct architectures differ in their learning speed, peak performance, and robustness to various perturbations. I will conclude by mapping these functional differences to specific network traits, illustrating how pRNNs can illuminate structure-function principles relevant to both neuroscience and machine learning.
Neil Henderson is an academic hepatologist and Chair of Tissue Repair and Regeneration at the University of Edinburgh. Neil’s group leverages cutting-edge approaches including the rapidly evolving field of single cell and spatial genomics to develop precision therapies for patients with fibrosis.
This interactive workshop will take participants through the full journey of health service improvement, beginning with the importance of defining and understanding the problem before leaping to solutions. Participants will consider how to approach problems thoughtfully, experiment with designing interventions, and reflect on the challenges of making change in complex health systems. Through practical activities and group discussion, the session will encourage participants to think critically about what makes interventions succeed or fail.
Understanding snail biology creates new opportunities for helminth disease control, while improved diagnostics help identify risk factors. In this seminar, I will present research spanning both areas. We reveal new insights into snail hosts of schistosomiasis, showing that helminth infection alters the snail microbiome and that microbial communities may, in turn, influence parasite success. Through a multi-omic approach we uncovered previously unknown host–microbiome–parasite interactions. I will also discuss our use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to detect snail hosts in endemic regions, including Northern Ireland and internationally. Focusing on diseases such as fascioliasis, we assessed multiple environmental matrices to detect snails and parasites, developing a ddPCR workflow for soil, herbage, and water samples. This work now extends to human foodborne diseases in Southeast Asia, targeting detection of snail and fish intermediate hosts. Our broader goal is to integrate a “One Biology” framework linking environment, host, microbe, and parasite to improve disease control. Geoffrey Gobert is a Professor of Molecular Parasitology within the School of Biological Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast. Before coming to the UK, he was a Senior Research Associate in QIMR Berghofer in Brisbane Australia. He works to improving our understanding of host-parasite interactions with helminths of clinical and/or agricultural importance. His research includes interactions and impacts within the environmental. Topics of importance include those locally within Northern Ireland supporting agriculture, as well as internationally in Southeast Asia, North America and Africa. Organisms of particular interest include schistosomes, Fasciola, and Opisthorchis. Internationally projects are of clinical importance and embrace a "one health" approach. More recently he has adopted the theme of “one biology” in charactering diseases, organisms or micro-environments. He is the Special Issues Editor for the journal Molecular and Biochemical Parasitology. He has been funded by the Royal Academy of Engineering and currently holds research grants from the BBSRC-UK, including as Director for the soon-to-be launched HELMINTH ECO-HEALTH HUB UK. https://www.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofBiologicalSciences/Connect/AcademicStaff/ProfGeoffreyGobert/
There is a growing literature on climate-policy mixes, much of which relies on ad hoc criteria and framings. A widespread, often implicit, assumption in this literature is that policy performance improves as more instruments are used. This lecture synthesizes existing approaches by systematically assessing their underlying criteria and rationales. It identifies policy-mix arguments distinguished by their focus on market failures, instrument synergies, multiple objectives, distinct policy levels, sector-specific challenges, intertemporal considerations, systemic coverage and effects, and policy processes. A comparative assessment is undertaken of the implications of these approaches for the policy mix, highlighting consistency, complementarity and incoherence. For balance, arguments in favour of keeping policy mixes simple are also considered, with particular emphasis on transparency, adaptive flexibility and international harmonisation. Finally, the links between policy-mix features and political feasibility are explored. The findings inform the formulation of an integrated framework and a set of guiding principles for designing climate-policy mixes.
The human brain stores an extraordinary amount of knowledge about the world, supporting object recognition, language, reasoning, and abstract thought. What is the neural nature of this knowledge? Is semantic knowledge—such as “roses are red”—simply a trace of sensory experience, encoded in perceptual brain systems? How does the brain represent knowledge acquired through language alone, without direct perceptual grounding? I will present a series of studies from my laboratory that address these questions by examining semantic representations under radically different sensory and linguistic conditions. Using knowledge domains such as object color, we study congenitally blind individuals, color-blind individuals, typically developed macaques, and individuals who experienced early language deprivation. Across these populations, we ask what aspects of semantic knowledge depend on perception, what can arise independently of it, and how language reshapes neural representations. Together, the findings suggest that semantic knowledge in the human brain is supported by two distinct yet interacting coding systems, revealing how perceptual experience and language jointly contribute to the architecture of human knowledge.
For further details, please contact: "$":mailto:nick.millea@bodleian.ox.ac.uk, or 01865 287119
Incumbency advantage in U.S. congressional elections has been a well-established feature of American politics. Since the late 2000s, this advantage has significantly declined, falling from a longstanding average of 10 percentage points to just 3, as we document using a regression discontinuity design. We show that this decrease was driven primarily by the expansion of mobile broadband. Both Democrats and Republicans were affected, though the decline was initially greater for the party holding the presidency at the time. Mobile broadband disadvantaged incumbents and benefited challengers. It improved voter knowledge of both, increased disapproval of incumbents, and enhanced challengers’ fundraising capacity.
We live in a world rich in data. This talk seeks to revive the philosophical tradition of cosmopolitanism to rethink some of the challenges associated with data governance. Although data cosmopolitanism can be applied to a wide variety of data types, this talk will focus on health data. Previously, I defined data cosmopolitanism as “a normative ideal aimed at addressing global data injustices, promoting data solidarity across the world, and fostering international cooperation on data initiatives to improve global health” (Rueda et al., 2025). This talk aims to broaden our understanding of the nature, benefits, and trade-offs of data cosmopolitanism. In doing so, it brings cosmopolitan philosophy into dialogue with global health ethics to examine the duties surrounding the collection, management, and sharing of data while considering the interests of the global community. In addition, I will critically contrast data cosmopolitanism with two competing positions: data nationalism and data regionalism. Unlike both approaches, data cosmopolitanism maintains that justice, solidarity, and cooperation are not confined to a specific country or region but should extend globally. Finally, the talk will conclude by addressing potential objections and acknowledging the limitations of data cosmopolitanism in a world marked by heated geopolitical tensions, a competitive global data economy, and the absence of robust global governance structures. This is a hybrid seminar. If you would like to register to join online, please complete the form below: https://forms.office.com/e/vUeSPgGnq8
This study examines how students at the London School of Economics (LSE) perceive the value of their university degree. The research employs mixed methods, combining a survey of second- and third- year undergraduates with follow-up in-depth interviews. The survey captured students’ perceived educational gains, priorities during university, as well as beliefs about factors influencing success at university and in the labour market. Students with different profiles — defined by their understandings of success—were selected for in-depth interviews to explore how they negotiated between competing priorities. Findings show how under perceived conditions of social congestion (Brown, 2013), students navigate elite higher education as a site for cultivating multiple forms of graduate capital (Tomlinson, 2017) so as to gain positional advantages over other graduates.
Booking is required for both in-person and online attendance.
We are delighted that the 2026 CPM Annual Lecture will be given by Professor Trish Greenhalgh; Personalised Medicine: A Primary Care Perspective. This will take place at the Maths Institute on Tuesday 28th April at 5:30pm. Trish Greenhalgh is Professor of Primary Care Health Sciences and Fellow of Green Templeton College at the University of Oxford. She studied Medical, Social and Political Sciences at Cambridge and Clinical Medicine at Oxford before training first as a diabetologist and later as an academic general practitioner. She has a doctorate in diabetes care and an MBA in Higher Education Management. She leads a programme of research at the interface between the social sciences and medicine, working across primary and secondary care. Her work seeks to celebrate and retain the traditional and the humanistic aspects of medicine and healthcare while also embracing the exceptional opportunities of contemporary science and technology to improve health outcomes and relieve suffering. Three particular interests are the health needs and illness narratives of minority and disadvantaged groups; the introduction of technology-based innovations in healthcare; and the complex links (philosophical and empirical) between research, policy and practice. She has brought this interdisciplinary perspective to bear on the research response to the Covid-19 pandemic, looking at diverse themes including clinical assessment of the deteriorating patient by phone and video, the science and anthropology of face coverings, and policy decision-making in conditions of uncertainty. She is a member of Independent SAGE, an interdisciplinary academic team established to provide independent advice on the pandemic direct to the lay public. Trish is the author of over 500 peer-reviewed publications and 16 textbooks. She was awarded the OBE for Services to Medicine by Her Majesty the Queen in 2001 and made a Fellow of the UK Academy of Medical Sciences in 2014. She has also been elected to Fellowship of the UK Royal College of Physicians, Royal College of General Practitioners, Faculty of Clinical Informatics and Faculty of Public Health. In 2021 she was elected to the Fellowship of United States National Academy of Medicine for "major contributions to the study of innovation and knowledge translation and work to raise the profile of qualitative social sciences". She became a Fellow of the Faculty of Leadership and Management in Medicine in 2024.
Convenors: Ariel Dempsey, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Faculty of Theology & Religion; Andrew Moeller, Project Leader, Biotechnology and the Humanities Please contact Andrew Moeller with any questions: andrew.moeller@history.ox.ac.uk. Amid the rapid expansion of medical technology, what place do religion and spirituality hold in contemporary medicine? How are spirituality, physical health, and mental health interconnected, and how do these relationships shape experiences of illness and healing? As medicine becomes increasingly driven by technology, data, and efficiency, questions of meaning, belief, and human experience remain central to care. Religion and spirituality continue to influence how patients and clinicians understand illness, make medical decisions, cope with suffering, and pursue well-being. This panel brings together clinicians, scholars, and practitioners to explore the roles of religion and spirituality in contemporary medicine, with particular attention to physical health, mental health, and patient-centered care. Panelists will examine how spirituality intersects with clinical practice, ethical decision-making, and holistic approaches to healing, as well as the challenges and opportunities of integrating spirituality into modern healthcare settings. Our panel of speakers will explore questions such as: What role can spirituality play in physical and mental health, and how should clinicians engage with it responsibly in patient care? In the face of widespread clinician burnout, how might spirituality support resilience, meaning, and professional well-being? As medicine becomes increasingly technological, how can healthcare systems integrate spiritual care while respecting diversity, ethics, and professional boundaries? What insights does spirituality offer medicine about healing, suffering, and meaning—and how can medical practice, in turn, inform spiritual understanding? How can dialogue between medicine, philosophy, theology, and the arts deepen our understanding of the spiritual dimensions of human experience and reshape approaches to care? As societies invest billions in biotechnologies aimed at enhancing and extending human life, we are also facing a growing crisis of mental health and rising rates of despair. What do spiritual traditions offer that might help us rethink what we mean by “progress” and human flourishing? These questions matter not only to healthcare professionals, but to all of us because serious illness touches every life, whether our own or those of people we love. Whether you are a clinician, patient, scholar, student, religious, spiritual, secular, skeptic, or simply someone interested in exploring questions of meaning and purpose, join us for a timely conversation at the intersection of medicine, spirituality, and human well-being.
TBC
Course description This ½ day course is run by Professor Helen Higham (Director of OxSTaR & a Consultant Anaesthetist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) and is suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff and aims to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of human factors in healthcare. The course introduces participants to basic human factors frameworks, including the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS), and focuses on practical applications in the workplace to improve understanding of systems in healthcare. This course will align with the new National Patient Safety Syllabus Learning Objectives Improve understanding of human factors principles Introduce and explore a human factors framework (SEIPS) Provide opportunities to practise applying SEIPS to real world examples Course content Definition and background of human factors Human factors applied to healthcare Importance of work place culture (including Just Culture tool) Explanation of SEIPS framework Exercises using SEIPS Plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions
For nine days in May 1926, nearly three million trade unionists struck in sympathy with nearly a million miners whose employers had locked them out because they would not accept steep pay cuts and a longer working day. This general strike practically shuttered the country. There never had been anything like it before; there never would be anything like it again. This lecture will explore what was at stake over those nine days – it was more than “bread and cheese”; and why it lasted little more than a week; and what were its consequences; and what are its enduring lessons even for today.
For nine days in May 1926, nearly three million trade unionists struck in sympathy with nearly a million miners whose employers had locked them out because they would not accept steep pay cuts and a longer working day. This general strike practically shuttered the country. There never had been anything like it before; there never would be anything like it again. This lecture will explore what was at stake over those nine days – it was more than “bread and cheese”; and why it lasted little more than a week; and what were its consequences; and what are its enduring lessons even for today. *Jonathan Schneer* is Professor Emeritus at the Georgia Institute of Technology. _Nine Days in May_ is his ninth book. His _The Balfour Declaration: The Origins of Arab-Israeli Conflict_ (Random House 2010) won a National Jewish Book Award; his _The Lockhart Plot_ (Oxford, 2020) was shortlisted for the Pushkin House Literary Prize. Currently, he is working with a co-author, Jim Cronin, on a book about critics of Thatcherism in Britain, and Reaganism in the United States. He mainly splits his time between Decatur Georgia and Williamstown Massachusetts. There will be a drinks reception after the lecture. All welcome.
Booking is required for both in-person and online attendance.
Title and speaker to be announced The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching if you would like to attend online.
Formatting your in text citations, footnotes and bibliography correctly for your thesis or publication is crucial. Reference management tools make this easier and save you time. This classroom-based session comprises a 30-minute presentation, which gives an overview of reference management tools. The rest of the session is dedicated to practical exercises at the computers, giving you the opportunity to try out four tools (RefWorks, EndNote, Zotero and Mendeley), so that you can work out which one is best for you. Library staff will be there to help and guide you, and answer any questions you might have. You can leave at any point once you have tried out the tools you want, and do not have to stay until the end. At the end of the session you will be able to: understand how reference management works; understand the advantages and disadvantages of a range of reference management tools; add, edit and organise references using a number of different tools; add references to documents and create bibliographies using a number of different tools; and make an informed decision about which reference management tool works best for you. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
We study how immigrant legalization affects political representation and public service delivery, focusing on the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA), which granted legal status to nearly three million undocumented Hispanic migrants. Using geographic variation in IRCA exposure and newly digitized data on 12,000 Hispanic officials, we find legalization increased Hispanic representation in local government and facilitated upward mobility from school boards into municipal and county offices. These changes altered institutional behavior, shifting education spending toward capital investment and diversifying the racial composition of the teaching workforce. Immigration policy thus reshapes who governs and how public goods are allocated.
Join the Centre for Personalised Medicine (CPM), University of Oxford for a day-long symposium exploring the evolving landscape of direct-to-consumer (DTC) medical testing. Bringing together academic experts, clinicians, industry innovators, and regulatory professionals, this event will delve into the opportunities and challenges of DTC testing across hormone health and fertility, gut and nutrition, and genetics, and its broader impact on patients and the NHS. The day will feature presentations and panel discussions, examining how these technologies are influencing, and may continue to shape, patient pathways, clinical practices, and patient-clinician relationships within healthcare. The programme will also engage with the ethical, philosophical, and regulatory implications of DTC medical testing, asking critical questions about evidence, oversight, and responsibility in a rapidly changing health consumer market and its impacts on the NHS. With contributions from thought leaders across medicine, ethics, philosophy, regulation, and industry, this event provides a timely platform for interdisciplinary dialogue on a topical issue in modern healthcare. This event will be structured around three key themes: 1. Developments in direct-to-consumer medical testing 2. Implications of direct-to-consumer medical testing for clinical practice and patient pathways 3. Ethical, philosophical, and regulatory considerations of direct-to-consumer medical testing The provisional agenda is available to view here: https://tinyurl.com/czeny2bm Attendance for this event is in-person only. Recordings of all presentations will be available on the CPM website and YouTube channel following the event. As capacity for this event is limited, we kindly ask that you inform us if you are unable to attend after registering, so that your place may be offered to another participant.
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. In this session you’ll learn: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
In this online interactive workshop, you will learn how to create an effective search query and have the opportunity to try out a range of tools that you can use to search for scholarly materials to support your research. You will: learn how to find books and other scholarly items in Oxford libraries using SOLO; search for journal articles using subject databases and scholarly search engines; and be signposted towards learning materials you can use if you are interested in searching for conference proceedings, theses and dissertations. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
We examine the rapid growth of Brazil's private online higher education sector and its impact on market structure and college enrolment. Exploiting regional and field-specific variation in online education penetration, we find that online programs increase enrolment for older students but divert younger students from higher-quality in-person programs. Increased competition lowers the prices of in-person programs but leads to a decline in their provision. Using an equilibrium model of college education, we quantify that in the absence of online education, the average student would experience 3.4% higher value added. While young students benefit from fewer online options, older students are disadvantaged. Targeted policies limiting online education to older cohorts have the potential to improve value added across all groups.
Booking is required for both in-person and online attendance.
A general online introduction to the vast range of electronic resources which are available for all historical periods of British and Western European history. Learning outcomes are to: gain an overview of some of the key online resources for medieval, early modern and modern British and Western European history; know how to access subscription resources; and gain awareness of key examples of useful resources: bibliographic databases; reference sources; primary sources; maps; audio-visual resources; and data sources. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
Complimentary refreshments from 3:30pm in the Hume-Rothery Meeting Room. Composites with intricate microstructures are ubiquitous in the natural world where they fulfil the specific functional demands imposed by the environment. For instance, nacre presents a fracture toughness 40 times higher than its main constituent, a crystalline form of calcium carbonate. This relative increase in toughness value is obtained as a crack propagating within this natural brick-and-mortar structure must interact with multiple reinforcing mechanisms, leading to a millimetre-sized process zone. The boost in performance obtained has pushed scientists for a few decades to use nacre as a blueprint to increase the toughness of synthetic ceramics and composites. Our ability to reproduce accurately the structure of nacre from the nanometre to the millimetre scale has improved with the introduction of Magnetically-Assisted Slip Casting (M.A.S.C.), a technique that combines an aqueous-based slip casting process with magnetically-directed anisotropic particle assembly. Using this technique, we can now fine-tune the structural properties of nacre-inspired alumina-based composites to reach strengths up to 670 MPa, KIC up to 7 MPa.m1/2 with subsequent stable crack propagation and this even at temperature up to 1200°C. While these materials already present interesting properties for engineering applications, we fail to see the large process zones that are acting in natural nacre. This led us to work on a new composite system, using this time monodisperse silica rods that can self-assemble into bulk colloidal crystals to finally test the effect of order in the microstructure on the toughness. The presence of this regularity in the microstructure proved crucial in enabling a large process zone. We obtained a 40-fold increase in toughness compared with the polymer use as a matrix in a composite made of 80% in volume of ceramic, all of which is processed at room temperature. From these two studies, we can extract the role of the interface and grain morphology in tough bioinspired composites and what will be the next steps for these materials. Brief biography Florian Bouville is a senior lecturer in the Centre for Advanced Structural Ceramics in the Department of Materials of the Imperial College London. His group is researching both colloidal processing and fracture mechanics, to design more robust and durable materials based on their microstructure and not composition, with applications ranging from high temperature structural components for aerospace to energy storage devices. These studies are supported by various funding sources, including an ERC Starting Grant and the European Space Agency. He obtained his Master's degree in Material Sciences at the Institut National des Sciences Appliquées de Lyon (INSA de Lyon, France) in 2010. He then moved to the South of France for his PhD between three partners: the company Saint-Gobain, the Laboratory of Synthesis and Functionalization of Ceramics and the MATEIS laboratory (INSA de Lyon). From 2014 to 2018, he was a postdoctoral researcher and then scientist in the Complex Materials group at the Department of Materials at the ETH Zürich.
Booking is required for both in-person and online attendance.
The event is free to attend but booking is required due to limited spaces. Reserve your spot by sending an email to oxford@ilcorno.co.uk
Title and speaker to be announced The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching if you would like to attend online.
If you are new to the University of Oxford and want to find out more about the University’s network of libraries or have been at the University a while and would like a refresher, join us for this online introduction to understanding and accessing the libraries, their services and resources. By the end of the session, you will: be familiar with the network of Oxford libraries and the differences between them; know the logins needed to access Bodleian Libraries services; be able to conduct a search in SOLO (the University’s resource discovery tool), filter results and access online and print resources; know how to manage your library account including loans and requests. Intended audience: taught student; researcher and research student
Join us for a day of presentations exploring the works of Tayeb Salih. The day is divided into 3 sessions: (1) The World of Tayeb Salih; (2) Tayeb Salih in the World; and (3) Reading Tayeb Salih's Non-fiction. Programme timings are available at https://www.sudaneseprogramme.org/ Please join us for all or part of the day, all are welcome. Registration is essential: In-person attendance: Please email Dr Ahmed Al-Shahi: namlas159@gmail.com Online attendance: Please register your details at https://tinyurl.com/TSP26May Tea and coffee will be available on arrival and during the programme breaks. Lunch is not included however will be available for attendees to purchase from St Antony's College self-service dining hall. Please note the dining hall is cashless so lunch payment is by card only.
Professor Merryn Voysey University of Oxford https://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/team/merryn-voysey
Neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s are devastating conditions with poorly understood mechanisms and no known cure. Yet a striking feature of these conditions is the characteristic pattern of invasion throughout the brain, leading to well-codified disease stages visible to neuropathology and associated with various cognitive deficits and pathologies. This evolution is associated with the aggregation of key toxic proteins. In this talk, I will show how we use multiscale modelling to gain insight into this process In particular, by looking at protein dynamics on the connectome, we can unravel some of the universal features associated with dementia that are driven by both network topology and protein kinetics leading to changes in brain activity. Alain Goriely is a mathematician with broad interests in mathematical methods, sciences, and engineering. He is well known for his contributions to fundamental and applied solid mechanics, and, in particular, for the development of a mathematical theory of biological growth, He joined the University of Oxford in 2010 as the inaugural Statutory Professor of Mathematical Modelling and fellow of St. Catherine's College. He is currently the Director of the Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics. In addition, Alain enjoys scientific outreach based on problems connected to his research including tendril perversion in plants, twining plants, umbilical cord knotting, whip cracking, the shape of seashells, visual illusions, and brain modelling,. For his contribution to mathematics and sciences, he was elected Fellow of the Royal Society in 2022, received the Society of Engineering Science Engineering Medal in 2024 and the David Crighton Medal in 2025. https://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/people/alain.goriely
We all have emotions, but where do they come from? In this talk, I will present evidence that some emotional states are associated with discrete, innate expressions. I will draw on investigations of vocal expressions of emotions in non-human primates and congenitally deaf individuals, as well as across different cultures. These findings support the notion that emotional vocalisations are specialised adaptations that have evolved to help us deal with recurring challenges and opportunities, and are modulated by learning. I will argue that our understanding of what emotions are should include a functional perspective centred around emotion preparedness.
What makes teaching a profession—and how does initial teacher education (ITE) contribute to that status? One influential idea, introduced by Lee Shulman, is that professions are often defined by a signature pedagogy: a distinctive way of teaching that reflects the profession’s core values, alongside agreed knowledges and practices. If teacher education had such a pedagogy, could it strengthen claims to legitimacy, authority, and agency? And if so, what would it look like—and would it even be desirable? This seminar explores these questions through findings from three research projects that examine teacher education at different scales: within a single institution across subjects and phases; across multiple institutions during a period of policy reform; and across diverse international contexts. Together, these studies shed light on whether a signature pedagogy for teacher education is desirable, if it exists, what form it might take, and how this could reshape our understanding of ITE—not only for educators, but also for policymakers seeking to influence it. Speaker Bio: Clare Brooks is a Professor of Education at the University of Cambridge. Her research focuses on how policy influences access to teacher education for isolated communities, and the implications for high-quality initial teacher education at scale. She takes up the role of Head of the Faculty of Education in October 2026.
Booking is required for both in-person and online attendance.
Have you been attending the Management in Medicine sessions and wish you had more opportunities to get to know your fellow participants? Have you had a really passionate, engaging or interesting discussion with someone at an event and would like to re-connect with them? Would you like an opportunity to share resources, collaborate and support each other? If so, come along to this community session, get to know each other through reflecting on what we’ve learnt and sharing real-life examples of MiM at work. There will be an opportunity to get to know each other in breakout rooms, as a whole group and share resources in the chat. We absolutely love the passion, drive and vision of our programme participants and want to create more opportunities to share this with each other! We believe many good things come of being in community, especially one as engaged as this one.
In this session we will cover how to locate and interpret journal level metrics such as the Journal Impact Factor (JIF). We will examine the tools you can use to locate journal level metrics, such as Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources. We will also consider the uses, limitations and pitfalls inherent in these metrics and how they can be used responsibly. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: the major journal metrics and how these are calculated; accessing journal citation data using Journal Citation Reports and Scopus Sources; using JIF, CiteScore and SJR journal metrics to rank journals; and the limitations of different metrics, including how journal metrics may be skewed or distorted. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
This paper proposes a new class of time varying models for which a vector of unknown parameters may vary stochastically or deterministically over time or be a mixture of both types. There are novel features to this class and its econometric treatment differs from the existing literature which typically separates stochastic and deterministic time variation in the parameters. Estimation methods for the former are often based on Bayesian resampling algorithms whereas nonparametric estimation methods are usually employed for fitting unknown deterministic functional forms. This paper develops instead a unified approach based on orthonormal series decompositions to estimating time variation irrespective of whether that variation is stochastic or deterministic. The proposed procedure has wide applicability, covering linear and nonlinear time series models as well as stochastic trends. Consistent estimators of the time varying structures are developed and the limit theory for each of the settings is established. A notable outcome is that unit root time-varying parameters can be estimated with asymptotic validity and fast rates of convergence when the unit root structure is captured by an orthonormal series representation. Other advantages include the flexibility and convenience of the approach in practical implementation. Simulations are conducted to examine finite sample performance and the procedures are illustrated in several real data examples.
Capital in modern economies increasingly takes the form of intangible capital, whose formation heavily depends on the contributions of specialized workers—such as inventors, managers, and entrepreneurs. To examine the macroeconomic implications of this fact, we develop and calibrate a general neoclassical model where capital formation requires both investment goods (tangible investments) and specialized labor (intangible investments). We show that rising intangibles renders the supply of capital more inelastic owing to the limited supply of specialized labor. Rising intangibles also change the incidence of capital taxation: whereas in traditional neoclassical models the tax burden falls entirely on production workers, in intangible economies, it is borne primarily by specialized workers and capital owners.
As part of ‘French Sciences in Oxford: Cross-Channel Conversations’ Christophe Prieur (CNRS) Chaired by Dong (Lilly) Liu (University of Oxford) Abstract: This lecture aims to provide a comprehensive overview of current research in control theory and its applications. Rooted in physics, engineering, and mathematics, this field integrates the modeling of dynamical systems, stability analysis of control models, and the design of efficient (or even optimal) control strategies. The lecture will highlight the key milestones that have shaped modern research in control theory and systems, with a particular focus on my contributions, as CNRS researcher, obtained with co-authors. We will explore how control plays a central role in addressing critical societal, informatics, and engineering challenges. Additionally, we will introduce ongoing research projects, including those related to high-dimensional systems, the control of uncertain systems, and the « deluge » of AI-based approaches transforming the field.
This workshop will cover the basics of copyright as they apply to researchers at the University of Oxford. It will explain the different types of copyright work that are used or generated in research and the rights and responsibilities for researchers and academic authors in an age of increasingly open scholarship. We will discuss the practical implications of copyright law on the publication process, as well as the production and sharing of research data. This will include the licensing of research outputs and data and the use of open licences such as Creative Commons. We will also cover ownership of copyright, author agreements with publishers and the benefits of signing up to the University of Oxford rights retention pilot. Finally, the session will cover the use of copyright content owned by others as part of the research process. This will involve looking at the role of rights clearance, copyright exceptions, due diligence and risk management in common research scenarios. Intended audience: Researcher and research student; Staff
TBC
The American Revolution is now widely accepted to have been the last civil war within the British Empire of the Atlantic world. However, British, imperial, and Atlantic contexts do not exhaust the historical frames essential to understand the Revolution or, more specifically, 1776. For contemporaries on both sides of the Atlantic, Europe—particularly the European balance of power—was the most important setting for the fears raised by the American War. The greatest assault on that balance of power had occurred only four years before 1776 in 1772 with the first Partition of Poland by Austria, Prussia and Russia. This lecture shows how fears of partition, "Poland like", drove the decision for American independence and how the Polish response to partition shaped the British counterblast to the Declaration of Independence. *David Armitage* is the Lloyd C. Blankfein Professor of History and former Chair of the Department of History at Harvard University, where he teaches intellectual history and international history. He is also an Affiliated Professor in the Harvard Department of Government, an Affiliated Faculty Member at Harvard Law School, and an Honorary Professor of History at the University of Sydney. Before coming to Harvard in 2004, he taught for eleven years at Columbia University. He is the author or editor of fifteen books, among them _The Ideological Origins of the British Empire_ (2000), _The Declaration of Independence: A Global History_ (2007), _Foundations of Modern International Thought_ (2013), _The History Manifesto_ (co-auth., 2014), and _Civil Wars: A History in Ideas_ (2017). Among his edited works are _Shakespeare and Early Modern Political Thought_ (co-ed., 2009), _The Age of Revolutions in Global Context, c. 1760-1840) (co-ed., 2010), and _Pacific Histories: Ocean, Land, People_ (co-ed., 2014). The lecture will be followed by a drinks reception.
This screening programme explores a collection of Sinophone films whose genres sit in between an ethnographic film, documentary, essay film, and fiction. Through this screening journey, we will engage with various languages, narratives, perspectives, styles and textures of films that come across and reflect on the ever-changing realities of contemporary Chinese society – rich with nuances, obscurities, complexities, and uncertainties. The series will cover four themes, including COVID-19, Gender, Art and Society, and Rural-Urban, and will run from Feb to May 2026. Session 4 (Boundaries of Art): China's Van Goghs 中国梵高 Directors: Yu Haibo, Yu Tianqi Kiki Region: Mainland China Run Time: 82 min Screening Talk and Q&A: with Dr Yu Tianqi Kiki (in-person) Synopsis: An intimate portrait of a peasant-turned oil painter transitioning from making copies of iconic Western paintings to creating his own authentic works of art. China’s Van Goghs tells the story of the world’s largest oil painting reproduction village - Dafen Oil Painting Village (大芬油画村) in Shenzhen - and how its peasant painters, after years of copying Western masterpieces, confront reality, face themselves, and navigate the complex choices between morality, livelihood, and artistic pursuit. The film documents the difficulties, struggles, despair, and hope that these painters experience on their journey of transformation, as well as the clash and compromise between personal ideals and everyday reality. At the same time, the transformation of the Dafen painters mirrors the complexities and contradictions in China’s broader shift in the 21st century from Made in China to Created in China. It also critiques the exclusivity of the mainstream contemporary art world and the absurdity of how society assigns value to art.
This workshop will introduce participants to the key catalogues and finding aids for post-1800 archives and manuscripts at the Bodleian Libraries. In particular the session will focus on Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts, the online catalogue for post-1800 archives and manuscripts. The session will also briefly introduce some of the major UK online gateways for discovering archives. The topics covered include: how to use the Bodleian Archives & Manuscripts online catalogue; other printed archive catalogues in the Bodleian Libraries; and major subject areas covered in Bodleian archives and modern manuscripts. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
The 12th Lorna Casselton Memorial Lecture will be given by Professor Victor Ambros (University of Massachusetts Medical School), Nobel Laureate and Professor Gary Ruvkun (Harvard Medical School), Nobel Laureate, and is entitled "How Experimental Worm Genetics and Genomics Revealed an Ancient World of Tiny RNAs".
The event is free to attend but booking is required due to limited spaces. Reserve your spot by sending an email to oxford@ilcorno.co.uk
"The Beating Heart is a cultural detective trail to try to understand how and why we have come to see the heart as we do." Professor Robin Choudhury Join cardiologist and author Professor Robin Choudhury in conversation with Dr Silke Ackermann, Director of the History of Science Museum to explore the cultural clues in Robin’s recent book, The Beating Heart: The Art & Science of Our Most Vital Organ. Robin and Silke will uncover the saints, artists, lovers, scholars, and scientists, who unwittingly influenced each other in building an understanding of the beating heart. They will discuss some of the beautiful heart images revealed in The Beating Heart that illuminate the age-old dance between art, religion, philosophy and ‘scientific’ thinking. Join us in our atmospheric Basement Gallery for a stimulating fireside chat.
Please join us for the Oxford Pain Network Seminar, taking place on the third Friday of every month in the Newsom-Davis Room, OxCIN Annexe and online (email the organiser or join the mailing list for the link). Each meeting will have a different speaker, either internal or external to the University, followed by a short Q&A. Open to all researchers/students/clinical staff in Oxford interested in pain research. For more details about future events, please join the mailing list: oxin-paingroup-subscribe@maillist.ox.ac.uk May's speaker: Dr Charlotte Krahé is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Liverpool John Moores University. Her research seeks to explain the psychological and neurobiological pathways by which humans integrate social context with its all its complexity into their experience of emotions, from relatively fleeting sensations in our bodies to longer-term experiences of pain, anxiety and depression. How are these pathways influenced by how we view others and ourselves in social interactions, and how are they shaped by our early interpersonal experiences? Talk Abstract: TBC
This interactive session exploring the personal need to address Authority, Presence and Impact, for healthcare leadership.
Patents and standards are a valuable source of technical information relevant to the fields of engineering, materials sciences, and more. Together, they provide approved rules and guidelines whilst helping to protect inventions and innovative ideas. They can, however, be tricky to find. Join this session to find out more about what patents and standards are, why they might be useful for your research and how to find them in specific databases. By the end of this session, you will: know what a patent is and where to find it; know what a standard is and where to find it; and be able to reference patents and standards. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
Government regulations of coastal flood zones have long sought to minimize risk by building coastal seawalls to protect urban centers. The housing market responds to these safety expenditures by building even more behind these new walls, raising expected flood damage. Economists have been skeptical of these government safety efforts because this endogenous response appears to undercut the safety objective of seawalls. In this paper, we argue that society should take a broader welfare perspective of such safety regulations. The optimal regulation should maximize the net value of economic activities that involve risks and take account of the endogenous market response. Perhaps surprisingly, the optimal solution leads to more investment in safety (higher seawalls) but also much higher net welfare. Note that these results apply to other safety regulations as well, for example, increasing the speed of transport versus making cars safer. We demonstrate this welfare principal using a model of coastal defense, CRESS, applied to six cities in the eastern United States. We start by minimizing the sum of wall costs and residual flood damage assuming no endogenous response. We then predict what endogenous response these walls might encourage. Finally, we optimize the amount of housing in the flood plain given the resulting flood damage. We find the optimal plan increases the height of the seawalls and encourages more building in the flood plain. Expected flood damage increases slightly but welfare (net present value) increases a great deal.
In this session we will examine article level metrics. We will discuss how citation counting can help identify influential papers in particular fields and how altmetrics provide a different perspective on research output. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn how to locate different article metrics. The session will also allow you to appreciate the limitations of different metrics and the importance of their cautious interpretation. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: using Web of Science, Scopus and Google Scholar to track and count citations to papers and individual researchers; measuring impact using altmetrics; understanding how to contextualise metrics against other, similar papers in a field; and the limitations of different metrics. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
We study optimal rating design under moral hazard and strategic manipulation. An intermediary observes a noisy indicator of effort and commits to a rating policy that shapes market beliefs and pay. We characterize optimal ratings via concavification of a gain function. Optimal ratings depends on interaction of effort and risk: for activities that raise tail risk, optimal ratings exhibit lower censorship, pooling poor outcomes to insure and encourage risk-taking; for activities that reduce tail risk, upper censorship increases penalties for negligence. In multi-task environments with window dressing, less informative ratings deter manipulation. In redistributive test design, optimal tests exhibit mid censorship.
The second in a duo of courses (attendees should attend the Fundamentals course prior to Logistics) that will cover the logistics of researching, publishing, and locating open scholarship resources and tools at the University of Oxford. Subjects include: what is the Oxford University Research Archive? depositing work into ORA via Symplectic Elements; depositing data into ORA-data; applying for one of Oxford’s APC block grants; registering or connecting your ORCID; how to be included in the rights retention pilot; and locating and checking funder policies. Ideally the Fundamentals of open access course will have been attended. If you’re not in a position to attend this course you can find similar information in our e-learning package (Digital induction to open access (MSD)) to work through prior to attending Logistics. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
An introduction to key archival, printed and electronic resources, such as finding aids, bibliographic resources and primary sources for post-1800 global history. The focus will be on non-European history but will draw predominantly on English and European language resources. After the session you will have an understanding of: the different types of material relevant to researching modern global history; how to search databases, bibliographies and other online resources; how to search the Bodleian Libraries resource discovery tool for manuscripts and archives; and how to locate relevant archive material elsewhere. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
This workshop will cover the basics of copyright as they apply to lecturers and tutors at the University of Oxford. It will explain the different types of copyright work that are used or generated in teaching and the rights and responsibilities for teaching staff and students. By attending this session you will have the opportunity to: identify copyright works and usages in teaching contexts; compare different types of licence available for teaching – proprietary and open; follow the requirements of the CLA licence; and apply risk management principles to the use of copyright exceptions for teaching. Intended audience: Researcher and research student; Staff
This session will help you to understand what IP is, who "owns" it, and the things to think about when you think you have created IP. Whether you're an undergraduate, masters or DPhil student, or Staff at the University of Oxford, it is important to understand your rights and responsibilities when it comes to intellectual property (IP). This session will help you to understand what IP actually is, who "owns" it, and the things to think about when you think you have created IP. Case studies will also be presented to help explain the University's policy. Come prepared to ask any IP related questions in the second half of the session, where our expert presenters will give you the official University answers to any of your queries. In collaboration with Research Services, Oxford University Innovation, and The Careers Service. The talk will be from 12:30-1:30pm. If you have specific questions, the presenters will be available to answer questions until 2pm. Note: The sign up is through Inkpath, you will need to create an Inkpath account to sign up if you’ve not already got one.
This screening programme explores a collection of Sinophone films whose genres sit in between an ethnographic film, documentary, essay film, and fiction. Through this screening journey, we will engage with various languages, narratives, perspectives, styles and textures of films that come across and reflect on the ever-changing realities of contemporary Chinese society – rich with nuances, obscurities, complexities, and uncertainties. The series will cover four themes, including COVID-19, Gender, Art and Society, and Rural-Urban, and will run from Feb to May 2026. The fifth session (Rural and Urban) includes two films: The Mountain Sing 欢墟 Director: Badlands Film Group Release year: 2021 Run time: 40min Synopsis: 'Hawfwen', a traditional gathering that used to be popular, where the Zhuang people would sing folk songs. It often takes place around clan temples or under old trees. Singers are divided into male and female groups. They improvise their lyrics to sing in correspondence with one another. Travelling along the songs in antiphonal style, the camera has found different singers and gatherings, lingering in rural areas and cities, trying to find the broken echoes of 'hawfwen'. Before the Flood 淹没 Director: LI Yifan, YAN Yu Release year: 2005 Run time: 150 min Screening Talk and Q&A: with LI Yifan (online) Synopsis: To build the world’s largest hydroelectric power station on China’s Yangtze River - the Three Gorges (sanxia三峡) Hydropower Station, the world’s largest reservoir will also be created in the Three Gorges region. The reservoir began storing water in 2003, and by 2009, it was completed. Many towns, villages, cultural relics, and natural landscapes along the river would be submerged. Among them was Fengjie County, made famous by the poems of Li Bai, one of China’s greatest ancient poets. This film documents the entire process in 2002 of relocating and demolishing the old county town of Fengjie in the first stage of water storage for the Three Gorges Reservoir. It records the helplessness of an elderly Korean War volunteer and innkeeper facing the loss of his livelihood; the loss of faith of a Christian church in pursuit of relocation compensation; and the unavoidable conflicts, entanglements, and painful inner struggles experienced by resettlement officials and urban poor during the relocation and demolition of the old city. Before the Flood is the debut work of the two directors. It won the Wolfgang Staudte Award at the 2005 Berlin International Film Festival’s Forum for Young Cinema and was selected for the 2005 Cinéma du Réel Festival in France.
Oxford DPhil students are required to deposit a copy of their thesis in the Oxford University Research Archive (ORA). This online session will focus on what ORA is and how to deposit one's thesis in ORA, and how to access help with this process. It will also cover the relevant rights and permissions required and other issues that DPhil students need to take into account when preparing their thesis for upload to ORA. Topics include: what ORA is and what you need to deposit; how to deposit your thesis in ORA; observing relevant rights and permissions; and accessing help with depositing your thesis in ORA. Intended audience: Researcher and research student; Staff
Unlock the full potential of your literature review with Scopus, a vital database for social sciences, medical sciences, and physical and life sciences. This interactive session will cover basic and advanced searching, highlighting features unique to Scopus and recent updates to the database. Ideal for new researchers and a great refresher for experienced researchers, with plenty of hands on searching and time for questions. By the end of the session you will be able to: construct simple and complex searches; navigate filters; understand effective search query techniques; save and export results; and extract further information from your results. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
This informative and practical online training session will discuss the importance of lay summaries (or Plain English Summaries) in medical research and what’s involved in a lay reviewer role. Link to event – https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5d178171-7adc-45f8-90e8-f808a9cdd83f@25d273c3-a851-4cfb-a239-e9048f989669 Who this is for? It’s aimed at any adult who would like to contribute to the research process. This session will give you the skills and confidence to be a lay reviewer when the opportunity arises. You will get practical advice from a public partner and researchers who work in patient and public involvement and research. You can have a go at reviewing a lay summary as part of a supportive team. You will also get a checklist of what to do if you are asked to be a reviewer. Speakers: Sue Duncombe: Patient and Public Advisory Group member, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre Cassy Fiford: Public Engagement Officer and infectious disease researcher, University of Oxford Polly Kerr: Patient and Public Involvement Manager, Medical Sciences Division, Department of Primary Health Care Research, University of Oxford Angeli Vaid: Training and Inclusion Manager, Patient and Public Involvement, NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre
The talk will explore how artificial intelligence can achieve some of the core goals of a liberal society, by overcoming human error that produces discrimination and unfairness, but also how AI cannot overcome problems of randomness and contingency, which are core concerns of liberal thinking with respect to justice.
In this session we will examine metrics for individual researchers. Using tools such as Web of Science, Google Scholar and Scopus you will learn about the researcher h-index and its limitations. You will be introduced to additional metrics tools such as author beamplots which help to contextualise a researcher’s output over time. By the end of the session, you will be familiar with: accessing citation data for specific researchers on Scopus, Web of Science and Google Scholar; understanding how the h-index is calculated and its inherent limitations; creating an ORCID number to help track all your own research outputs; and the importance of research outputs beyond journal and conference papers when assessing a researcher’s impact. Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher & research student
Land use and the geographic distribution of economic activity are key determinants of a territory’s emissions of greenhouse gases. Emissions depend on whether land is built-up in cities, used for agriculture, or covered with forests. In cities, emissions depend on the extent of sprawl. We develop a quantitative spatial theory of land use where different sectors compete for land. Technological and demographic evolutions trigger structural change and shape land use, commuting and residential choices. Emissions change as a result. We estimate the quantitative model using French spatial data since 1950 across sectors. The estimation delivers novel insights on the determinants of land use and emissions across space and time and allows to evaluate the effect of technological change and agricultural policies on welfare, productivity and the environment.
A foundational question in perceptual science is the extent to which we can describe the relations between stimuli within the framework of a metric geometry. In the case of color, careful experiments have rejected the possibility that a Euclidean geometry can accurately describe suprathreshold judgments. Open, however, is whether a more general Riemannian geometry can play this role. A key factor that has limited firm conclusions is that to fully test Riemannian ideas, one requires a full characterization of color discrimination thresholds around every point in color space and for perturbations in every color direction. Recent advances in machine learning make measurement of this discrimination field tractable, and we have now made comprehensive measurements of color discrimination thresholds. The measurements enable computation of Riemannian geodesic distance between any two points in color space. I will describe our procedures, threshold and suprathreshold color difference measurements, and evaluation of geometric models of color comparison.
COURSE DETAILS During the course you will have the opportunity to manage a project. You will be able to apply the techniques you learn to a project that you bring along. Topics covered: project initiation, managing stakeholders and risk, time estimation, planning. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: The importance of planning. The tools to make project management succeed. How to estimate the time a project will take realistically. The skills you need to be a good project manager.
Joint with CSAE
Newspapers are a valuable resource for researching not only news but also many other aspects of political, economic, social and cultural life. In this session we will introduce key online sources of news and how to make best use of them. The focus will be on historical and contemporary newspapers from the 17th century across most countries of the world. After the session participants will understand: the value of newspapers in research; the difficulties of using newspapers in research and effective search techniques, and be able to use a range of sources for searching and reading (including historical newspapers, contemporary newspapers and audio-visual news sources). Intended audience: Taught student; Researcher and research student
The event is free to attend but booking is required due to limited spaces. Reserve your spot by sending an email to oxford@ilcorno.co.uk
https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/7097-david-goldblatt
Our minds do more than simply react to the world; they adapt by flexibly controlling what we focus on and which memories we bring forward in the moment. Drawing on recent empirical work from our group, I will demonstrate how adaptive control is supported by both the internal selection of memory representations and the strategic trade-off between memory-based and sensory-guided behaviour. I will show that internal attention shapes successful retrieval across short- and long-term visuo-spatial memory and we will see that these same internal attentional mechanisms extend to language, where the dynamic attentional selection of memory representations supports sentence comprehension. Moving beyond traditional laboratory tasks, I will then show that in immersive, naturalistic settings, people differ in how and when they rely on memory, revealing stable, adaptive strategies that are largely independent of memory capacity. Finally, we will see that across the lifespan, older adults often underuse working memory in everyday contexts, yet retain a strong ability to flexibly increase memory use when task demands rise. Together, these examples offer insight into how internal attention and flexible memory use support an adaptive behavioural repertoire in a complex world.
This session will provide an introduction to the production, implementation and implications of the 10 Year Health Plan (10YHP) for England. It will provide an opportunity for participants to reflect on how it might affect them and the opportunities and risks that it creates. Nick is currently seconded into the Department of Health’s System Strategy Unit that supported the development of the 10YHP and chairs a working group of the National Neighbourhood Health Implementation Programme Taskforce.
COURSE DETAILS Topics will include presenting your CV, how to approach employers, writing covering letters and interview skills. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand: How to improve your CV. How to approach employers. How to write a covering letter. How to plan for an interview. How to interview well.
Uhlig Group Speakers: Nima Gharahdaghi & Pai-Jui Yeh Title: “Anti-IL10 as a cause of intestinal Immunopathology” Lang Group Speaker(s): TBC Title(s): TBC
COURSE DETAILS This short practical session will help you understand more about the career context for research staff at Oxford and beyond. It will enable you to identify the skills and abilities that you need to develop and give you guidance on how to enhance them so you are prepared for a useful conversation in your next CDR. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will have: An understanding of the career challenges and opportunities facing research staff at Oxford. An understanding of the skills you need to acquire. Started to apply a process of developing these skills.
Join Chris Morrison (Copyright & Licensing Specialist) and Ami Pendergrass (Copyright Literacy Lead) to play Copyright the Card Game. This interactive, games-based session introduces you to the key concepts of copyright law and allows you to apply them in practice. No prior knowledge is required, and the session caters for all whatever their level of experience with copyright. At the end of the session participants will be able to: explore how copyright really works in practice; interpret the legislation and apply the relevant legal concepts to their own work; practice using the exceptions and licences in sector-specific examples; and discuss the role of risk management in making decisions about the ethical creation and use of copyright material. Intended audience: Researcher and research student; Staff
Narrative CVs are being adopted by many funders, nationally and internationally, to give researchers the opportunity to showcase a wider range of skills and experience than is possible in a traditional academic CV; an example is the UKRI Résumé for Research and Innovation (R4RI). Writing a narrative CV requires a different way of thinking about and describing your skills, experience and contributions to research and innovation compared to a traditional CV. Writing your first narrative CV will take some time and effort; you might not be sure about what activities to include, and how to describe their quality, relevance, and your involvement in them. This presentation will try to demystify and simplify narrative CVs by providing advice, prompts and suggestions for how to write one. Speakers Mary Muers Research Culture Facilitator, MSD Kanza Basit Senior Research Facilitator, SSD Gavin Bird Head of Research Facilitation and Support, SOGE, SSD Susan Black, Careers Adviser, Oxford Careers Service Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=22972&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUMDI4VEEwVVk3RkNGRE5MTjRWWDNLRFRRTy4u, the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. In this session you’ll learn: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
The event is free to attend but booking is required due to limited spaces. Reserve your spot by sending an email to oxford@ilcorno.co.uk
Title and speaker to be announced The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching if you would like to attend online.
Speaker Bio: Albert is Professor of Neuroscience and Epigenetics at the University of Exeter where his research group studies the function of chromatin modifying factors in brain development and function, primarily using the mouse a model system. He graduated with a BSc, BSc(Hons) and MSc in Biochemistry from the University of Pretoria and obtained his PhD in Immunology from the University of Cambridge. After post-doctoral research in Molecular Immunology at the National Institute for Medical Research in London, he trained in developmental biology and genetics at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, King’s College London and University of California, San Francisco as a recipient of a Wellcome Trust International Prize Travelling Fellowship. He started his own research group at King’s College London in 2006 where he was Professor of Developmental Neurobiology before moving to Exeter in 2023.
Dr Charlene Rodrigues LSHTM and St Marys Hospital London https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/aboutus/people/rodrigues.charlene
This talk draws on oral history interviews with 60 Syrian young people who grew up in exile across nine countries to examine how the global framing of the ‘refugee crisis' has reshaped their lived realities and the meaning of education. It argues that education has become a central site through which hope is promised, managed, and deferred under restrictive migration regimes. While education is positioned as a universal right and pathway to future belonging, young people’s experiences reveal how policies of containment, segregation, legal precarity, and unequal mobility shape life within and beyond classroom walls, as well as how young people themselves challenge and navigate uncertainty. The talk draws on Hiba Salem’s forthcoming book, The Politics of Education and Hope in Forced Migration: Journeys of Syrian Young People Across the World. Please note this session will not be recorded.
Public and community engagement is vital in making bigger differences — strengthening research, building trust and delivering meaningful benefits for society. This one-day conference will explore how responsible and purposeful engagement can make bigger differences in society locally, nationally and globally. Bringing together University academic and professional staff, researchers and members of the local community, the conference will provide a space to explore Oxford’s engagement landscape, share knowledge and build meaningful connections. Attendees can hope to learn from inspiring examples of practice, gain insight into opportunities and support for engagement at Oxford, connect with others and leave with greater confidence, understanding and readiness to engage in ways that make a bigger difference locally and beyond. We'll explore engagement through the lens of making bigger differences, with a focus on three interconnected themes: Building Responsible, Trust-Centred Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Strengthening Connections, Collaboration and Infrastructure for Impact Engaging for Shared Learning, Inclusion and Local Impact We’re looking for contributors to deliver exciting and engaging sessions on all things public and community engagement with research. Further details can been found here: https://www.ox.ac.uk/research/using-research-engage/public-engagement/get-involved/PCER-Conference Deadline for contributions: 13 March 2026
From Diogenes the Cynic onwards, talk of shared humanity and articulations of humanism challenge the boundaries of citizenship and unsettle established patterns of meaning and identity. But from the early modern period, humanism as a term became associated with secular and anti-religious philosophies. And recent critical treatments of modern western humanism identify how it was aligned with and contributed to colonial and racist projects of domination. However, there are moves to recover and repair humanism as a moral and political framework, moves that also point to its varied religious forms and how humanism was never just western, but is articulated in different ways in multiple traditions around the world. Historians also identify how different humanisms developed as part of and overlapped within varied projects of liberation and social healing ranging from the abolition movement, the origins of humanitarianism, and the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa. This conference contributes to these debates by examining religious traditions of humanism and how they form a point of connection between divergent and often conflicting religious and philosophical frameworks. In particular, it focuses on how Christian humanism intersects with other religious humanisms, most notably those within Judaism and Islam, tracing their entangled histories, overlapping conceptions of the human, and interwoven expression in contemporary democratic movements and humanitarian initiatives. At its core, the conference explores whether theologically grounded humanisms can serve as analytical, critical, and constructive frameworks for addressing pressing ethical and political questions, especially those concerning the ordering of our common life nationally and internationally and the peaceable negotiation of pluralism. A background and implicit question is whether historical and contemporary articulations of religious humanism can ground an ethic and politics of responsibility and solidarity that offer alternative pathways to forms of anthropocentric humanism, secular and other anti-humanisms, ethnoreligious nationalism, and civilizational chauvinism that are emerging around the world. Alongside academic papers, the program will feature a panel of practitioners whose work speaks to the concerns of the conference through initiatives to build bridges between different faith communities as part of democratic organizing, civic trust-building, community development, or conflict transformation. Contributions from the 2026 conference will be published in a special issue of the Journal of Religious Ethics dedicated to religious humanisms as moral and political frameworks. This event builds on last year’s conference, Christian Humanism and the Black Atlantic, which examined theological articulations of what Paul Gilroy has termed “reparative humanism.” Dates of conference: 11 - 13 June Location: Michael Dummett Lecture Theatre, Christ Church, St Aldgate's For any other queries, please email mcdonald.centre@theology.ox.ac.uk
Title and speaker to be announced The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching if you would like to attend online.
Designed for medical students, doctors in training and other healthcare professionals, this experiential and practical workshop will focus on personal qualities, developing self-awareness, managing yourself, building and maintaining relationships, working with teams and developing networks.
Professor Kirsty Mehring-Le Doare World Health Organisation & St. George's https://www.sgul.ac.uk/profiles/kirsty-le-doare
An important driver of climate change inaction is the belief that individuals cannot have any tangible impact on climate change through their own actions. Currently available statistics are not suited to systematically assess or challenge this belief. In this paper, I derive the marginal impact of emission reductions – the effect of reducing emissions by 1 tonne of CO₂ (tCO₂) – on physical climate change outcomes, document important misperceptions, show how they affect behavior, and derive policy implications. Using climate models, I find that the impact of reducing emissions by 1 tCO₂ is thousands of liters less glacier ice melting, several additional hours of aggregate life expectancy, and multiple m² less vegetation undergoing ecosystem change. Subjects underestimate these figures by orders of magnitude. Moreover, their mental model is inconsistent with climate models. First, they misperceive climate change as a threshold public goods game. Second, they incorrectly assume that the marginal impact increases when others also reduce their emissions (strategic complementarity). Providing subjects with the climate scientific findings causally increases perceived self-efficacy, intentions to reduce own emissions, and real donations to reduce global emissions. The misperceptions and treatment effect are consistent with a mental model of threshold thinking, which predicts positive overall emission reductions of information provision in equilibrium. Providing information about the marginal impact is a cost-effective demand-side mitigation strategy. The information can also serve as a catalyst for other climate policies by reframing their benefits and challenging arguments against unilateral action that are based on threshold thinking.
A 2-day training course aimed at healthcare professionals and healthcare support workers new to the role of administering, promoting, and advising on vaccination. Content 1. The aims of vaccination, national vaccine policy and schedules 2. The immune response to vaccines and how vaccines work 3. Vaccine-preventable diseases 4. The different types of vaccines, their composition and their indications and contraindications 5. Current issues in vaccination 6. Communicating with patients, parents and carers about vaccines 7. Legal issues as applied to vaccination: consent and legal mechanisms to supply and administer vaccines 8. Storage and handling of vaccines 9. Correct administration of vaccines 10. Adverse reactions 11. Documentation 12. Strategies for optimising vaccination uptake
Designed for research staff who are considering their next career move—whether within Oxford, within academia more broadly, or in other sectors. This interactive workshop supports researchers in navigating their career development with greater confidence and clarity. It offers participants the space to reflect on their ambitions, explore alternative futures, and engage in structured peer discussions to share insights and challenges. Participants will use design-thinking approaches to consider different career scenarios. The session then moves into goal setting and peer advice-sharing, helping researchers to build practical short-term plans and identify supportive resources and networks. Participants are introduced to key tools and services available through Oxford to support their development as they prepare for their next step, whatever that may be. By the end of this session, participants will be able to: * Articulate multiple possible career directions, including both preferred and alternative pathways. * Identify actionable short-term goals that support career progress. * Reflect on and assess their professional development to date, including skills, motivations, and values. Everyone welcome, please register to receive the TEAMS link for this event If you are a student or researcher with a CareerConnect account, please register "here":https://oxford.targetconnect.net/leap/event.html?id=23008&service=Careers%20Service All other staff register "here":https://forms.office.com/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=G96VzPWXk0-0uv5ouFLPke7xLB0LNIFKuA055EWF9ZtUNDZHUzhVQ1RSTjRJNjA4QkJTWDROVkwwNS4u the joining link will be in the registration confirmation email.
An introduction to the what, why and how of public involvement
Title and speaker to be announced The Chief Medical Officer has confirmed that attendance at the Surgical Grand Rounds can count toward internal CPD, with 1 point awarded per hour. Please note that in-person attendance is required, and you will need to sign the attendance register. All members of the University and NHS clinical staff are welcome. Please email Tarryn Ching if you would like to attend online.
Lymphocyte antigen receptor signalling is a vibrant field that has made significant contributions to immunotherapy and is moved forward by new investigators and new technology that will be highlighted across the meeting. For example, cryo-electron microscopy has provided amazingly detailed snapshots of antigen receptors, but conformational dynamics and the structure of the cytoplasmic domains remain a hot topic as highlighted by speakers around the globe. The next generation biophysical approaches are pushing boundaries highlighted by early career speakers from Sweden and Austria. Successful implementation in small research labs of robotic systems (e.g., Immunotron) that generate high dimensional data analysed by neural networks will be introduced. Intersections of metabolism and signalling are key to health as will be highlighted by leaders in the field from Germany and Spain. The pandemic highlighted the value and limitations of antibodies - two sessions will cover the latest in this remarkable Darwinian process. Synthetic immunology continues to feed into immunotherapies in exciting ways. We also make time to discuss communication with the public, innovation in publishing and promoting a positive scientific culture by bringing colleagues together at events like this.
Professor Judith Breuer University College London https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/9641
COURSE DETAILS You will learn how to read a group, deal with difficult situations, use humour, match your presentation to the audience, and make an impact. You will learn how to get your message across so it is remembered. You will learn about timing and when you should deliver key messages. You will develop your self-awareness and understand its role in presenting. LEARNING OUTCOMES By the end of this session you will understand more about: How to structure your presentation for impact. How your psychological state affects your presentation skills and how you can manage it. How to read a group and how to deal with difficult situations. How to deliver your presentation with more confidence.
More information and how to apply for a bursary: https://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/iic Hot Topics in Infection and Immunity in Children (IIC) – The ESPID-Oxford Course is a residential training course which aims to provide basic information and updates in key areas of paediatric infection. The course is targeted at paediatric infectious disease PID trainees and trainers, including SAS, LED & Consultant doctors and all those who manage children with infections, covering topics in Paediatric infection. Delegates come from all over the world there is usually a 50/50 mix of trainees/consultants. All sessions are plenary and include a mix of lectures, case rounds, The Debate and the Annual IIC Quiz. Click here to view the programme - https://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/iic/programme Programme Highlights: • The McCracken lecture: Meningitis, a history with Professor Xavier Sáez-Llorens Chief of Infectious Diseases and Director of Clinical Research, Dr José Renán Esquivel Children’s Hospital, Panama • Climate Change and Health with Dr Kate O’Brien Director, Department of Immunization, Vaccines and Biologicals, World Health Organization (WHO) • Determinants of Future Health with Dr James Gilchrist Wellcome Career Development Fellow, Oxford Vaccine Group & Honorary Consultant in Paediatric Infectious Diseases & Immunology • Sustainable antibiotic prescribing by Dr Emma Lim Paediatric Consultant and Paediatric Sepsis Lead, Great North Children’s Hospital • AI and microbiology with Professor Adrian Egli Director, Institute for Medical Microbiology, University of Zurich Early bird Registration Fees • Earlybird Trainee - ESPID/BPAIIG/PID Member £700.00 • Earlybird Trainee £790.00 • Earlybird Consultant - ESPID/BPAIIG/PID Member £825.00 • Earlybird Consultant £925.00 • Ensuite Accommodation with Breakfast £115 per night
Coaching skills can help you build positive and effective working relationships with all those you work with. Coaching is a highly impactful approach to people development and can support individuals to identify goals, gain insights into challenges, consider options and plan actions. They are a valuable asset to leaders and managers and can be useful in a range of workplace conversations, such as feedback, delegation and career development reviews.
TBC
Predicting the impact of cis-regulatory sequence on gene expression is a foundational challenge for biology. In this talk, I will present our work on building models that predict molecular phenotypes (e.g. transcription, translation, stability) from gene sequence. Computational models are often trained on massively parallel measurements of synthetic reporter gene activity or on genomic datasets such as genome-wide DNA accessibility. Crucially, such sequence-function models can generalize from training data to unseen sequences by learning the regulatory rules underlying the observed molecular phenotype. When combined with sequence design algorithms, models can be used to generate functional cis-regulatory sequences. We apply this approach to design enhancers that result in cell type specific gene expression, and mRNA UTR sequences that result in high levels of translation or stability and that can find applications in mRNA and gene therapy. Short bio: Georg Seelig is a the Chris and Heidi Stolte Professor in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is also a group leader at the Botnar Institute of Immune Engineering in Basel. The Seelig group is interested in understanding how biological organisms process information using complex biochemical networks and how such networks can be engineered to program cellular behavior. Seelig holds a PhD in physics from the University of Geneva in Switzerland and did postdoctoral work in synthetic biology and DNA nanotechnology at Caltech. He received a Burroughs Wellcome Foundation Career Award at the Scientific Interface, an NSF Career Award, a Sloan Research Fellowship, a DARPA Young Faculty Award, an ONR Young Investigator Award and a Rozenberg Tulip Award in DNA computing among others.
Delivering effective health care requires a significant amount of teamwork among different groups of workers. Team structures are acknowledged increasingly as vital to delivering value, efficiency, and quality for patient care, particularly in the general practice space. But why are teams necessarily better than more traditional hierarchical work structures? When are teams best deployed for maximum success in patient care? How does one best work within a team? What are the key leadership approaches to making health care teams fulfil their potential? This workshop will address these questions in depth, through an interactive session that allows participants to gain exposure to the best practices associated with health care teams and their implementation.
During this forum speakers from Bodleian Open Scholarship Support and across Oxford will discuss current changes in the field of open scholarship. Including subjects like data, open access, open monographs, copyright and more. It is advised that attendees of the forum have previously attended the Fundamentals and Logistics courses to improve understanding.
The second in a duo of courses (attendees should attend the Fundamentals course prior to Logistics) that will cover the logistics of researching, publishing, and locating open scholarship resources and tools at the University of Oxford. Subjects include: what is the Oxford University Research Archive? depositing work into ORA via Symplectic Elements; depositing data into ORA-data; applying for one of Oxford’s APC block grants; registering or connecting your ORCID; how to be included in the rights retention pilot; and locating and checking funder policies. Ideally the Fundamentals of open access course will have been attended. If you’re not in a position to attend this course you can find similar information in our e-learning package (Digital induction to open access (MSD)) to work through prior to attending Logistics. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
Course description This ½ day course is run by Professor Helen Higham (Director of OxSTaR & a Consultant Anaesthetist at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford) and is suitable for clinical and non-clinical staff and aims to provide an introduction to the fundamentals of human factors in healthcare. The course introduces participants to basic human factors frameworks, including the Systems Engineering Initiative for Patient Safety (SEIPS), and focuses on practical applications in the workplace to improve understanding of systems in healthcare. This course will align with the new National Patient Safety Syllabus Learning Objectives Improve understanding of human factors principles Introduce and explore a human factors framework (SEIPS) Provide opportunities to practise applying SEIPS to real world examples Course content Definition and background of human factors Human factors applied to healthcare Importance of work place culture (including Just Culture tool) Explanation of SEIPS framework Exercises using SEIPS Plenty of opportunity for discussion and questions
Geopolitical Risk is an executive education programme designed to equip senior leaders with the knowledge and strategic insight needed to navigate an increasingly volatile global environment. In today’s interconnected world, political, economic, and societal forces shape organisational risk, resilience, and opportunity across all sectors. Delivered by the University of Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations, the programme brings together world-leading academics and experienced industry practitioners to explore the geopolitical dynamics influencing decision-making at the highest levels. Through expert-led sessions and interactive discussion, participants will develop a deeper understanding of global risk trends and strengthen their ability to anticipate, interpret, and respond to geopolitical challenges with confidence and clarity. See webpage for further details - https://www.politics.ox.ac.uk/executive-education
Are you baffled by open, confused by embargoes? Does the mention of the colour gold or green catapult you into a realm of perplexed irritation? Come to this session, where we’ll break down open access and all its many jargon terms, confusing publishing structures and hint at the advantages you can reap by publishing open. In this session you’ll learn: what is open access? Key terms – Gold, Green, Article Processing Charges; where to get more information and help; where to look for open access material; and useful tools to assist you in publishing open access. Intended audience: researcher and research student; staff
In 2026, the focus of the main scientific meeting covers the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of IBD as well as state-of-the-art clinical management. The programme specifically highlights immunopathogenesis and immunomodulatory therapy and personalising of care and pathways for prevention. The meeting is aimed to appeal to clinicians, scientists, academics, pharmaceutical industry professionals and all health care professionals involved or interested in this field. As always, the meeting will be delivered by a distinguished faculty of expert speakers, both national and international. They will present and lead discussions to blend cutting edge-science with state-of-the-art clinical practice. We have a wide range of topics to discuss and there will be plenty of opportunities to ask questions and interact with the speakers and your contemporaries. We are delighted to confirm that the Truelove lecture will be given by Professor Siew Ng, Director, Microbiota I-Center (MagIC), Croucher Professor in Medical Sciences, Associate Dean (Research), Faculty of Medicine, Associate Director, Center for Gut Microbiota Research, Professor, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong. Other confirmed speakers include Professors Tine Jess (Denmark), Raja Atreya (Germany), Jonas Halfvarson (Sweden), Marietta Iacucci (Ireland), and plus our colleagues from the UK Professors James Lindsay (London), Chris Lamb (Newcastle) and the Oxford faculty. The organising committee involves research-active academic clinicians within the Translational Gastroenterology Liver Unit in Oxford – Professor Jack Satsangi, Professor Paul Klenerman, Professor Holm Uhlig, Professor Simon Leedham, Dr Alissa Walsh, Dr Oliver Brain, Sarah Cripps and Lydia White. In addition to the main Oxford Master Class we are delighted to announce that we will be running a forum for specialist IBD Nurses & other interested clinicians who may wish to attend: IBD Immunology & Microbiome 101 – Introduction for Clinicians. This session will be delivered by clinicians with a strong scientific background and excellent communication skills. It is designed to help delegates, who are full-time clinicians, to enjoy and understand the science presented throughout the Masterclass. The programme will be running in the morning on Monday 14th September. Nurses and other Clinicians attending this forum are welcome to join the Oxford IBD MasterClass Meeting running from 09:50 am on Monday. Please see registration options. Both meetings & the OMC 2026 Course Dinner will be held at Rhodes House, which captures the essence of Oxford.
A five-day intensive course exploring the critical challenges facing those working towards universal access to safe and affordable surgical, anaesthesia and obstetrics care. The course is suitable for those in all disciplines interested in global surgery, anaesthesia and obstetrics.
The UK Clinical Vaccine Network is a professional community uniting researchers, clinicians, and industry experts to drive innovation in vaccination across the life course. Their annual conference serves as the flagship event, bringing together key experts to discuss latest developments and provide a unique opportunity for networking. All sessions are plenary and include a mix of lectures, panel discussions, fireside chats, Abstract/poster talks & Sponsor Symposia. Programme Highlights: • Key Note talk: Cancer Immuno-prevention with Professor Sarah Blagden Professor of Experimental Oncology, University of Oxford • Keynote Talk: Mapping Human Immune Landscapes to Decode Vaccine-Induced Immunity with Professor Helder Nakaya Associate Professor, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of São Paulo • Typhoid Conjugate Vaccine (TCV) role out – a fireside chat with Professor Sir Andrew Pollard & Professor Melita Gordon Ashall Professor of Infection and Immunity & Director, Oxford Vaccine Group; AXA Chair of Vaccinology and Global Health, University of Edinburgh • Global Vaccine Policy and implementation by Dr Thomas Waite Deputy Chief Medical Officer for England • Advanced analytics for epidemic preparedness with Dr Arminder Deol Head of Data Science and Advanced Analysis, CEPI (Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations) To register to attend in-person/virtually - https://ukcvn.ac.uk/conference#tab-5617391 Registration fees Commercial Registration £300 Standard Registration £120 Trainee/Student Registration £80 Nurses £80 Conference dinner - New College £65 Online registration £130 Online registration - LMIC* Free *LMIC are defined from this list of Low- and Middle-Income Countries.
