Warburg Memorial Lecture – Joint with BBOWT
Bryophytes in Cambridgeshire have been recorded continuously since 1927 and with increasing intensity in recent decades. A detailed analysis of the records reveals the remarkably dynamic nature of the bryophyte flora of lowland England.

‘Triboreacted materials as functional interfaces in internal combustion engines and medical implants’

Reducing CO2 and particulate emissions to halt global warming and improve the air cleanliness in developed and developing nations is urgent. A similarly large challenge is the provision of medical implants that will serve the ageing population. Both challenges are underpinned by the need to understand important functional interfaces.
This talk will focus on the engine and the hip and will present how an understanding of the interactions between tribology and chemistry/corrosion play a crucial role in the interfacial friction, wear and integrity. The integration of state-of-the-art surface science with engineering simulations in both of these areas enables engineers to create optimised systems with improved performance

Newspapers often feature studies that sound too good to be true and often they aren’t – they are myths.

Some myths may be harmless but the phenomenon affects most kinds of research within evidence-based science. The good news is that there’s a new movement tackling misleading and unreliable research and instead trying to give us results that we can trust.

Using his research in to human pheromones as an example, Tristram will discuss how and why popular myths, including power-posing, are created and how efforts have been made to address the ‘reproducibility crisis’.

Tristram Wyatt is an emeritus fellow of Kellogg College, Oxford and formerly Director of Studies in Biology at OUDCE. He is currently a Senior Research Fellow at the Department of Zoology, University of Oxford. He’s interested in how animals of all kinds use pheromones to communicate by smell. His Cambridge University Press book on pheromones and animal behaviour won the Royal Society of Biology’s prize for the Best Postgraduate Textbook in 2014. His TED talk on human pheromones has been viewed over a million times. His book Animal behaviour: A Very Short Introduction was published by Oxford University Press in 2017.

Open to all. The talk is designed for researchers from all disciplines and is open to the public.

The challenges of setting up a business in the art world.

Philip Hoffman Founder and CEO of The Fine Art Group, will discuss changing attitudes around art as an asset class. He will discuss the growth of art investment funds and the emergence of art financing and how The Fine Art Group has responded to the evolving art market to better suit their clients’ needs.

Hoffman is Founder and CEO of The Fine Art Group. The Fine Art Fund was the first fund of its type to invest in art. Since then, Hoffman has developed the business into a market leader in both art investment and art advisory. Before launching The Fine Art Group, he spent 12 years working for Christie’s auction house. He joined from KPMG, where he became the youngest member of the Management Board, later serving as the Deputy CEO of Europe. Philip is also on the Development Boards for The National Portrait Gallery, London, and CW+, the charity for Chelsea and Westminster Hospital.

Schedule:
17:15 – On-site registration
17:45 – Talk commences
18:45 – Post-talk drinks
19:45 – Event close

The seminar is open for anyone to attend, registration is essential so please use the register button to confirm your attendance.

What defines a scientific discovery with market value?

How are innovations evaluated by investors?

What makes a successful investor pitch?

How do I make personal impact?

Other than good science, it takes young entrepreneurs so much more to transfer ideas into a real business. In this event we bring in expertise from both the fundraising and the investor’s perspective, to help you address all the questions above. Join us for industry insights, chances to discuss your start-up ideas, and preparing to get your first bucket of gold!

There will be a networking & drinks reception after the event.

The event is free as always. Spots are limited, so get registered today!

Additionally, right after the event we have the chance to have formal dinner with the two guest speakers at University College for further communications. 5 spots are available and the cost of the dinner itself is payable. Message Science Innovation Union on Facebook ASAP if you are interested!

Italy has faced more than its share of political, economic and financial headwinds in recent years.

Markets have often attributed risks far greater than those seen on the ground. Broader uncertainty in Europe and Britain has accentuated these pressures. Against this challenging backdrop, Intesa Sanpaolo has built itself into one of Europe’s most robust and profitable banks. This comes with a responsibility to create value beyond shareholder returns, supporting economic inclusion, culture and the circular economy.

Gros-Pietro has been Chairman of the Management Board of Intesa Sanpaolo from May 2013 to April 2016. He also Chairs ASTM and is an independent member of the Board of Directors of Edison. In July 2014 he was appointed Vice President of ABI where he also serves as a member of the Executive Committee. He is a member of the Executive Board of FeBAF (The Italian Banking, Insurance and Finance Federation) and of the Employers’ Association of Turin. He chairs the Scientific Committee of Nomisma and is a member of the Executive Committee of ISPI, the Institute for International Political Studies. He was a member of the National Council for Economy and Labour for ten years.

In mammals the cell-autonomous circadian clock pivots around a transcriptional/post-translational feedback loop. However, we remain largely ignorant of the critical molecular, cell biological, and circuit-level processes that determine the precision and robustness of circadian rhythms: what keeps them on track, and what determines their period, which varies by less than 5 minutes over 24 hours? The origin of this precision and robustness is the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of the basal hypothalamus, the principal circadian pacemaker of the brain. The SCN sits atop a circadian hierarchy that sustains and synchronises the innumerable cell-autonomous clocks of all major organs to solar time (and thereby to each other), by virtue of direct retinal innervation that entrains the transcriptional oscillator of the 20,000 or so component cells of the SCN. I shall describe real-time imaging approaches to monitor circadian cycles of gene expression and cellular function in the SCN, and intersectional genetic and pharmacological explorations of the cell-autonomous and circuit-level mechanisms of circadian timekeeping. A particular focus will be on “translational switching” approaches to controlling clock function and the surprising discovery of a central role for SCN astrocytes in controlling circadian behaviour.

Join us at Teddy Hall next week for a fantastic event on the ‘Neuroscience of Dance’ brought to you by the Centre for the Creative Brain!

Science, dance and wine – what more could you want for a Saturday afternoon?

A few (free) tickets are still available, so be quick!

https://www.seh.ox.ac.uk/discover/research/centre-for-the-creative-brain

Currently limited tools exist to accurately forecast the complex nature of disease spread across the globe. Dr Moritz Kraemer will talk about the dynamic global maps being built, at 5km resolution, to predict the invasion of new organisms under climate change conditions and continued unplanned urbanisation.

ScreenTalk Oxfordshire proudly presents an evening with British Producer Jeremy Thomas. Jeremy has worked with renowned directors including Bertolucci, Nicolas Roeg, Jonathan Glazer and Ben Wheatley producing such great films as ‘The Last Emperor’, ‘Crash’, ‘Sexy Beast’ and ‘High-Rise’.

On Tuesday 5th March at the Lounge Bar, Curzon, Westgate Centre in Oxford, local producer Carl Schoenfeld will be talking to Jeremy Thomas about Directors, Actors, Crews as well as films he has produced and what he has learnt throughout his career.

Join us from 18:15 for a drink and chat in the bar, then at 19:00 with Carl Schoenfeld (ScreenTalk Co-Founder and Steering Group Member) in conversation with Jeremy Thomas (Recorded Picture Company).

There will be a Card/Cash Bar so join us after the talk to catch up and network.

ScreenTalk events are an opportunity to forge and strengthen contacts in Film, TV and Associated Media. For further information and to sign up to our mailing list please email screentalkoxfordshire@gmail.com

We expect this event to be popular and can only take pre-booked (free) tickets for entry.
Tickets: http://bit.ly/2GnlZhi

Can female directors help save economies and the firms on whose boards they sit? Policy-makers seem to think so.

Numerous countries have implemented boardroom gender policies because of business case arguments. While women may be the key to healthy economies, Adams argues that more research needs to be done to understand the benefits of board diversity. The literature faces three main challenges: data limitations, selection and causal inference. Recognizing and dealing with these challenges is important for developing informed research. But, recognizing the value of research is important for developing informed policy.

Schedule:
18.15 – Registration opens
18:45 – Event starts
19.45 – Drinks reception
20:45 – Close

Judith will share how Walmart is transforming to make life easier for its customers and associates, and taking steps to strengthen the communities it serves around the world.

McKenna is president and chief executive officer of Walmart International, a growing segment of Walmart’s overall operations that is focused on making life easier for its customers and associates. She leads more than 5,900 retail units and 700,000 associates across 26 countries.

Leaders have an important role to play, but often the synchronicity of teams is the real secret of high performance. What role do leaders play in achieving and maintaining this? How do leaders help teams get in sync and stay there?

Musical ensembles understand the importance of this innately. In this talk, Dr Harrison will explore how musicians work with each other, acknowledging a conductor’s “lead” but also deploying other mechanisms to get and stay in sync. The audience will also be invited to participate in some interactive exercises to experience for themselves how synchronicity emerges.

The seminar is open for anyone to attend, registration is essential so please use the register button to confirm your attendance.

Schedule:
12:00 – On-site registration & buffet lunch
12.15 – Talk commences
13:30 – Event close

About the Engaging with the Humanities series:
Saïd Business School works with a number of Oxford’s leading Humanities scholar in a series of activities to which we give the broad title ‘Engaging with the Humanities’. This series of events is a part of that, and open to all member of the Business School and local Oxford community. We are delighted to welcome Dr Pegram Harrison to deliver a session at the School on Wednesday 27 March.

About the speaker:
Pegram Harrison is a Senior Fellow in Entrepreneurship at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. He is a member of the Oxford Centre for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and of Brasenose College, Oxford. He also conducts research at the intersection of business and social issues, and on projects relating to business education, particularly for women entrepreneurs in Muslim communities.

Pegram received a BA in Literature from Yale University, a PhD in English Literature and Indian History from the University of Cambridge and an MBA from the London Business School. Before joining Saїd Business School in 2008 he taught entrepreneurship and strategy at the European Business School, London, and was Director of the Emerging Leaders Programme at the London Business School. He has also taught literature and history at New York University and Birkbeck College at the University of London.

Dung beetles in the British Isles are a vital part of their associated ecosystems but have been historically rather overlooked probably due to their chosen habitat. Now our native dung beetles are finally beginning to get some of the invertebrate limelight due to an emphasis on ecosystem services and a much more environmentally friendly farming future. However we are lacking on a great deal of base data about these vitally important species and surveying is the one of the best ways to get information. This means getting into dung and discovering these unsung heroes

Carlos Lopes will deliver an overview of the critical development issues facing the African continent today. He will talk about a blueprint of policies to address issues, and an intense, heartfelt meditation on the meaning of economic development in the age of democratic doubts, identity crises, global fears and threatening issues of sustainability.

This talk will be followed by a book signing and drinks reception, all welcome.

Growing income inequality and environmental damage are challenging political systems and business credibility worldwide. Robust political responses based on strong social support are crucial to meeting these challenges, but action by the private sector will also be critically important.

How can we reimagine the way we measure performance, build governance structures, and allocate capital? Do environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues lead to superior or inferior economic outcomes? How can we measure corporate purpose and what are its implications? Building a new operating system for capital markets is already underway but significant challenges and obstacles exist because of cultural and technological reasons. Pathways forward are explored.

George Serafeim, Professor of Business Administration at Harvard Business School, has been researching measuring, driving and communicating corporate performance and social impact, presenting his findings in over 60 countries around the world. He will join Oxford Saïd’s Professor Colin Mayer CBE (Firm Commitment, Prosperity) for what promises to be an insightful discussion about the future of capitalism.

Schedule

17:15 – Registration opens
17:45 – Event starts
18:45 – Drinks reception
19:45 – Close
The talk is open for anyone to attend, registration is essential so please use the register button to confirm your attendance.

About the speaker

George Serafeim is currently teaching the elective course “Reimagining Capitalism: Business and Big Problems” in the MBA curriculum at Harvard Business School, which received the Ideas Worth Teaching Award from the Aspen Institute and the Grand Page Prize.

Professor Serafeim’s research focuses on measuring, driving and communicating corporate performance and social impact. His work is widely cited and has been published in the most prestigious academic and practitioner journals, such as The Accounting Review, Strategic Management Journal and Journal of Accounting and Economics. His research is regularly cited in the media, including The New York Times, Bloomberg, Financial Times, The Wall Street Journal, Economist, The Guardian, BBC, Le Monde, El País, Corriere della Sera, Washington Post, and NPR. He has received multiple awards and recognition for his research on corporate sustainability and sustainable investing, and the Pericles Leadership Award.

Professor Serafeim has also served in several not-for-profit organisations including the board of directors of the High Meadows Institute, the working group of the Coalition for Inclusive Capitalism, and the Standards Council of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board.

The ecology and history of one of the largest atolls in the world. Aldabra, situated in the South West Indian Ocean, supports the largest population of giant tortoises worldwide. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is a stronghold for wildlife in a region that is besieged by threats.

Professor Dave Carter reveals how understanding intercellular communication could improve healthcare.

In our first of two seminars on the future of work after automation Dr Brendan Burchell will investigate the potential for a five-day weekend society.

Machine-learning and robotics technologies promise to be able to replace some tasks or jobs that have traditionally been performed by humans. Like previous technologies introduced in the past couple of centuries, this possibility has been met with either optimism that will permit liberation from the tyranny of employment, or pessimism that it will lead to mass precarity and unemployment.

This presentation will draw upon both qualitative and quantitative evidence to explore the possible societal consequences of a radical reduction in the length of the normal working week. Drawing upon the evidence for the psychological benefits of employment, we look at the evidence for the minimum effective dose of employment. The paper also considers why the historical increases in productivity have not been matched with proportionate reductions in working time.

About Brendan Burchell:

Dr Brendan Burchell is a Reader in the Social Sciences in the Department of Sociology at the University of Cambridge. He is also a Fellow of Magdalene College, Cambridge.

Dr Burchell is director of graduate education for the Department of Sociology and director of the Cambridge Undergraduate Quantitative Research Centre. He was recently Head of Department for Sociology, as well as a Director of Studies and a Tutor at Magdalene College.

Dr Burchell’s main research interests centre on the effects of labour market conditions on wellbeing. Recent publications have focussed on unemployment, job insecurity, work intensity, part-time work, zero-hours contracts, debt, occupational gender segregation and self-employment. Most of his work concentrates on employment in Europe, but current projects also include an analysis of job quality, the future of work and youth self-employment in developing countries. He works in interdisciplinary environments with psychologists, sociologists, economists, lawyers and other social scientists.

Dr Burchell’s undergraduate degree was in Psychology, followed by a PhD in Social Psychology. His first post in Cambridge was a joint appointment between the social sciences and economics in 1985, and he has been in a permanent teaching post in at Cambridge since 1990.

Register:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/future-of-work-after-automation-towards-a-five-day-weekend-society-tickets-61028132788

This is a joint event with the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food

Dr Mike Hamm will explore the opportunity for regional food systems in-and-around cities for mutual benefit. He will approach a number of issues – including vertical farming, bio-geochemical cycles, water use, new entry farmers, and healthy food provisioning – embedded in the notion of city region food systems with reference to supply/demand dynamics.

This talk will be followed by a drinks reception, all welcome

Is competition in the digital economy desirable? Does it currently exist? Is it possible? Is there anything policy can do?

This talk addresses all of these questions and presents the recommendations of the Digital Competition Expert Panel which was chaired by Jason Furman and recently presented its recommendations to the government.

On Wednesday 22 May, ScreenTalk Oxfordshire proudly presents Harnessing the Power of Video in Business Communications.
An evening with Tim May, MD of Strange Films and Music, talking with Toby Low – MD of MerchantCantos an international agency specialising in bringing creativity to critical business communications; Scott Shillum – CEO of Vismedia, Winner of the 2018 Digital Impact Awards and a pioneer in creating interactive, immersive content fused with cutting edge technology; Clare Holt – Founder of Nice Tree Films in Oxford and a member of ScreenTalk provides videos for businesses, public sector organisations, charities and education; Nicky Woodhouse – Founder of Woodhouse Video Production, award-winning female director of branded content and TVCs for online and broadcast.

Join us on Wednesday 22 May from 18:15 for a drink in the downstairs Lounge Bar, Curzon, Westgate Centre in Oxford, and why not try the Curzon’s excellent Pizza – great quality! At 19:00 Tim May will be talking to Toby Low, Scott Shillum, Clare Holt and Nicky Woodhouse. Afterwards there will be Shout Outs from ScreenTalk members and facilitated networking. At ScreenTalk events we run a Card/Cash Bar so please join us and take advantage of the opportunity to catch up and network.

We expect this event to be popular and can only take pre-booked (free) tickets for entry.

Join the conversation! ScreenTalk events are an opportunity to forge and strengthen contacts in Film, TV and Associated Media.
For further information and to sign up to our mailing list please email screentalkoxfordshire@gmail.com

The 5th Annual Oxford Business and Poverty Conference will feature a diverse range of speakers addressing the Paradoxes of Prosperity. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/5th-annual-oxford-business-poverty-conference-tickets-57733957822
Hosted at the Sheldonian Theatre, the conference will feature keynotes by:
Lant Pritchett: RISE Research Director at the Blavatnik School of Government, former Senior Fellow at the Center for Global Development
Efosa Ojomo: Global Prosperity Lead and Senior Researcher at the Clayton Christensen Institute
John Hoffmire: Director of Center on Business and Poverty and Research Associate at Kellogg Colleges at Center For Mutual and Employee-owned Business at Oxford University
Ananth Pai: Executive Director, Bharath Beedi Works Pvt. Ltd. and Director, Bharath Auto Cars Pvt
Laurel Stanfield: Assistant Professor of Marketing at Bentley College in Massachusetts
Grace Cheng: Greater China’s Country Manager for Russell Reynolds Associates
Madhusudan Jagadish: 2016 Graduate MBA, Said Business School, University of Oxford
Tentative Schedule:
2:15-2:20 Welcome
2:20-2:50 Efosa Ojomo, co-author of The Prosperity Paradox, sets the stage for the need for innovation in development
2:50-3:20 John Hoffmire, Ananth Pai and Mudhusudan Jagadish explain how the Prosperity Paradox can be used in India as a model to create good jobs for poor women
3:20-3:40 Break
3:40-4:10 Laurel Steinfeld speaks to issues of gender, development and business – addressing paradoxes related to prosperity
4:10-4:40 Grace Cheng, speaks about the history of China’s use of disruptive innovations to develop its economy
4:40-5:15 Break
5:15-6 Lant Pritchett talks on Pushing Past Poverty: Paths to Prosperity
6:30-8 Dinner at the Rhodes House – Purchase tickets after signing up for the conference
Sponsors include: Russell Reynolds, Employee Ownership Foundation, Ananth Pai Foundation and others

Coriander Theatre presents a new play ‘My Mother Runs in Zig-Zags’ at the North Wall Arts Centre, 30th May – 1st June 2019, 7:30pm, Saturday Matinee 2:30pm.

Sometimes, race and trauma are like leaky old pipes: you can’t even have a friend over for dinner without something spilling out everywhere and flooding your life in the most unexpected way.

A conversation between friends becomes a journey to the Lebanese and Nigerian civil wars. Half-remembered worlds of violent oral history invade the kitchen and layer themselves over everyday life, shining light on the laughter that heals intergenerational traumas, and celebrating the overflowings and excesses of a life shaped by migration.

With an original musical score, a chorus of performance poets and contemporary dancers, and stories passed on from a generation of migrants, My mother runs in zig-zags is a bold new tragicomedy, devised by the best of Oxford University’s BAME actors and performers.

Age Guidance: 12+

My mother runs in zig zags

How can boards and executive teams create value in uncertain times? Meg Lustman will explore this from a career spent in British retail.

Over the past thirty years Meg Lustman led the growth of some of the most popular and successful British brands (Hobbs, John Lewis, Warehouse, Karen Millen, Oasis, Whistles and Wallis).

Meg’s success lay in the effective implementation of strategy, specifically developing growth through new channels, international expansion and new product categories, always with a clear spotlight on customer needs. Currently, Meg uses her experience and networks to help boards find relevant and sustainable ways to grow successfully whilst remaining true to their purpose.

Schedule

17:15 – Registration opens
17:45 – Event starts
18:45 – Drinks reception (optional)
19:45 – Event close

Our wild bees and other pollinators are so important, but they are still the unsung heroes of the environment, gardens and countryside and continue to decline in number and range. The talk will identify what we can all do to help wild bees. Many of the actions we take to protect one pollinator species, such as flower rich habitat creation and reduction in pesticide use, will assist biodiversity as a whole.

The high seas are under severe pressure from both direct and indirect human impacts, including the effects of over-fishing, plastic debris and climate change. In this talk, Prof Alex Rogers will present what a network of marine protected areas in the high seas might look like, protecting 30% of known conservation features and taking into account climate change impacts. We will also hear from Dr Gwilym Rowlands, who will consider how such a network of marine protected areas could be enforced and the potential benefits to the ocean.