Reuters Institute / Nuffield College Media & Politics seminars
The following seminars will be given at 5pm on Fridays, normally in the Butler Room, Nuffield College.
Convenors: Neil Fowler, James Painter, David Levy

Speakers: Professor Ivor Gaber, University of Sussex, Dr Maya Even, visiting fellow, Reuters Institute

The Hungarian ambassador to London will discuss Hungary’s Euro-Atlantic integration after regaining freedom in 1989. His Excellency will not skirt sensitive questions such as Hungary’s position on Russia, or European energy security and its consequences for Hungary. He will also talk about the new Hungarian constitution.

2015 lies between the 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth last year, and the 400th anniversary of his death next year. As celebrations of Shakespeare’s profundity and morality abound, James Sheldrake will be offering a timely exploration of the darker side of Shakespeare in performance, exploring stagings of the “universal” playwright in Nazi Germany, Fascist Italy, and pre-Civil Rights America.

James is a freelance Shakespearean. Since finishing a Masters in Renaissance Literature at Oxford, he has taught at RADA, worked with Globe Education and podcasts regularly at www.sheldrakeonshakespeare.com. He is currently pitching a programme on Shakespeare and Evil, the subject of today’s lecture, to the BBC World Service.

Helen McCrory, in conversation with Edith Hall (KCL), about her performance in the National Theatre’s recent production of Medea (2014).
Free, all welcome, no booking required.

The presenter will introduce different crowdfunding platforms which serve different purposes, for instance education-related initiatives, charitable works, new products and start-ups.

Presenter: Shan Huang, D.Phil student at Department of Education, Founder of OxFund

This is a joint event between the Oxford Martin School and The Oxford International Relations Society (IRSoC)

The lecture is free and open to all and will be followed by a drinks reception for members of IRSoc, membership is available on the night.

Major General (Rtd) Jonathan Shaw CB CBE has 32 years experience in the UK Army during which time he commanded on operations at every rank up to two star. He has gained extensive operational experience in the Falklands, Bosnia, Kosovo, Iraq and Afghanistan and has a profound knowledge of the workings of Whitehall and international strategy. Major Shaw is the former Assistant Chief of Defence Staff and Colonel Commandant of The Parachute Regiment (Director of the Special Forces).

As Assistant Chief of Defence Staff, his responsibilities included international security policy, global issues and he headed the Defence Cyber Security Programme.

Graduating from Oxford having read Politics and Philosophy, he joined the Parachute Regiment in 1981 and retired as its Colonel Commandant in 2012. Since leaving the Ministry of Defence in 2012, Major General Jonathan Shaw holds consulting roles at three security companies, Optima Group UK, Certivox, and Tempest Group.

Reuters Institute seminars “The business and practice of journalism”
The following seminars will be given at 2pm on Wednesdays, normally in the Barclay Room, Green Templeton College.
Convenors: James Painter, David Levy

Speaker: Kevin Sutcliffe, head of news programmes for Europe, Vice News

Siddhartha will be reading from his books of poetry, Kalagora and Digital Monsoon, showing clips from his theatre work and film, as a way into exploring the relationship between memory, imagination and globalised environments. He will reflect on how the very idea of writing lives in the 21st century, of creatively using memory and imagination, are being renegotiated in radical ways in contemporary thought and aesthetic practice.

Reuters Institute / Nuffield College Media & Politics seminars
The following seminars will be given at 5pm on Fridays, normally in the Butler Room, Nuffield College.
Convenors: Neil Fowler, James Painter, David Levy

Speaker: Anthony Barnett, founder of openDemocracy

Do you want to learn something new?

The Knowledge Project offers affordable evening courses in exciting subjects. Our classes are taught by specialists in small, friendly groups and open to all. The coming term is set to be our busiest schedule yet, packed with new courses and some old favourites. All courses will be held in the comfortable setting of Oxford International College, taught by passionate and talented postgraduate students. As always, our proceeds will be donated to local children’s charity Jacari.

Premium: Introduction to Shakespeare. Fridays 7-8.30, 14th May – 2nd July. £150
This premium course will help you to discover the world of the Bard in six discussion based classes and two outings to local plays. With the aid of a passionate postgraduate student, discover the double meanings within Shakespeare’s plays and why this playwright is still so loved today.

We are also offering courses in:

Positive Psychology. Saturdays 10-11.30, 16th May – 4th July. £80

This new course looks into the popular topics of positivity and resilience. Why are some people more resilient than others and how can we increase our resilience? Why are some people more optimistic and is it possible to make ourselves happier?

What is Feminism? Tuesdays 6.30-8pm, 12th May – 30th June. £80

This fantastic new course – developed by the talented Monique Ma-Velous of Sydney University (Gender Studies) and University of Oxford (Creative Writing) – explores what it means to be a feminist in today’s world.

Creativity. Tuesdays 7-8.30, 12th May – 30th June. £80

This new and innovative course explores how creativity makes us happy, even replacing the job of therapy, and what the right creative medium is for each individual person.

Introduction to Contemporary Art. Thursdays 6-7.30, 14th May – 2nd July. £80

This course is for anyone who loves art (or would simply like to understand what the new Tate Modern exhibition is all about. You’ll cover: performance, feminism, land art, conceptual art, appropriation and globalisation. The course is discussion led so come with questions and opinions!

Introduction to Novel Writing. Mondays 6-7.30, 11th May – 29th June. £80

Our flagship course covering all the key aspects of novel writing: voice, world-making, perspective and of course endings and beginnings. No experience necessary!

To enrol simply visit our website, select the course you would like to follow and fill in an enrolment form. Your space will be confirmed upon payment. Be sure to stay up to date with all of our goings on by visiting our Facebook page and feel free to contact us with any further questions.

Maarten De Pourcq (Radboud University Nijmegen) will present a paper on the links between Classics, the First World War, and the Rise of Flemish Culture.
Followed by Q & A and refreshments.
Free, all welcome. no booking required.

Having seen the election results unfold, the topic of political strategy and communication is as relevant as ever in highlighting the ways in which politicians and organisations seek to influence public opinion and shape political debate. The Oxford Forum welcomes you to the Political Strategy Panel Debate to discuss the challenges faced, and the solutions provided, in devising an effective communication strategy.
This event will be co-hosted with the PPE society and the Journal of Political and Constitutional Studies.
Following the debate, we will be having dinner with the speakers in the private dining room of Christ Church. Tickets are available to purchase at
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/oxford-forums-political-strategy-speaker-dinner-tickets-16819258856
It is an unmissable opportunity to engage more directly with the speakers!

Part of Book at Lunchtime, a fortnightly series of bite size book discussions, with commentators from a range of disciplines. Free, all welcome – no booking required. Join us for a sandwich lunch from 12:45, with discussion from 13:00 to 13:45.

Kirsten Shepherd-Barr (Associate Professor of Modern Drama, University of Oxford) will discuss her book Theatre and Evolution from Ibsen to Beckett with:

Michael Billington (Theatre Critic, The Guardian)
Morten Kringlebach (Associate Professor and Senior Research Fellow, Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford)
Laura Marcus (Goldsmiths’ Professor of English Literature)

About the book

Evolutionary theory made its stage debut as early as the 1840s, reflecting a scientific advancement that was fast changing the world. Tracing this development in dozens of mainstream European and American plays, as well as in circus, vaudeville, pantomime, and “missing link” performances, Theatre and Evolution from Ibsen to Beckett reveals the deep, transformative entanglement among science, art, and culture in modern times.

The stage proved to be no mere handmaiden to evolutionary science, though, often resisting and altering the ideas at its core. Many dramatists cast suspicion on the arguments of evolutionary theory and rejected its claims, even as they entertained its thrilling possibilities. Engaging directly with the relation of science and culture, this book considers the influence of not only Darwin but also Lamarck, Chambers, Spencer, Wallace, Haeckel, de Vries, and other evolutionists on 150 years of theater. It shares significant new insights into the work of Ibsen, Shaw, Wilder, and Beckett, and writes female playwrights, such as Susan Glaspell and Elizabeth Baker, into the theatrical record, unpacking their dramatic explorations of biological determinism, gender essentialism, the maternal instinct, and the “cult of motherhood.”

It is likely that more people encountered evolution at the theater than through any other art form in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Considering the liveliness and immediacy of the theater and its reliance on a diverse community of spectators and the power that entails, this book is a key text for grasping the extent of the public’s adaptation to the new theory and the legacy of its representation on the perceived legitimacy (or illegitimacy) of scientific work.

Reuters Institute seminars “The business and practice of journalism”
The following seminars will be given at 2pm on Wednesdays, normally in the Barclay Room, Green Templeton College.
Convenors: James Painter, David Levy

Speaker: Tom Standage, digital editor, The Economist

New College Chapel presents Paradise Lost: a staged reading of Milton’s epic poem in 3 parts, directed by Professor Elisabeth Dutton (Fribourg), featuring new settings of Milton’s hymns by the Organist, Robert Quinney, and anthems by Byrd, Weelkes and Purcell. There will be a pre-performance talk by Dr Will Poole on Friday 22nd May, 7.15, in the Conduit Room.

Wed 20 May: Books 1-4, The Parliament in Hell
Thurs 21 May: Books 5-8, The War in Heaven
Fri 22 May: Books 9-12, The Fall
Each part can be viewed individually.

Tickets on the door: £10/£5 students; £25/10 for all 3 nights. All proceeds will go to Sight Savers, who work to treat and prevent blindness in the developing world.

Twenty minute talk, one hour discussion. Free entry, no need to book, all welcome.

New College Chapel presents Paradise Lost: a staged reading of Milton’s epic poem in 3 parts, directed by Professor Elisabeth Dutton (Fribourg), featuring new settings of Milton’s hymns by the Organist, Robert Quinney, and anthems by Byrd, Weelkes and Purcell. There will be a pre-performance talk by Dr Will Poole on Friday 22nd May, 7.15, in the Conduit Room.

Wed 20 May: Books 1-4, The Parliament in Hell
Thurs 21 May: Books 5-8, The War in Heaven
Fri 22 May: Books 9-12, The Fall
Each part can be viewed individually.

Tickets on the door: £10/£5 students; £25/10 for all 3 nights. All proceeds will go to Sight Savers, who work to treat and prevent blindness in the developing world.

This symposium offers an innovative and exciting ‘coming together’ of language teachers and teachers of the creative arts, asking the questions:
What does creativity mean to me? What do I do about it as a teacher? Why does it matter?
It will offer exciting new ideas for teaching language through dance, poetry, art and play; and will give participants opportunities to share and try out creative teaching ideas that connect language with other ‘intelligences’.
The plenary speakers are world-class creative educators both within and beyond the TESOL profession, including Jean Clark (dance educator), John Daniel (poet), Charlie Hadfield, Jill Hadfield, Chris Lima, Alan Maley, Amos Paran, Rachel Payne (art educator), Rob Pope, Jane Spiro and Nick Swarbrick (specialist in children’s play).

Fees include gourmet Friday evening meal & Saturday tapas lunch for all delegates.

Reuters Institute / Nuffield College Media & Politics seminars
The following seminars will be given at 5pm on Fridays, normally in the Butler Room, Nuffield College.
Convenors: Neil Fowler, James Painter, David Levy

Speaker: Dame Margaret Beckett, MP for Derby South and former foreign secretary

New College Chapel presents Paradise Lost: a staged reading of Milton’s epic poem in 3 parts, directed by Professor Elisabeth Dutton (Fribourg), featuring new settings of Milton’s hymns by the Organist, Robert Quinney, and anthems by Byrd, Weelkes and Purcell. There will be a pre-performance talk by Dr Will Poole on Friday 22nd May, 7.15, in the Conduit Room.

Wed 20 May: Books 1-4, The Parliament in Hell
Thurs 21 May: Books 5-8, The War in Heaven
Fri 22 May: Books 9-12, The Fall
Each part can be viewed individually.

Tickets on the door: £10/£5 students; £25/10 for all 3 nights. All proceeds will go to Sight Savers, who work to treat and prevent blindness in the developing world.

Lee Kuan Yew, Singapore’s founding father and first Prime Minister, passed away on 23 March 2015 at the age of 91. A Cambridge-educated lawyer, Lee dominated the political stage in Singapore for more than 5 decades, and is often credited for turning Singapore from a Third World to a First World nation with a GDP per capita that is among the highest in the world.

Upon his passing, many lauded him on his achievement, hailing him as ‘the man who saw it all’ (TIME magazine), ‘a true giant of history who will be remembered for generations to come” (US President Barack Obama), ‘one of the modern world’s foremost statesmen’ (British PM David Cameron), and ‘a statesman [who was] widely respected by the international community’ (Chinese President Xi Jinping).

Lee’s critics, however, paint a different picture. To them, Lee was an authoritarian patriarch who built a Nanny State that has little tolerance for dissent. He was also a controversial figure who remained unapologetic for the numerous restrictions that were placed on individual civic liberties and other democratic norms which many modern Western societies deem sacrosanct. While recognising his legacy of unrivalled economic progress and development, Amnesty International asserts that there is ‘a dark side to what he leaves behind’, as ‘basic freedoms and human rights were [often] sacrificed’ in the pursuit of economic progress.

How do we reconcile these vastly contrasting opinions? And what implications, if any, will Lee’s passing bring for Singapore’s future? Join us for a panel discussion on the future of a post-Lee Kuan Yew Singapore. We have invited four panelists, each of whom will deliver some remarks for about 10 minutes, before we open up for a Q&A session. Entry is free for both members and non-members alike.

About the panelists: Dr Mark Frost is a historian at the University of Essex who has previously worked in the Singapore National Museum. Dr P J Thum is a historian and the coordinator of Project Southeast Asia at the University of Oxford. Professor John Quah is a Fellow of Economics at St Hugh’s College, University of Oxford. Jun Zubillaga-Pow is a co-editor of the book ‘Queer Singapore: Illiberal Citizenship and Mediated Cultures.’

This event is the brainchild of John Cheo, a graduate student at Exeter College who will also be moderating this panel.

Have you thought about using crowdfunding to fund your next degree, innovation, entrepreneurial project, charitable work, creative arts or sports club? What support you need from your college, the university and the crowdfunding platform? Speak out and let them know.

OxFund invited Jonathan May – the CEO and Co-founder of Hubbub, the representatives from the Development Offices at Green Templeton College, Keble College, Merton College, Regent’s Park, St Hugh’s College, Somerville College (the only Oxford college has its own branded crowdfunding platform) and University College, and the staff from ISIS Innovation who are working with Hubbub to build a Oxford-branded crowdfunding platform for Oxford staff and students to raise money for their entrepreneurial projects to form a panel to listen your needs.

More college’s development offices may join, as we are still in the process of confirming. Please check the Facebook event for the updates. Even your college’s development office is not in the panel, speak out your needs and we will pass them to the development office of your college.

Reuters Institute seminars “The business and practice of journalism”
The following seminars will be given at 2pm on Wednesdays, normally in the Barclay Room, Green Templeton College.
Convenors: James Painter, David Levy

Speaker: Anna Doble, assistant editor, Newsbeat, BBC Radio 1

Public meeting, with talk, Q&As, and discussion. Guest speaker: Dr Maidul Islam, Assistant Professor in Political Science at Presidency University, Kolkata.

Reuters Institute / Nuffield College Media & Politics seminars
The following seminars will be given at 5pm on Fridays, normally in the Butler Room, Nuffield College.
Convenors: Neil Fowler, James Painter, David Levy

Speaker: Sir Nicholas Macpherson, permanent secretary to the Treasury

Reuters Institute seminars “The business and practice of journalism”
The following seminars will be given at 2pm on Wednesdays, normally in the Barclay Room, Green Templeton College.
Convenors: James Painter, David Levy

Speaker: Bronwen Maddox, editor, Prospect magazine

This is a joint event between the Oxford Martin School and The Oxford International Relations Society (IRSoC)

For more than a century, the United States has been the world′s most powerful state. Now some analysts predict that China will soon take its place. Does this mean that we are living in a post–American world? Will China′s rapid rise spark a new Cold War between the two titans?

Javier Cercas will be at St Anne’s College as Weidenfeld Visiting Professor in Comparative European Literature, and is one of Europe’s most distinguished contemporary writers. His works, which have been translated into more than twenty languages, include the acclaimed, Soldados de Salamina (Soldiers of Salamis, 2001), which was made into a film by David Trueba in 2003, La Velocidad de la Luz (The Speed of Light, 2005), Anatomia de un Instante (The Anatomy of a Moment, 2009) and Las Leyes de la Frontera (Outlaws, 2012). He has won numerous literary awards, including the Independent’s Foreign Fiction Prize, and Spain’s National Narrative award. He is currently a Professor of Spanish Literature at the University of Girona, and a columnist for El Pais. His work, which is highly politically engaged, troubles the borders of history and fiction, as it explores the Spanish civil war, or the legacies of fascism. Mr Tim Gardam, Principal of St Anne’s College, will chair a discussion between Javier Cercas, Professor Timothy Garton Ash and Professor Patrick McGuinness on European Literature, Politics and Historical Memory. A drinks reception will follow this discussion.

Twenty minute talk, one hour discussion. You’re welcome to come along just to listen, or to take an active part in the discussion. Free entry, no need to book.