Some face-to-face events are returning. Check carefully for any requirements.
Is international governance facing a pivotal moment? Seventy years on from the creation of the UN, the list of issues requiring international co-operation is lengthy and complex, ranging from the conflict in Syria to infectious disease outbreaks, and from nuclear weapons threats to food security. Even where concord has been achieved, as with the recent COP21 climate agreement, the road ahead will be long, hard and fraught with conflicting needs and desires.
With considerable humanitarian and environmental challenges facing the world, Baroness Amos, Director of SOAS, will draw on her distinguished career in development to look at how the international community can work together, what the UN could and can do, and at the likely obstacles to overcome on the road to helping secure global peace and security.
Registration required.
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, Richard Sambrook, David Levy
Lucy Küng, visiting professor of media innovation at the University of Oslo and research fellow at the Reuters Institute (RISJ)
11 May: ‘Innovators in digital news’
Mitigating climate requires a transition to low carbon energy systems and renewable energy looks increasingly likely to play a key role, but the most important resources are intermittent.
This lecture will describe the research of the Oxford Martin Programme on Integrating Renewable Energy, on how intermittency and related challenges can be addressed, technically and in markets and policy.
Registration required
An introductory talk of about twenty minutes, followed by Q&As and an hour or so’s discussion among the audience. You’re welcome to come along just to listen, or to take an active part in the discussion.
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, David Levy, James Painter
Luke Harding, foreign correspondent, The Guardian, and author of ‘A Very Expensive Poison: the Definitive Story of the Murder of Litvinenko’.
13 May: ‘The Panama Papers: the inside story of the world’s biggest leak’
Professor Ian Goldin, Director of the Oxford Martin School, looks at what we mean by development and what citizens, governments and the international community can do to encourage it.
Goldin explains how the notion of development has expanded from the original focus on incomes and economic growth to a much broader interpretation. He considers the contributions made by education, health, gender and equity, and argues that it is also necessary take into account the rule of law, the role of institutions, and sustainability and environmental concerns.
There will be a book signing and drinks reception after the talk, all welcome.
Registration required.
In this talk Professor Daniel Kammen, Oxford Martin Visiting Fellow at INET Oxford, will discuss the strategies emerging to cost-effectively decarbonise energy systems worldwide. This work integrates elements of the science and engineering of energy systems, regional and global energy and environmental policy, and mandates and mission objectives that have emerged from the Breakthrough Energy Coalition, and energy and climate planning in both developed and developing nations.
As Science Envoy for the US Secretary of State, Kammen will also examine opportunities that have arisen as result of the Paris Climate Accord, and US and Chinese climate agreement.
This lecture will be followed by a drinks reception, all welcome.
Registration required.
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, Richard Sambrook, David Levy
Lindsey Hilsum, international editor, Channel 4 News
18 May: ‘Covering Syria and the refugee crisis’
Prevention and management of infectious diseases remains one of this century’s biggest challenges. As drugs and vaccinations have proliferated, protection from disease has increasingly been seen as an individual problem, requiring individual action. But due to the evolution of anti-microbial resistance, vaccine refusal and rapid disease transmission through global trade and travel, the impact of the drugs and vaccines that we have come to take for granted is undermined.
This lecture will explore the importance of understanding the ‘Human Factor’ in disease management, looking at the effects of policy on individual and group behaviour and at the role psychology plays in developing a new understanding of collective moral responsibility for infectious disease. The lecture is an introduction to the Oxford Martin Programme on Collective Responsibility for Infectious Disease, an interdisciplinary team from zoology, history, philosophy, psychology and medicine.
Registration required.
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, David Levy, James Painter
Helen Lewis, deputy editor of New Statesman and a presenter of the BBC’s Week in Westminster
20 May: ‘Is political journalism broken?’
British proposals to reform the EU aim to reduce European integration. One may agree or disagree, but these proposals should not be ignored because they put forward dilemmas about the nature of the EU, a debate that has been procrastinated for too long. Current debates in the UK are focusing on the chances of BREXIT materialising and its eventual consequences. In his presentation, Dr. Molinas will contribute to the debate by exploring in detail the dilemmas that British proposals pose for the future of the EU.In a recent report, Mr. Molinas has argued that the approach for the EU as a whole and for the Economic Zone could and should be different. The future viability of the EZ crucially depends on economic convergence between its members, and legitimacy and democratization of is main institutions. However, it is imaginable a much more heterogeneous future for the UE. In the latter scenario, national sovereignty should keep a much more relevant role and a lesser degree of convergence should be possible. However, in order to avoid huge intra-EU migration flows, action should be taken through a renewed Structural Funds setup focusing on education and human capital. The Irish experience shows that this is the route to follow. This structural action would reinforce the legitimacy of the EU because in the present world legitimacy is achieved through the management of the welfare state.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER: César Molinas is founding partner of Multa Paucis, a financial consulting firm. He also is founding partner, director of the board and member of the Investment Commission of CRB Inverbio, a venture capital firm focusing on start-ups in biotechnology. César has a long experience in public administration. In 1985-1994 he held the position of Director General of Planning in the ministry of Economics & Finance; he was the manager of all European structural funds in Spain; and he was chief economist with the CNMV, the national financial markets regulator in Spain. He has been board director of RENFE, the national railway company, Correos, the national post office, and other government-owned companies. He has published eight books on mathematics, economics and politics, and many articles in academic journals. He also contributes frequently to written and audio-visual media. He holds a first degree in mathematics, an MSc in econometrics and mathematical economics from the LSE and a PhD in economics from the University of Barcelona.
Dr Barghouti will talk about the situation in Palestine, concentrating on the Palestinian strategy of non-violent resistance, and the exposure of the grave violations of human rights in occupied Palestine.
Speaker:
Dr Mustafa Barghouti, General Secretary, Palestine National Initiative (Mubadara), Ramallah, Palestine
Chair:
Dr Avi Shlaim, Senior Research Fellow, St Antony’s College, University of Oxford
Speaker: Dr Rita Giacaman, Founding Director, Institute of Community and Public Health, Birzeit University, Palestine
Rita Giacaman will present research findings on the impact of the 2009 and 2014 assaults on the health of the population of Gaza.
Speaker: Miri Weingarten, Physicians for Human Rights–Israel
Miri Weingarten will link the attempts made by Israeli and Palestinian groups to seek accountability for Palestinians in international fora and the punitive responses of the Israeli government.
Introductory Speaker and Chair:
▪Karl Sabbagh, British-Palestinian writer, documentary maker, and publisher
Panel members:
▪ Mustafa Barghouti, Palestine National Initiative (Mubadara), Ramallah, Palestine
▪ Rita Giacaman, Birzeit University, Palestine
▪ Jeremy Moodey, Embrace the Middle East
▪ Karma Nabulsi, St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford
▪ Naomi Wayne, Jews for Justice for Palestinians
Short film and panel discussion with:
▪ Sir Stephen Sedley – one of the authors of the Foreign & Commonwealth Office report ‘Children in Military Custody’ (2012) which was discussed this January in Parliament
▪ William Parry – journalist/documentary film maker ‘Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Jails’
▪ Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association visitors who attended a juvenile court in the West Bank
(Event run by Oxford Ramallah Friendship Association – ORFA)
Professor Ian Goldin, Director of the Oxford Martin School, and fellow author Chris Kutarna preview their forthcoming book about the risks and rewards of a new Renaissance taking place in our modern world. They will show how we can achieve our own golden age, given the will. But many of the factors that undid the first Renaissance are rising once again: warring ideologies, fundamentalism, climate change, pandemics. Can we weather the crises and seize the moment to leave the world a legacy it will still celebrate, 500 years later?
There will be a book signing and drinks reception after the talk, all welcome.
Registration required.
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, Richard Sambrook, David Levy
Julia Cage, assistant professor of economics, Sciences Po Paris, Department of Economics
25 May: ‘Saving the Media. Capitalism, Crowdfunding, and Democracy’
Is newsprint dying? If so, can it be replaced?
Do some institutions (and their owners) have an undue influence in our politics?
What changes do we want to see, and how can we bring them about?
The OXFORD FABIAN SOCIETY and the REUTERS INSTITUTE FOR THE STUDY OF JOURNALISM present a roundtable discussion, featuring Alan Rusbridger (Editor, The Guardian, 1995-2015), Abi Wilkinson (Freelance Journalist for The Mirror, The Guardian, The Telegraph and others), and Aaron Bastani (co-founder, Novara Media).
Panel starts at 5.30pm; drinks reception begins from 5pm.
For most of the world’s toughest challenges, there exists a tension between the needs of an individual and what is best for the common good. Income derived from fishing may be vital to one country’s economy but overfishing depletes stocks to dangerously low levels. Low income countries need to develop in order to lift people out of poverty but this increases demand for fossil fuels at a point where global efforts to reduce carbon emissions have become critically important.
Some of Oxford’s leading thinkers on how to manage global commons and shared resources come to together for a lively panel debate to address the tension between individual rationality and collective responsibility, drawing on examples from the four lectures in this term’s series.
Panellists:
Professor Ian Goldin, (Chair), Director, Oxford Martin School
Professor Richard Bailey, Co-Director, Oxford Martin Programme on Sustainable Oceans
Professor Nick Eyre, Co-Director, Oxford Martin Programme on Integrating Renewable Energy
Professor Cameron Hepburn, Co-Director, Oxford Martin Net Zero Carbon Investment Initiative
Professor Angela McLean, Co-Director, Oxford Martin Programme on Collective Responsibility for Infectious Diseases
Registration required.
An introductory talk of about twenty minutes, followed by Q&As and an hour or so’s discussion among the audience. You’re welcome to come along just to listen, or to take an active part in the discussion.
How has humanities scholarship influenced biomedical research and civil liberties and how can scholars serve the common good? Entrepreneur and scholar Donald Drakeman will discuss his new book exploring the value and impact of the humanities in the 21st century with:
– Stefan Collini (Professor of Intellectual History and English Literature, University of Cambridge and author of What Are Universities For?)
– Richard Ekins (Tutorial Fellow in Law, St John’s College, University of Oxford)
– Jay Sexton (Associate Professor of American History, University of Oxford)
Chaired by Helen Small (Professor of English Literature, University of Oxford and author of The Value of the Humanities)
Free, all welcome. Join us for a sandwich lunch from 12:30, with discussion from 13:00 to 14:00. No booking required, seats will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
About the book
An entrepreneur and educator highlights the surprising influence of humanities scholarship on biomedical research and civil liberties. This spirited defence urges society to support the humanities to obtain continued guidance for public policy decisions, and challenges scholars to consider how best to fulfil their role in serving the common good.
The event is part of Book at Lunchtime, a fortnightly series of bite size book discussions, with commentators from a range of disciplines.
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, Richard Sambrook, David Levy
Tom Standage, deputy editor, the Economist
1 June: ‘News in the digital age, and how The Economist fits in’
Three high-profile SPC alumni return to their college to discuss the impending EU Referendum in a forum chaired by the Master, Mark Damazer CBE.
Join the Editor of the Sunday Times, Martin Ivens (BA Modern History – 1977), the Deputy Editor of the New Statesman, Helen Lewis (BA English – 2001), and the BBC’s Political Correspondent Ben Wright (BA Modern History – 1996) for a panel discussion in which they will cut through the rhetoric surrounding this most controversial of issues in contemporary British politics, and who will then face your questions.
Meeting on the politics of LGBT liberation with Noel Halifax author of “Out, Proud and Fighting: Gay Liberation and the Struggle for Socialism”.
Is there anything wrong with putting a price on health, education, citizenship, and the environment? Where do markets serve the public good, and where do they not belong?
Join us for a lively discussion with Professor Michael J. Sandel about money, markets, and the good things in life.
Registration required
An introductory talk of about twenty minutes, followed by Q&As and an hour or so’s discussion among the audience. You’re welcome to come along just to listen, or to take an active part in the discussion.
The political, economic and social landscape is changing and, as in similar circumstances in the past, the Fabian Society is at the cutting edge. As Andrew Harrop, General Secretary of the Fabian Society, recently wrote in Future Left:
As collective, risk-sharing institutions decline people seem to be becoming more individualistic. The British today have a strong sense of personal responsibility, but also rising expectations about others and weakening social deference.
If so, what does the future hold for centralised, mass-membership organisations like political parties? If not political parties – demonstrably long in membership and activist decline – how best can we collectively organise to get progress moving again?
Given these challenges and opportunities, we invite you to have your say as to what to aim for, what to do, and, most importantly, how to do it.
Speakers: Olivia Bailey, Research Director, Fabian Society, and Mary Southcott, Unlock Democracy. Chair: Penny Farrar, East Oxford Labour Party.
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, Richard Sambrook, David Levy
Hannah Storm, director of the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and RISJ author
8 June: ‘The kidnapping of journalists: reporting from high-risk conflict zones’
Drawing primarily on his own research, interviews and observations, David Timberman will address three topics: 1) the May 9 elections and what they reveal about contemporary Philippine politics, 2) the Aquino administration’s accomplishments and likely legacy, and 3) the political and socio-economic challenges facing the next administration.
David Timberman is a political analyst and development practitioner with 30 years experience analyzing and addressing political and governance challenges, principally in Southeast and South Asia. For the last nine months he has been a Visiting Professor of Political Science at De La Salle University in Manila, where he has taught courses on Southeast Asian politics and policy reform in the Philippines. Currently he is producing an edited volume assessing the political economy of budget reform in the Philippines and also is working on a book on the political economy of democratic governance and development in the Philippines. He is also a Technical Director at Management Systems International, a US-based consulting firm that conducts assessments, studies and evaluations intended to inform US government development strategies and programs. He has served as a senior democracy and governance (DG) advisor in USAID Washington’s Asia Near East Bureau and in USAID Indonesia, where he was deeply involved in the design and implementation of elections, civil society, parliamentary strengthening and anti-corruption programs. Through positions with the National Democratic Institute and the Asia Foundation he has worked closely with political parties and NGOs across Asia. He has lived and worked in the Philippines, Indonesia and Singapore, including experiencing first-hand the democratic transitions in the Philippines (1986-1988) and Indonesia (1998-2001). He has written extensively on political and governance issues in the Philippines and has edited or co-edited multi-author volumes on the Philippines, Cambodia and economic policy reform in Southeast Asia. He holds a MA in International Affairs from Columbia University and a BA in political science (with honors) and history from Tufts University.
Join us for our final pre-Referendum meetup – a social event to present our campaigning activities, and to convince your undecided British friends!
RSVP here or on our Meet-up page: