Easter Term 2021 | The Cambridge Union

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THE CAMBRID GE UNION

E a st e r 2021

THE UNION REOP EN S



CONTENTS

THURSDAY NIGHT DEBATES

13

HEAD-TO-HEAD DEBATES

26

GREAT CONVERSATIONS

34

SOLO SPEAKERS

52

PANELS 90

SOCIAL EVENTS 106


£50k


WELCOME Welcome to a term like no other.

Throughout the term, we will debate and discuss matters of religion, politics and social justice. We

A year ago, for the first time in our two-hundred-year

are fortunate to have incredible debaters from the

history, the Union left Bridge Street. Debate dinners

Slovenian philosopher Slavoj Žižek to Masha Gessen,

were cancelled, balls and garden parties postponed,

an outspoken critic of the Putin regime.

but the Union continued. In living rooms across the globe, on shaky Zoom connections, we came together

Alongside speaker events and debates, we are keen

to debate with and speak to, the people who shape

for the Union once again to be the beating heart of

our world.

Cambridge student life. From Sunday morning coffee breaks to dedicated study spaces ahead of exams

We continued to do what we have always done,

and a twenties jazz night, we look forward to opening

protect free speech and promote the art of debate.

our doors and hearing the hustle and bustle resume.

It is with a deep sense of gratitude to the teams that

Speaking of openings, we are also eagerly awaiting

have come before me and to those with whom I am

first orders at the Orator, the home of spirited

privileged to work, that I introduce our program for

dining, drinking and debate in Cambridge. We are

Easter 2021.

for ever indebted to the Union staff for overseeing a redevelopment of this scale through to completion.

For the first half of term, when in person audiences are sadly not possible, we will be streaming world class

The Union is its people, I can’t wait to see freshers and

speakers from Harvard psychologist Steven Pinker

postgrads alike chaining their bikes to overcrowded

and former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell to

railings, scanning in and strolling through the

business tycoon Lord Alan Sugar and former Foreign

Chamber.

Secretary David Miliband. It’s been a challenging year, but the Union is coming Cognizant of our social responsibility to include

home. To all our members, young and old, welcome

more voices in our conversations, we will be hosting

back!

a series of panels, giving a platform to marginalised voices including a Uygur refugee, sex workers and those impacted by the Windrush scandal. From 17th May onwards, we anticipate that audience events in our historic chamber will resume. Thanks to

Joel Rosen

the hard work of Committee, the line-up is dazzling:

President, Easter 2021

from AJ Tracey to Theresa May and from Earl Spencer to former KGB spy Jack Barsky, the schedule is packed and varied.

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Opening May 2021. RO U ND C H U R C H ST REET, CA M BRID G E CB2 1 UB

@ t h e o r ato rc a m br i dg e

@th eoratorcam b ri d g e

@cam b ri d g eorator


G E T T I N G I N V O LV E D Stewarding

Being Appointed

One of the best ways to get involved with the Union

At the end of each term, the incoming team of officers

is stewarding our events. Stewards play a vital role

interviews people for a variety of positions on Full

in ensuring that in-person events, scheduled to

Committee, all of which are advertised via email, and

resume on 17th May are Covid-secure. Stewards

in the Union’s Facebook Group. There are roles for

wear a fetching neon jacket, get the best seats in the

anyone and everyone, regardless of experience, so

house, a £5 bar tab and a free grilled sandwich per

do keep an eye out for the end of Easter which is when

event stewarded. So what are you waiting for? Join

the Michaelmas team will start recruiting.

‘Cambridge Union Society Stewards’ on Facebook. Participating in Debates Running for Election Our Thursday night debates also offer our members Each term elections are held for the positions of

a chance to speak alongside and debate with these

President,

Officer,

figures themselves. Every week we host open auditions

Equalities Officer and Social Ents Officer. To run for

for one or two of the six spaces in the following week’s

election, one must satisfy a few criteria that can be

debate - sign up and come along! The specific slots

found in the Union’s constitution on our website. Most

and debates open for audition are subject to change

of these involve supporting the Union’s competitive

- check emails and Facebook to stay up to date. New

debating programme in a variety of ways.

debaters are encouraged to apply.

Debates

Officer,

Speakers

C OV I D - 1 9 This termcard is a blended termcard of both live,

Whilst on the premises, social distancing must be

in-person events once restrictions are relaxed and

observed at all times, as will the wearing of masks -

online events that you can enjoy via the Youtube

with the exception of the bar, which will be operating

based livestream.

via table service and takeaway.

Entry to many in-person events will require tickets,

Upon entry to events, temperatures will be taken,

which can be obtained via a random ballot that

and we will ask that you provide relevant details for

will be circulated to members via email and social

the Union’s track and trace system.

media.

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D E B AT I N G One of the most rewarding and enriching experiences

Workshops

that the Cambridge Union offers is the ability to get

Beginners’ and Intermediates’ training will take place

involved with Competitive Debating. If you want to

on Wednesdays, while Advanced Training will take

travel the world, gain employable and impressive skills

place on Tuesdays, and will be advertised through the

or achievements, to take part in one of Cambridge’s

Cambridge Debating mailing list, as well as through

largest charitable activities, or simply to meet some

the Cambridge Debating Face

cool people, then we have something for you.

book group.

In the past five years, we have funded trips to

We acknowledge that debating and/or public

Greece, South Africa, Malaysia, the Netherlands,

speaking platforms can often be exclusive to women

Thailand, India, the United States, Thailand and more!

and gender minorities as well as those who are starting

Coronavirus allowing, you may have the chance to

out, especially with the presence of experienced

go to Seoul, Belgrade, Madrid, Shanghai and more!

debaters at Cambridge. In order to counter this gender

However, if international travel isn’t up your alley,

disparity that exists within the debating spaces, the

our workshops are still extremely useful, aiding and

Union will be hosting a series of fortnightly Debating

abetting your late night essay crisis, and your ability

and Public Speaking Workshops this Easter term.

to talk your way through a supervision without much

These workshops are aimed at complete beginners

prior preparation.

and those who have been starting out recently and aim to foster a friendly, relaxed interactive atmosphere

It doesn’t matter if you’ve spent your secondary

where they develop their skills and receive specific

school years debating, or have never debated before

feedback as well as personalised resources to further

- you need no prior experience to do well! We offer

your interests and help you improve.

three different training streams, for beginners, intermediates, and advanced debaters, aimed at

We will also advertise opportunities to get stuck into

taking you from a novice to amongst the best debaters

our charitable activities, so keep attuned for more

in the world - our expert coaches giving personalised

news!

and specific feedback to help you improve. FIND OUT MORE: So, how do I get involved?

Please feel free to get in touch with us, either in person, over Facebook, or through emailing us at

All news will come through either the Cambridge

debating@cus.org! We are very keen to answer any

Debating Facebook group, or through our mailing list,

and all questions that you might have, and can’t wait

so make sure you’ve signed up! For the start of this

till we can meet you all!

term, at least, workshops will take place online, with the possibility of transitioning to in person events if and when coronavirus allows. Tamkeen Nawab, Competitive Debating Officer

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MEMBERS’ DISC OUNTS


The Cambridge Union isn’t just about hosting the best

Should you have an additional local establishment

speakers and the greatest debates, we also put a

in mind, or have any trouble receiving your discount,

lot of effort into giving back to our members in other

please get in touch at treasurer@cus.org.

ways. One example is through maintaining special relationships with local Cambridge businesses who

We hope these treats come in handy as we enter post-

agree to provide our members with a unique discount.

lockdown times!

We are constantly working to expand this list so do keep an eye out at cus.org/members/discounts! If you happen to wander into any of the below local shops, restaurants, or cafes, just show them your Union membership card and you’ll be able to avail of these great discounts!

Fudge Kitchen

3 for 2

La Raza Cocktail Bar

25% off

Ta Bouche Cocktail Bar

25% off

Smokeworks Restaurant

20% off

Lochouse Escape Room

20% off

Engravers Guild of London

20% off

Granny Ma’s Bubble Tea

50p off

Bellina Chocolate House

15% off

Locker Cafe 15% off Michealhouse Cafe

10% off

Up and Running Sportswear

10% off

Alwalton Hall

10% off

Primo Cycles 10% off The Gardenia

10% off

Cote Brasserie

10% off set menu at selected times

Jack’s Gelato

10% off


right to choose’. right

T H U R S D AY NIGHT D E B AT E S


THIS HOUSE BELIEVES THAT WE ARE WITNESSING A GLOBAL FASCIST RESURGENCE THIS HOUSE IS OPTIMISTIC FOR THE 2020S THIS HOUSE WOULD BREAK UP BIG TECH THIS HOUSE BELIEVES NOTHING SHOULD IMPEDE A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE THIS HOUSE PREFERS THE SCREEN TO THE PAGE THIS HOUSE BELIEVES RELIGION IS COMPATIBLE WITH MODERNITY

The Cambridge Union exists as a forum for discussing,

Bookworms and film buffs can look forward to ‘This

analysing, and challenging ideas. Our famous

House prefers the screen to the page’; scientists

Thursday debates get right to the heart of that: they

and lawyers to ‘This House would break up big tech’.

were in fact the reason that I became a member two

The decade, admittedly, is off to a rather grim start,

years ago. The Union attracts eminent speakers from

and optimists and pessimists alike will have much to

all walks of life, and our debates allow them to engage

contribute to our debate on the motion ‘This House

with one another on the issues that matter. They are

is optimistic for the 2020s’. With debate speakers

entertaining, informative, and, above all, empowering,

including Ann Widdecombe, Sir Richard Evans, and

since they give students the opportunity to hold our

Walden Bello, there is much to look forward to in our

important figures to account - in floor speeches,

plan for a ‘hybrid’ term, providing an ideal break from

Points of Information, and, especially, by participating

the doldrums of Tripos revision.

in the debate as a student speaker, for which we will be running weekly auditions.

I would like to thank those members of the debates subcommittee who have given up so much of their time

The last year has been strange, disheartening, and

to put this line-up together. Jonathan Heywood, James

often downright depressing, but as the vaccine roll-

Saker, Huma Siddiqi, Kieron Spoors, Nicole Bowen,

out runs apace, we are optimistic that there will be

Jack Rennie ‘and, in particular, Samuel Rubinstein for

some semblance of normalcity for at least some

your help with two separate debates and one of our

of the Easter term. The work done by Easter 2020,

Head to Heads.

Michaelmas 2020, and Lent 2021 was extraordinary. But nothing could ever quite capture the electric buzz

Each of our debates has a diverse and star-studded

of sitting in the historic chamber during a debate, or

line-up. The chamber belongs to you as much as

giving a rousing speech at the despatch box; voting

it belongs to our speakers: so come, contribute,

on the motion online will never be quite the same as

and make your voices heard. Every week we will be

voting with your feet and I’m so excited that in Easter

advertising audition slots on the Union Facebook -

term we will have the opportunity to bring back the

whatever prior experience please do apply!

magic of in person debating. We have something for everyone. Historians and sociologists may well be drawn to our debate on the motion ‘This House believes we are witnessing a global fascist resurgence’; those interested in medical ethics or feminism might be especially excited for ‘This House believes nothing should impede a woman’s right to choose.

Lara Brown, Debates Office


THIS HOUSE BELIEVES

WE ARE WITNESSING A GLOBAL FASCIST RESURGENCE Thursday, 29th April

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PROPOSITION

OPPOSITION PROFESSOR SIR RICHARD EVANS

PROFESSOR WALDEN BELLO

Prof. Evans was the Regius Professor of History at Cambridge from 2008 until 2014, and President of Wolfson College from 2010 to 2017. Author of the ‘Third Reich Trilog’y, he is one of the foremost historians of Nazi Germany.

Prof. Bello is a Filipino academic, activist, and co-founder of Focus on the Global South. He was jailed by the American authorities in 1978 for leading a non-violent takeover of the Philippine consulate in San Francisco. He campaigned tirelessly against the Marcos regime and is now one of the most eminent critics of the Duterte government, condemning the President of the Philippines as a fascist.

MASHA GESSEN

PROFESSOR RUTH BEN-GHIAT

Masha Gessen is a Russian-American writer and activist, author of books including ‘The Man Without a Fac: the Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin’ and ‘Where the Jews Aren’t: The Sad and Absurd Story of Birobidzhan, Russia’s Jewish Autonomous Region’. Described as ‘Russia’s leading LGBT activist’, they have worked as a staff writer for The New Yorker since 2017.

Prof. Ben-Ghiat is Professor of History and Italian Studies at New York University, and author of ‘Strongmen: from Mussolini to the present’.

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THIS HOUSE IS

OPTIMISTIC FOR THE 2020s Thursday, 6th May

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PROPOSITION

OPPOSITION

MARK JAMES LITTLEWOOD Mark James Littlewood is the director general of the libertarian, free market think-tank, the Institute of Economic Affairs. He has formerly been the chief press spokesman for the Liberal Democrats and the ProEuro Conservative Party and was an advisor to Conservative Party under Prime Minister David Cameron. Having previously been in favour of deeper European integration, Littlewood later adopted a eurosceptic position and advocated voting Leave in the 2016 referendum on Membership of the European Union.

PROFESSOR GREGORY CLARK Prof. Clark is Distinguished Professor of Economics at UC-Davis and a Visiting Professor in Economic History at LSE. He is the author of two Hemingway-punned books on economic history, A farewell to alms and The son also rises; he is currently writing a third, provisionally entitled ‘For whom the bell curve tolls: genetics and social life, England 1680-2021’. Most importantly, he is a graduate of King’s College, Cambridge.

DR YASCHA MOUNK Dr Mounk is Associate professor of practice at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies. A graduate of Trinity College, Cambridge, he is the author of books including ‘Stranger in my own country; a Jewish family in modern Germany’, and ‘The people vs democracy: why our freedom is in danger and how to save it’.

PROFESSOR TIMOTHY GARTONASH Prof. Garton-Ash is Professor of European Studies at the University of Oxford. He works primarily on modern eastern Europe, and his publications include ‘In Europe’s name: Germany and the divided continent, and The magic lantern: the revolution of 1989 witnessed in Warsaw, Budapest, Berlin, and Prague’.

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THIS HOUSE WOULD

BREAK UP BIG TECH Thursday, 20th May

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PROPOSITION

OPPOSITION

PROFESSOR TOMMASO VALLETTI Prof. Valletti is Professor of Economics at Imperial College Business School, and also Professor of Economics at the University of Rome ‘Tor Vergata’. He is a non-executive director to the board of the Financial Conduct Authority and was Chief Competition Economist of the European Commission between 2016 and 2019.

NICKY MORGAN Nicky Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Cotes - Lady Morgan was the Conservative MP for Loughborough from 2010 to 2019 and now sits in the Lords. She served as Secretary of State for Education from 2014 to 2016 and Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport from 2019 to 2020.

PAUL TANG Paul Tang - Paul Tang is a member of the Dutch Labour Party. As an MEP, he sits on the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs and is a member of the European Internet Forum where he has called for the dismantling of the tech giants’ business models.

JAMES O’MALLEY James O’Malley is a freelance writer and journalist who has been published in the Spectator, Politico, the New Statesman, the Telegraph, and the Independent. After the Brexit vote in 2016 he started a petition to declare London independent from the UK, which now has almost 200,000 supporters.

RORY CELLAN-JONES Rory Cellan-Jones is the technology correspondent for BBC News. His publications include ‘Dot.Bomb: The rise and fall of dot.com’, ‘The secret history of social networking’, and ‘Always on: hopAXe and fear in the social smartphone era’. Most importantly, he is a graduate of Jesus College, Cambridge.

STUDENT SPEAKER This could be you!

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THIS HOUSE BELIEVES

NOTHING SHOULD IMPEDE A WOMAN’S RIGHT TO CHOOSE Thursday, 27th May

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PROPOSITION

OPPOSITION

LENI ZUMAS Leni Zumas is the author of national bestseller, ‘Red Clocks’, which won the Oregon Book Award in fiction and was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction. It was named a Best Book of 2018 by The Atlantic, The Washington Post, the Huffington Post, Entropy, and the New York Public Library. She is currently the Professor and Director of Creative Writing at Portland State University.

MELANIE MCDONAGH Melanie McDonagh is a lead-writer for the Evening Standard, a columnist for The Tablet, and a frequent contributor to the Spectator, UnHerd, The Guardian, and The Independent. She is a former President of the Cambridge Union.

BARBARA NOWACKA Barbara Nowacka is a Polish politician, and leader of the centreleft Civic Coalition. She has been a tireless campaigner for abortion rights in Poland.

ANN WIDDCOMBE Ann Widdecombe was a Conservative MP between 1987 and 2010, during which time she was for a period the Shadow Home Secretary. A converted Catholic, she has more recently served as the Brexit Party MEP for South West England between 2019 and 2020.

CORA SHERLOCK Cora Sherlock is an Irish anti-abortion activist and deputy chairperson of the Pro-Life Campaign. She has written for publications including The Irish Times, The Irish Catholic, and The Irish Examiner.

STUDENT SPEAKER This could be you!

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THIS HOUSE PREFERS

THE SCREEN TO THE PAGE Thursday, 17th June

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PROPOSITION

OPPOSITION

RACHEL TALALAY Rachel Talalay is a director, producer, and professor at the University of British Columbia. A maths major from Yale, she is known for her collaborations with John Waters on ‘Hairspray’ and ‘Cry-Baby’ as well as for directing episodes of ‘Riverdale’, ‘Sherlock’, and ‘Doctor Who’.

SIR PETER BAZALGETTE As chairman of Endemol UK, Sir Peter was responsible for shows including ‘Big Brother’ and ‘Deal or No Dea’l. He served as president of the Royal Television Society and is currently the executive chairman of ITV. Most importantly, he was president of the Cambridge Union in Michaelmas 1975.

STUDENT SPEAKER This could be you!

STUDENT SPEAKER This could be you!

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THIS HOUSE BELIEVES

RELIGION IS COMPATIBLE WITH MODERNITY Thursday,24th June

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PROPOSITION

OPPOSITION

ROBERT RINDER Judge Robert Rinder is a British criminal barrister and television personality. He was called to the Bar in 2011 and his practice at 2 Hare Court focuses on international fraud, money laundering and other forms of financial crime. Since 2014, he has hosted the reality courtroom series, Judge Rinder, and in 2019, he also began hosting the Channel 4 series ‘The Rob Rinder Verdict.’

ARIF AHMED Arif Ahmed is a philosopher at Gonville & Caius College. He read mathematics at Oxford University and went on to study Philosophy at Sussex and Cambridge. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Faculty of Philosophy. An atheist and libertarian, his philosophical outlook stems from the work of David Hume and Friedrich Hayek.

JOEL ROSEN Joel Rosen is the President of the Cambridge Union and also serves as Vice-President of the Cambridge University Law Society. He is a Second year student at Trinity Hall studying History.

Student Speaker This could be you!

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HEAD TO HEAD D E B AT E S


THIS HOUSE BELIEVES MARX WAS RIGHT THIS HOUSE IS OPTIMISTIC ABOUT RACE RELATIONS IN BRITAIN THIS HOUSE WOULD GO VEGAN

We are incredibly excited to be launching our inaugural

We will be exploring Veganism (This House Would

series of ‘Head-to-Head’ Debates, the brainchild

go Vegan), Race Relations (This House is Optimistic

of Joel and Lara’s manifesto pledges. A ‘Head-to-

about race relations in Britain), and Marxism (This

Head’ is a moderated debate about a particularly

House believes Marx was Right). The Marxism Head-

topical motion between two distinguished speakers.

to-Head will feature the prominent philosopher and

We might say that it is a crystallisation of a heated

political activist Slavoj Žižek alongside journalist and

moment in a Thursday Debate. It is different in style to

former Conservative politician Lord Daniel Hannan.

a ‘Great Conversation’ event, because the discussion

We hope that you enjoy this new slice of Cambridge

itself is poised between conversation, critique, and

Debating.

confrontation. Though the debate will, of course, remain fundamentally civil, we are hoping that the ‘Head-to-Head’ format will create a unique space for refreshing candour and verbal sparring. Jungmin Seo , Vice President


T HIS HOUSE BELIEV ES M AR X WA S R I G H T

8pm, Thursday, 3rd June

PROPOSITION SLAVOJ ZIZEK Slavoj Žižek is a Hegelian philosopher, Lacanian psychoanalyst, and political activist. He is international director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities and the author of numerous books, including his most recent series: ‘Pandemic!: COVID-19 Shakes the World!’ and ‘Pandemic! 2: Chronicles of a Time Lost.’


OPPOSITION LORD DANIEL HANNAN Daniel Hannan, Baron Hannan of Kingsclere, is a British writer, journalist and former politician to the Conservative party who was the founding president of the Initiative for Free Trade and one of the founders of Vote Leave. He is Editorin-Chief of the quarterly journal The Conservative.

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T HIS HOUSE IS OPT IMIST IC AB OUT R ACE R E L AT I O N S I N BRITAIN TBC

PROPOSITION SUNNY HUNDAL Sunny Hundal is a British journalist and academic. He has founded a number of online forums for politically progressive views, including ‘Liberal Conspiracy’, the ‘New Generation Network’ and ‘Front Page Live’, where he is currently Editorial Director. He has written and spoken extensively on issues of race, culture and religion in the UK.

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OPPOSITION MICHAEL EBODA Michael Eboda is chief executive of Powerful Media, publisher of The Powerlist. Before starting Powerful Media, Michael was Editorial Director of the Ethnic Media Group, which at one time published some 10 titles. He has worked for and written for many national newspapers and magazines, including The Observer, The Guardian, The Sun, The Evening Standard, The Sunday Times, The Times and The Independent. Michael holds a master’s degree in law and a postgraduate diploma in periodical journalism.


T HIS HOUSE WOULD GO V EGAN TBC

PROPOSITION ALEX O’CONNOR An impassioned animal rights advocate and religious critic, Alex’s online videos have been viewed thirty million times, attracting over three hundred and fifty thousand people to subscribe to his regular content. He has produced videos with notable experts in respected fields, such as Peter Singer, Richard Dawkins, and William Lane Craig.

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OPPOSITION GLEN BURROWS Glen Burrows is a nutrition coach for athletes and consultant on dietary matters. He maintained a vegetarian lifestyle until very recently, but, believing that meat can be consumed morally and sustainably, he now writes as the ‘ethical butcher’. He argues for the health benefits of eating meat, while criticising much of the meat industry for unethical practices.

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G R E AT

CONVERSATIONS


MIKE TOMASELLO & PAUL BLOOM STEPHEN TOOPE & LAWRENCE BACOW IAIN DALE & ROGER MOSEY NUS GHANI MP & RAHIMA MAHMUT NOAM CHOMSKY & MARIANA MAZZUCATO JACK BARSKY & BEN MACINTYRE CLAUDE LITTNER &THEO PAPHITIS SKA KELLER MP & SIAN BERRY

The central premise of Great Conversations is that

Further highlights include an exploration of espionage

it brings you double the fun. You can hear from two

(former KGB spy Jack Barsky in conversation with Ben

celebrity business tycoons (Theo Paphitis & Claude

MacIntyre, best-selling author of numerous thrillers),

Littner), two national broadcasters (Iain Dale &

the crisis of the Uyghur Muslims (Nus Ghani MP and

Roger Mosey), two distinguished academics (Noam

human rights activist Rahima Mahmut), and the future

Chomsky & Mariana Mazzucato), two leaders of

of Green Politics (Ska Keller MEP and Sian Berry).

the world’s most prestigious universities (President Lawrence Bacow & Vice-Chancellor Stephen Toope)

Regardless of whether these are held in person or

- the list goes on - in one sitting.

online, we sincerely hope that you, too, will have the chance to experience precisely why these

Our aim is to provide an open space for nuanced,

Conversations are so Great.

expert discussion on a range of cultural and political issues.

Jungmin Seo, Vice President


MIKE TOM ASELLO I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

PAU L B L O O M

6pm, 13th May, Virtual

In Collaboration with Cambridge University Psychology Society

Paul Bloom is the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor of Psychology at Yale University. His research explores the psychology of morality, identity, and pleasure. Bloom is the recipient of multiple awards and honors, including,, the million-dollar Klaus J. Jacobs Research Prize. He is the author or editor of eight books.

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Mike

Tomasello

developmental

is and

an

American comparative

psychologist, as well as a linguist. He is the professor of psychology at Duke University., and is the recipient of multiple awards including the William James Book award and Distinguished Scientific Contributions.

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Stephen Toope is an Officer of the Order of Canada and specialises in human rights and international relations. As of 2017, he became the 346th Vice-Chancellor of Cambridge University. He studied at Harvard before moving onto his PhD at Cambridge.

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FROM CAMBRIDGE TO CAMBRIDGE: T H E F U T U R E O F H I G H E R E D U C AT I O N

L AW R E N C E B A C OW I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

ST EPHEN TO OPE TBC 2pm, 14th May, Virtual

Lawrence Bacow is an American lawyer, economist, author, and the current 29th President of Harvard University. He assumed office on July 1, 2018, succeeding Drew Gilpin Faust. He has previously held the position of the Hauser leader-in-residence at the Center for Public Leadership at Harvard’s John F. Kennedy School of Government as well being a member of the university’s governing boards since 2011. He studied at MIT before receiving his J.D. from Harvard Law School.

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RO G E R M O S E Y I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

I AIN DALE

7pm, 21st May

Iain Dale is a Conservative broadcaster, commentator and publisher. In 2003, he became the first openly gay Conservative candidate to contest a Parliamentary election. Since 2010, he has hosted a major discussion show on ‘LBC’, winning Radio Presenter of the Year at the Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards in both 2013 and 2016. Dale was the founder of Britain’s leading political publisher, Biteback Publishing in 2009 and served as Managing Director until 2018. The company has published more than 600 books including the bestseller, ‘Call me Dave: The Unauthorised Biography of David Cameron’ as well as ‘The Alastair Campbell Diaries’.

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Roger Mosey is the Master of Selwyn College, and previously served as the Head of BBC Television News and directed the Corporation’s Beijing 2008 and London 2012 Olympic Games coverage. He has also worked as a Producer on the BBC’s New York bureau, and was Editor of Today on BBC Radio 4.

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NUS GH ANI I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

R AHIM A M AHMUT 30th May

Nus Ghani is a Conservative MP who, in March 2021 was sanctioned by China for drawing attention to the plight of the Uyghur Muslims. In 2018, she became the first Muslim woman minister to speak in the House of Commons and she previously served as Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury.

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Rahima Mahmut is a Uyghur singer, translator and human rights activist. She was active in the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 and has been drawing attention to human rights violations by the CCP ever since. Since 2016, she has been unable to contact her family.

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N OA M C H O M S K Y I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

M ARI ANA M A Z Z U C AT O 7pm, 31st May, Virtual

Noam Chomsky is a pioneering American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, social critic, and political activist. He has been described by the New York Times as “arguably the most important intellectual alive”.

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Mariana Mazzucato is an Italian-American economist and a Professor in Economics of Innovation and Public Value at University College London. She was named as one of the ‘3 most important thinkers about innovation’ by The New Republic, one of the 50 most creative people in business in 2020 by Fast Company, and one of the 25 leaders shaping the future of capitalism by WIRED.

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JACK BARSKY I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

BEN M ACINT Y RE 8th June Jack Barsky is a German-American author, IT specialist and former sleeper agent of the KGB who spied on the United States from 1978 to 1988. Exposed after the Cold War, Barsky became a resource for U.S. counterintelligence agencies and was allowed to remain in the United States. His autobiography, ‘Deep Undercover’, was published in 2017

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Ben Macintyre is a writer-at-large for The Times of London and the bestselling author of ‘A Spy Among Friends’, ‘Double Cross’, ‘Operation Mincemeat’, ‘Agent Zigzag’, and ‘Rogue Heroes’, among other books. Macintyre has also written and presented BBC documentaries of his work.

47


C L AU D E LIT TNER I N C O N V E R S AT I O N W I T H

T HEO PA P H I T I S TBC

Renowned for his cut-throat appearances on all fifteen series of BBC One’s The Apprentice, Claude Littner is one of the UK’s most forthright business leaders especially when told he had just six months to live in 1997 when diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. He has chaired Amstrad International, Viglen, Powerleague, ASCO and Azzuri Communications, and served as Chief Executive of Tottenham Hotspur Football Club from 1993-1998. In 2014, the University of West London’s Business School was renamed the Claude Littner Business School in acknowledgement of his contributions to the university of which he is a Visiting Professor.

48


Theo Paphitis has a business empire that spans retail, property and finance. He left school at 16 with no qualifications due to his dyslexia, and started working as a filing clerk/tea boy for Lloyds Insurance. He set up his own company at just 23 and has since revived the fortunes of many notable retail brands such as La Senza, Ryman, and Stationery Box. Theo was Chairman of Millwall FC for eight years, and became a household name through many series of BBC TV’s ‘Dragons’ Den’; also appearing in the latest series. He has helped to raise over £4million for Comic Relief through charity work with his businesses, and now supports numerous charities through his Theo Paphitis Charitable Trust.

49


THE FUTURE OF GREEN POLITICS WITH

SK A KELLER MEP & SI AN B E R RY TBC

Ska Keller MEP is a German politician and member of the European Parliament for the Germany constituency. She is a member of the Alliance ‘90/The Greens, part of the European Green Party.She is co-president of the Greens/EFA group in the European Parliament and member of the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE).

50


Sian Berry is a British politician who has served as Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales alongside Jonathan Bartley since 2018. She was the party’s candidate in the 2008 London mayoral election and again in the 2016 and 2021 elections.

51


SOLO SPEAKERS June Preterm Online Series Alan Dershowitz Megan Barton Hanson Nadhim Zahawi MP The Rt. Hon Kim Campbell

May Elise Christie Lord Alan Sugar Steven Pinker David Miliband Ambassador Raffaele Trombetta Ada Limón Darren Gough Lord Michael Heseltine

Charlie Mackesy Jamie Raskin Edmund de Waal Chris Eubank Holly Tucker Steven Bartlett Jon Sopel Liv Garfield Jeremy Corbyn Shygirl Edwina Dunn Chidera Eggerue Ellen Jones Lionel Barber Lord John Dyson Courtney Love AJ Tracey Earl Spencer Ainsley Harriott Lord Norman Lamont Stormy Daniels

James Quincey Ambassador Enna Park Joel Dommett Lady Leshurr Carlo Rovelli Max Fosh Roundtable Ben Francis The Rt. Hon Theresa May Candice Brathwaite Monty Panesar

Coming soon Bugzy Malone John Rhys-Davies Dev Hynes The Rt. Hon Helen Clark Kelly Hoppen HONNE Adam Schiff Richard Thaler Rejjie Snow Julian Metcalfe OBE Vera Wang


With the Union reopening, we hope to provide a

While we’re committed to showcasing free speech

refreshed enchantment that comes with hearing from

and highlighting salient issues across the political

a childhood legend, a new perspective, or just a really

spectrum and throughout a breadth of disciplines, we

cool or surprising event that you turned up to on a whim

also hope the Union’s speaker events can be a place

or because you had nothing better to do but ended up

to let loose, break off the shackles of exam stress, and

loving. There’s a buzz that comes from asking a public

be transported into a fun and enticing world for an hour.

figure with a question you came up with on the spot,

Your DOS might call it procrastination, but let’s go with

challenging a career politician, your point vetted only

expanding your horizons.

by the friends you convinced to come along with you, or being in the room where an up-and-coming singer

Until the 17th of May, events will be available to watch

gives an electrifying teaser of their new single — and all

from your laptop screens. After that, we hope to

of these are coming back, coinciding with our expanded

welcome our speakers in person, with social distancing

building. Even virtually, we hope to have you and your

and sanitation measures in place to keep the venue

friends, clustered around a shared laptop, hearing

COVID-secure. Pending lifting of all restrictions, we’ve

from a speaker and chatting about them afterwards.

saved some of our most exciting events for May Week,

That’s why we’ve introduced our inaugural preterm

bringing back the hype of a full, stacked, chamber for a

online series.

once-in-a-lifetime event.

I hope that you’ll find speaker events that interest you

Hopefully exciting events in person will make up for

and leave you wanting more, no matter your degree

last Easter, Michaelmas, and Lent lost to lockdown,

subject. Thanks to the tireless work of our speakers

and this section of the term card is as much a product

committee — Sophia, Jillian, Evie, Calvin, Leti, Dom,

of their work as it is mine.

Daan, Som, Kai, Su Shien, Christopher, and Ed — our backgrounds, formats,

With such a stacked series (at least in my opinion!),

and topics, including politics but also psychology and

it’s difficult to choose a favourite. I’m probably most

poetry, science and sport, celebrity and comedy. I’m

excited to hear from “JB”, a former KGB spy, and from

especially proud of the collaborations we’ve forged

our panel of Islanders tackling mental health, an issue

with other societies in Cambridge.

close to my heart, or to hear from lawyers on both sides

This term, we hope to introduce expert interviewers

of the Trump impeachment trial. As restrictions lift, we

for some events to maximize their quality. If you’re an

hope you’ll include hearing from our speakers among

expert on a subject a speaker might discuss, a form

your plans –

will go out shortly so you can register your interest,

punting. If you disagree, prove them (and us) wrong

or you can send an email explaining your expertise to

by asking them a question— what are you waiting for?

line-up runs the gamut of

holding their own against pubs and

speakers@cus.org.

Tara Soni Bhagat, Speakers Officer


AL AN D E R S H OW I T Z Tr u m p ’ s I m p e a c h m e n t L a w y e r

7pm, 23rd April, Virtual “From von Bulow , to Mike Tyson , to OJ to Impeachment” Alan Dershowitz is an American lawyer and author known for his writings and media appearances in which he strongly and often controversially defended civil liberties, in particular those regarding freedom of speech. He also garnered attention for his involvement in numerous prominent legal

cases,

including

the

O.J.

Simpson Trial.

NADHIM Z A H AW I M P Va c c i n e s M i n i s t e r

5pm, 27th April, Virtual Zahawi is the Minister of Covid-19 Vaccine Deployment and the Department of Health and Social Care. He was the co-founder of Internet-based research based firm YouGov.

54


MEGAN

B A RT O N H A N S O N

Media Personality

7pm, 26th April, Virtual

Megan Barton-Hanson is an English media personality, columnist and host of the charttopping podcast, ‘You Come First’. Megan is best known for her appearance in the 2018 series of hit reality show ‘Love Island’. After leaving the villa as one of the most soughtafter TV personalities, Megan has since built an unapologetic and successful business built on helping women liberate themselves through body positivity and a freedom of sexuality.

55


T H E RT . H O N . KIM CA MPBELL Former Prime Minister of Canada

7pm, 28th April, Virtual

Campbell is a Canadian politician, lawyer and writer who was the 19th Prime Minister of Canada, the first and only woman to hold the position. Previously, as Justice Minister she brought about a new rape law and a rape shield law, cementing her legacy of supporting sexual victims. Campbell has also published an autobiography,

Time

&

Chance,

which became a Canadian bestseller.

56 56


D AV I D F RU M Political Commentator

David Frum is a Canadian-American political commentator and a former speechwriter for President George Bush. He serves as is currently a senior editor at The Atlantic and is a MSNBC contributor. He has been credited with inspiring the phrase “axis of evil” in Bush’s 2002 State of the Union address.

8.30pm, 28th April, V i r t u a l P r i v a t e Ro u n d t a b l e

ELISE CHRIST IE

At h l e t e

4pm, 2nd May, Virtual Elise Christie is a British short track speed skater, who has achieved extraordinary multiple

success

European

in

winning

and

World

Championships titles and breaking records in her field. Since having a difficult time in the last two Winter Olympics, she has been open and honest about the way it has affected her mental health, greatly increasing awareness of the topic in elite sport.

57


LORD AL AN SUGAR Entrepreneur

4pm, 4th May, Virtual Lord Alan Sugar was born in the East End of London and sold radio aerials from the back of a van in his teenage years. He founded Amstrad in 1968 and the company was listed on the London Stock exchange in 1980. He sold the company in July 2007 for £125m. He is the iconic media personality behind the BBC’s ‘The Apprentice’, which has been broadcast annually since 2005.

58

58


ST EV EN PINKER Psychologist

8pm, 5th May, Virtual

Pinker is a cognitive psychologist, whose work focuses on visual cognition, the perception of our environment and psycholinguistics. He has contributed strongly to the popularisation of science by notably authoring several books on psychology, such as ‘The Better Angels of Our Nature’ and ‘Enlightenment Now’. Steven Pinker was listed in Time’s Most Influential People of 2004 and in Foreign Policy’s 100 Global Thinkers for multiple years over the past two decades. He is currently a Professor of Psychology at Harvard University.

59


D AV I D M I L I B A N D Former Foreign Minister

5pm, 7th May, Virtual David Miliband is the Chief Executive of the International Rescue Committee and former Labour Foreign Secretary from 2007-2010. He was MP for South Shields from 20012013. Prior to that he was director of the Number 10 Policy Unit from 1997-2001.

60


A MBASSAD OR R A F FA E L E T RO M B E T T A Italian Ambassador to the UK

7pm, 10th May, Virtual Raffaele Trombetta has been Italy’s ambassador to the UK since 2017, previously serving as Italy’s ambassador to Brazil. He also served as the Chief of the Foreign Minister’s Cabinet, representing Italy at the G7 and G20.

ADA LIMÓN P O E T RY EV ENT 7pm, 11th May, Virtual

Ada Limón, a current Guggenheim fellow, is the author of five poetry collections, including The Carrying, which won the National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. Her fourth book ‘Bright Dead Things’ was named a finalist for the National Book Award, a finalist for the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award, and a finalist for the National Book Critics Circle Award.

61


DARREN GOUGH Former Cricketer

10am, 12th May, Virtual Darren Gough is a retired English

cricketer

presenter.

turned

Having

been

described as the ‘heartbeat’ of

the

English’s

team,

Darren

cricket’s

is

most

successful wicket-takers. He is also now a hugely popular as a radio personality with his ‘Drive Time’ show that receives millions of listeners on talkSPORT every week. Darren

also

won

‘Strictly

Come Dancing’ in 2005’.

LORD MICH AEL H E S E LT I N E

Former Deputy Prime Minister

3.30pm, 12th May, Virtual Lord Michael Heseltine was a senior cabinet minister in the governments of Margaret Thatcher and John Major. He entered the Cabinet in 1979 and served as Secretary of State for Defence in 1983. In November 1990 he challenged Margaret Thatcher for the leadership of the Conservative party and his polling in the first ballot led to Thatcher’s resignation. Lord Hesletine served as Deputy Prime Minister from 1995-1997. An ardent campaigner against leaving the European Union, the party whip was withdrawn from him in May

62 62

2019.


JA MES QUINCEY CEO of Coca Cola

6pm, 14th May, Virtual James Quincey is Chairman and CEO of The Coca-Cola Company. Quincey, who first joined the company in 1996, has held a number of leadership roles around the world. He became CEO in 2017 and Chairman of the Board in 2019. He also serves as vice co-chair of The Consumer Goods Forum and is a founding member of the New York Stock Exchange Board Advisory Council. In 2020, he was appointed to Pfizer’s Board of Directors.

A MBASSAD OR E N N A PA R K South Korean Ambassador to the UK

7pm, 17th May, Virtual

Enna Park is a South Korean diplomat serving as the South Korean Ambassador to the UK, as the first woman to assume that post. Previously, she was the Deputy Chief of Mission for Korean-Chinese economic cooperation and Deputy Minister of Public Diplomacy. She was awarded the Service Merit Medal for her contributions to diplomacy.

63


JOEL D OM MET T

Comedian

5pm, 18th May Joel Dommett is an English comedian, television presenter and

actor

television

known roles

in

for

his

‘Live

in

Chelsea’, ‘Impractical Jokers UK’, ‘I’m a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!’, ‘Joel & Nish vs The World’ and from 2020 onwards is the host of ‘The Masked Singer UK’.

L A DY LESHURR Rapper

4pm,21st May

Lady Leshurr is a British rapper, songwriter and producer best known for her Queen’s Speech series of freestyles which became popular in 2016. She recently competed in Dancing on Ice, and won The Celebrity Circle in 2021. Her music is celebrated through awards such as Best Female Act, Best Rap / Grime Act and Best Solo Female.

64


CARLO ROV E L L I Physicist

25th May, Virtual Carlo Rovelli is an Italian theoretical physicist who has made an indelible contribution to the physics of space and time. His book ‘Seven Brief Lessons on Physics’ was published in Italian in 2014 and has since been translated into 41 languages. As well as having published more than 200 papers in international academic journals he is a prolific communicator, able to convey theoretical physics to the general public.

MAX FOSH Yo u t u b e r

7pm, 25th May, Ro u n d t a b l e Max Fosh is an English YouTuber,a graduate of Harrow School and Newcastle University, his satirical videos often centre on university life. He contested the 2021 Mayoral election with the sole aim of getting more votes than Laurence Fox.

65


T H E RT . H O N . T HERESA M AY Former UK Prime Minister

28th May Theresa May has served as the Conservative Member of Parliament for Maidenhead since 1997, but is perhaps better known for being the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, where she held the position between 2016 and 2019. Prior to her role as Prime Minister, she held several positions within Parliament and Government. She was a member of the Shadow Cabinet from 1999 to 2010, and from 2002 to 2003 she was the first female Chairman of the Conservative Party. Between 2010 and 2016, she served as Home Secretary.

66


BEN FR ANCIS Founder of Gymshark

5pm, 26th May Ben Francis is the Founder and ambitious entrepreneur behind leading UK fitness brand, Gymshark. Ben founded Gymshark when he was 19 years old, while still a student at Aston University. In addition to his full-time commitment to his studies, Ben juggled working as a pizza delivery man to fund his Gymshark venture. Gymshark has gone from being an entrepreneurial start-up to becoming a global brand with millions of customers in 170+ countries via its 13 websites. Driving sales by 140% PA to £176.2m in 2019, with operating profits of £18.6m.

CANDICE B R AT H WA I T E

Author

6pm, 29th May Candice Brathwaite is an author, journalist, TV

67

presenter, and founder of Make Motherhood Diverse – an online initiative that aims to ensure many more people see themselves reflected online. She started blogging in 2016 to tell her own motherhood story, keen to show that young black families weren’t just surviving but thriving. Candice now has a regular style segment on Lorraine on ITV. Candice is also a Contributing Editor to Grazia and regularly appears on national radio and television news channels to talk about maternal mortality rates for black women in Britain. Her debut book ‘I Am Not Your Baby Mother’ - about being a black British mum made the Sunday Times

67

Bestseller list.


MONT Y PA N E S A R Cricketer

31st May Mudhsuden Singh “Monty” Panesar is a former English international cricketer who made his Test cricket debut in 2006 against India picking up

his

boyhood

hero,

Sachin

Tendulkar, as his first Test wicket and Rahul Dravid as his third. Born in Luton to Indian parents, Panesar also proudly expresses his Sikh faith by wearing a black patka both on match-day and in training, and has since been fan favourite with his excellent command on the spin of the ball.

CH ARLIE M ACKESY Artist

5pm, 1st June Charlie Mackesy is an artist and author. His sensational

2019

illustrated book, The Boy, The Mole, The Fox And The Horse sold 1.4 million copies and spent 55 weeks on the Sunday Times Bestsellers List. He

began as

a cartoonist at the Spectator and an illustrator for the Oxford University Press.

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JA MIE R ASKIN

Tr u m p I m p e a c h m e n t M a n a g e r

7.15pm, 1st June, Virtual Rep. Jamie Raskin is one of the most influential hailing

American

congressmen,

from Montgomery County,

Maryland. He was the lead prosecutor for

President

impeachment,

Trump’s in

the

second

Democratic

Party. Previously, he was a professor of

constitutional

law

at

American

University. He has been acclaimed for his efforts in the “moral centre” of the left-leaning Democratic Party.

EDMUND D E WA A L Artist

6pm, 2nd June

Edmund is a British artist and writer, whose distinctive work with pottery and ceramics has gained worldwide renown. In particular, his pieces tend to work in dialogue with the spaces and histories they are to be connected to. He has received an OBE for his Service to the Arts and his book, ‘The Hare with the Amber Eyes’

69

was given, amongst other acclaims, the 2011 Costa Book Award for Biography.


CHRIS EUBANK Boxer

2nd June

Chris Eubank Sr. is a British former professional boxer who is ranked as the third best British supermiddleweight boxer of all time, holding the WBO middleweight

and

super-middleweight

titles,

scoring victories over six world champions. He was a world champion for over five years, remaining undefeated at middleweight. He helped British boxing ride a peak of popularity in the 1990s. Eubank has since starred on TV Shows ‘At Home with the Eubanks’, ‘I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here’, ‘Celebrity Big Brother’, and ‘Gogglebox’ becoming an esteemed personality in British media and culture respectively.

70


H O L LY

T UCKER MBE

Entrepeneur

6pm, 4th June Holly Tucker is a Co-Founder and Chief Inspirator championing

of

‘Notonthehighstreet’, small and independent

businesses, and has already made over 200 millionaires! Launching ‘SME:SOS’, a reactive resource and initiative aimed at helping small businesses during this difficult time, she’s pumped over £900 million into the UK economy and holds an Advisory position for the UK government.

ST EV EN B A RT L E T T

Entrepeneur

5pm, 6th June Steven Bartlett is the founder of the social media marketing

agency

Social

Chain,

taking

his

company public at 27 with a market valuation of almost £200m. An award-winning entrepreneur with over 30 accolades including Great British Entrepreneur of the Year and Most Influential Agency Figure 2018, Steven also acts as a speaker, investor and content creator, hosting Europe’s most downloaded Business podcast, ‘The Diary of a CEO’. In March 2021 Steven released his debut book ‘Happy Sexy Millionaire’ which was a number

71

2 Sunday Times bestseller.


JON SOPEL Journalist

7pm, 7th June Sopel is a British journalist who has been the BBC North America Editor since 2014. In his position, he has reported extensively on the 2016 and 2020 Presidential elections and the Trump administration. Best known for his work as a television correspondent and presenter, he was previously the BBC’s Chief Political Correspondent. During his career, Sopel also covered the 2000 Concorde crash, was BBC’s correspondent in Kuwait City during the 2003 invasion of Iraq, and has presented ‘The Politics Show’, the ‘BBC News Channel’, and ‘Newsnight’.

LIV GARFIELD F T SE100 CEO

6pm, 9th June As chief executive of Severn Trent, Liv Garfield is responsible for providing clean water and taking away waste water to around 8m people across the Midlands and Wales. Prior to this, Liv worked at British Telecom for 12 years. Her last role was as Chief Executive of Openreach, the engineering division of BT. She is also a British Business Ambassador for the Department of International Trade.

72


J E R E MY C O R BY N Former Leader of the Opposition

4pm, 10th June Jeremy Corbyn is a British politician, who served as the Leader of Opposition for Labour between 2015 and 2020. He was a Member of Parliament from 1983, during which he campaigned on a number of issues, including opposing the Iraq War and advocating for a unified Ireland. He has now launched the ‘Project for Peace and Justice’, where he is working on

social

equality,

conflict

resolution and environmental issues.

Adam Schiff is an American lawyer and politician who has served as the U.S. Representative for California’s 28th congressional district since 2013. A member of the left-leaning Democratic Party, Schiff is in his eleventh term, having served since 2001.

73


SHYGIRL Rapper

7pm, 10th June Shygirl is a British rapper, DJ, singer, songwriter, and co-founder of record label and collective NUXXE. Her latest EP, ALIAS, has received critical acclaim

for

drawing

on

multiple

different styles.

E DW I N A DUNN Entrepeneur

4pm, 11th June, Virtual Edwina Dunn is one of the most successful leaders in the data industry, with a career of delivering transformational business change Dunnhumby revolutionised the world of retail and consumer goods when they pioneered Tesco Clubcard and other global loyalty programmes. In 2019 Edwina received an OBE for her services to data and business in the UK. She is Deputy Chair of the Centre for Data Ethics & Innovation and a Board Member of the Geospatial Commission. She

74

also founded ‘The Female Lead’,


CHIDER A E G G E RU E Wr i t e r

7pm, 11th June Chidera, also known as ‘the Slumflower’, is a prominent writer and activist. With her campaign ‘#SaggyBoobsMatter’ and documentary ‘Bring Back The Bush’, she has helped British women rethink their relationships with their bodies. She has also published two bestselling books, ‘What a Time to be Alone’ and ‘How to Get Over a Boy’. These have challenged conventional narratives around dating and relationships, as well as looking at the ways in which these interact with racism and sexism.

ELLEN JONES Activist

6pm,12th June Ellen Jones is an award-winning campaigner, writer, speaker and consultant. In 2018, Ellen won the first-ever MTV EMA Generation Change award

after

previously

having

been

named

Stonewall’s Young Campaigner of The Year. She is the creator of disability.lgbt, which looks at the specific intersections of the LGBTQ+ and disabled community. Her work has been featured on ‘The Guilty Feminist’ and on live television and radio, in publications like The Guardian & The Huffington Post

75

specifically about autism, gender & representation.


LIONEL BARBER

Former Editor of the Financial T imes

5pm, 13th June Lionel Barber was editor of the Financial Times for 2005 to 2020. Prior to that, Lionel was a journalist for The Scotsman and The Sunday Times. Over the course of his career, he has interviewed Barack Obama, Wen Jiabao, Dmitry Medvedev, Vladimir Putin, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Angela Merkel, and David Cameron. His private diaries from this period are now available in book format, published as ‘The Powerful and the Damned’.

LORD JOHN DY S O N

F o r m e r M a s t e r o f t h e Ro l l s

7pm, 14th June John Dyson was previously the Master of the Rolls until his retirement. Hee previously was a justice of the Supreme court of the United Kingdom. In his long judicial career, he decided many cases across the whole range of civil law,

including

contract,

construction

and commercial law, general common law, international law, and public and human rights law. Many of his judgments are reported in the Law Reports and are frequently cited as precedents. Photo Credit: Getty Images

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C O U RT N E Y L OV E Singer

18th June

Courtney Love is an American singer, songwriter and actress. A figure in the alternative and grunge scenes of the 1990s, her career has spanned four decades. She rose to prominence as the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band Hole, which she formed in 1989. In 2020, New Music Express named her one of the most influential singers in alternative culture of the last 30 years.

77


AJ T R ACEY

Rapper

19th June AJ Tracey is a British rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. He gained recognition following the release of his EP’s The Front and Secure the Bag. His debut album, AJ Tracey, peaked at No. 3 on the UK Albums chart in 2019.

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.

ST EEL BANGLEZ Musician

2pm, 20th June Born to Sikh Punjabi parents, Banglez grew up in a creative household proud of its roots, immersed in the British multiculturalism. Following a stint in prison in his younger adult years, Banglez spent the first half of the 2010s as an underground rap producer. Banglez’ productions count the likes of Dave, MoStack and Nines in its ranks, his own smash hit ‘Fashion Week’ with AJ Tracey and MoStack setting the vision and standard for an album that features a list of the hottest voices and artists in the country and runs as a deep, authentic history and time stamp of contemporary UK music.

79


CH ARLES E ARL SPENCER Historian

11am, 21st June Charles, Earl Spencer is an author, historian, journalist and broadcaster. His latest book, The White Ship, examines the sinking of the White Ship in 1120, one of the greatest naval disasters suffered by England. Previous works include Prince Rupert – The Last Cavalier and To Catch A King which explores the daring escape of Charles II.

80


AINSLEY H ARRIOT T British Chef

6pm,22nd June

Ainsley Harriott is a British chef, famous for his BBC cookery shows ‘Can’t Cook’, ‘Won’t Cook’ and ‘Ready Steady Cook’. He is a bestselling cookbook author, whose 12 books have sold more than two million copies worldwide.


LORD NOR M AN L A MONT Former Chancellor of the Exchequer

2pm, 23rd June

Norman Lamont is a British peer who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 19901993, a former President of the Cambridge Union, he was MP for Kington upon Thames from 1972 -1997. He was ardent supporter of the campaign to leave the European Union


S T O R MY DANIELS Adult Film Star

26th June Stormy Daniels is an adult film star and director,

writer,

and

comedian.

She

has recently started ‘Spooky Babes’, a paranormal investigation show. She rose to international fame after becoming involved in a legal dispute with US President Donald Trump and his attorney Michael Cohen.

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C OMING SO ON

BUGZY M ALONE D AT E T B C Bugzy Malone, is a British rapper and actor from Manchester. Malone has been described as one of the key artists instigating a “grime revival” moving the UK urban scene away from more commercially oriented music and the first artist in the grime genre from Manchester to commercially succeed in the UK.


C OMING SO ON

RICH ARD T H ALER Michaelmas

JOHN DEV R H Y S - D AV I E S H Y N E S

T H E RT . H O N HELEN CL ARK

R AY K A ZEHTAB CHI 85


C OMING SO ON

K E L LY HOPPEN

T O M MY HILFIGER

Michaelmas

ADA M S C H I F F Michaelmas

HONNE Michaelmas

D AT E T B C

86


C OMING SO ON

REJJIE S N OW

Michaelmas

JULI AN METCALFE

Michaelmas

RICH ARD T H ALER

Michaelmas

V ER A WA N G Confirmed for A c a d e m i c Ye a r 2021-22




PA N E L S REFUGEE POETRY PANEL SEX WORK WINDRUSH THE ARAB SPRINGS: 10 YEARS ON FARMERS PROTEST CLASS BEHAVIOURAL ECONOMICS COLONIAL ARTIFACTS CONSTITUTION MENTAL HEALTH AFTER LOVE ISLAND THE MALE GAZE IN MEDIA

EVERYDAY SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICE, CIVIL LIBERTIES AND FEMINISM LONG TERM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF COVID


The Cambridge Union is undeniably steeped in

A special thanks goes out to the Equalities

history. While this legacy attests to the longevity of

Subcommittee, who have dedicated their time to

the Union’s appeal as the oldest continuously running

ensure that we have an inclusive term card. I have

debate and free speech society in the world, it can

enjoyed working with Shibhangi, Georgia, Jasper,

also be alienating to those who have historically been

Ellenoor, Tom and Zak. I am really looking forward to

excluded from these spaces. To me, ‘free speech’ is

seeing their speaker and panel event(s) come to light.

best ensured and achieved when those who have the privilege to speak provide a platform for marginalised

The driving premise behind our panel events is

voices to speak for themselves. Thankfully, times are

showcasing a variety of diverse perspectives on

fast changing and over the past few terms, momentous

topical issues that aren’t suited to the debate format.

strides have been made in breaking the homogenic

The exciting events to look out for this term range from

exclusivity of the Union. I am proud to announce

Love Islanders exploring mental health after the show,

this term’s panels and our progress in the Equalities

a historical and cultural reflection on the Arab Spring,

committee.

an exploration of class at universities, the Sex Workers Panel, Windrush, Everyday Sexual Harassment and

As a female Equalities Officer and a person of colour, I

so many more! These panels not only promise to be

realise that the Union still has a long way to go. We can

intellectually stimulating but also ensure that the

never stop working towards ensuring representation.

Union is open to those who are not always given a

However, I do feel that the diversity of Committee in

platform to speak.

itself demonstrates that we are heading in the right direction. Progress has been achieved: I am very

I strongly believe that our work so far, as evidenced

pleased to say that for every invite to a male speaker,

by our Term Card, is leading us towards our ultimate

we sent an invite to two female speakers. We have

goal of inviting speakers who not only challenge our

also achieved a term card that represents various

beliefs and educate us on pertinent themes, but also

communities, with 30% of our confirmed speakers

contribute towards maintaining inclusive discourse.

being BME, representing and catering to the interests

We need a shared platform for all, especially those

of these communities. Our collaboration with other

who had been left out of it before.

societies that work to champion class equality such as The 93% Club Cambridge or cultural societies such as

I shall look forward to welcoming you to the Union.

ACS and FLY also help us ensure that we are featuring real change-makers.

Warm regards,

This term, we are also continuing to ensure that these under-represented groups are able to take advantage of opportunities that they previously weren’t able to access by introducing a new training stream:

Sharena Shiv

Introduction to Competitive Debating, alongside the

Equalities Officer

bespoke Public Speaking Workshops for women and non-binary people. This suite of workshops (with no expectation of previous knowledge or experience) will aim to empower women and gender minorities with crucial rhetorical skills and argumentation techniques in a friendly and inclusive space.


Refugee Poetry 5pm, April 25th, Virtual

This event will provide an opportunity to hear directly from refugees about their experiences through the medium of poetry. It is in collaboration with ‘the Poetry Project’, a literary dialogue forum founded in Berlin between Europeanborn citizens and young migrants who often travelled alone from war zones as minors. The project tries to take advantage of the Eastern cultural traditions that describe personal and historical events through the folk art of verse. It has helped connect over 700 refugees with the new societies they are now living in.

SUSANNE KOELBL Susanne is an award-winning journalist and has been a foreign correspondent with Germany’s leading news magazine, Der Spiegel, since 1991. She has reported extensively from war zones and crisis regions in many parts of the world, including the Balkan countries, Georgia, Syria, Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and the Gulf countries.

ROBINA KARIMI Robina fled from Afghanistan in 2016 after facing persecution from Islamists there. In order to gain entry to Germany, she had to board a flight alone with a faked passport, which continues to cause her issues. She is currently attending school in Berlin and has plans to become a civil engineer.

ROJIN NAMER Rojin fled from Iraq with her uncle at the age of twelve. During her journey, she spent ten days in prison in Athens and forced to continue her journey alone. Now, she lives in a refugee home in Berlin and recently won the 2019 THEO Brandenburg Prize for Youth Literature in the category ‘linguistic space’.

SHAHZAMIR HATAKI Shahzamir was born in Mazar-eSharif in Afghanistan, which he fled at the age of fifteen. After meeting his family in Greece, they travelled to Berlin together, where he remains now, though his right to remain is not confirmed. In 2018, he was awarded the Else Lasker-Schüler Poetry Prize and in 2019 the Theo Prize in the poetry category.

SAMIULLAH RASOULI Samiullah was born in Ghazni, Afghanistan, and came to Berlin with his cousin at the age of sixteen. After initially struggling in Germany with little knowledge of the language, as well as receiving a now overturned ruling to deport him. In 2018 he was awarded the Else Lasker-Schüler Poetry Prize.

ARASHA SPANTA Aarash is a human rights lawyer, literary translator and founding member of the Poetry Project. He was born in Afghanistan and raised in Germany after receiving asylum there when he was young. Throughout his career, both in and out of court he has worked extensively with refugees, especially minors separated from their families.

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Sex Work April 30th, Virtual

The sex work industry and all threads of discussion around it are always governed by either tropes of mischaracterising the collective of sex workers as ‘unfortunate victims of tragic circumstances’ or by tones of moral policing, patronisng those involved within the industry. Ironically even those who claim to be fighting for the rights of sex workers’, inadvertently end up pushing for policies that hurt sex workers the most. This panel will aim to challenge these misconceptions, examine and discuss the nuances of the industry from different perspectives and ultimately educate on how we can be supportive allies for sex workers without speaking over them or harming their interests.

DR. SHARMILA PARAMANAND

DR CAMILLE BARBAGALLO

Sharmila Parmanand has a PhD in MultiDisciplinary Gender Studies from the University of Cambridge on a Gates scholarship.

Camille was awarded the Sociological Review Fellowship (2017-2018). Engaging specifically with Marxist feminist theories of social reproduction, Camille’s research examines the specific ways that gender and race are implicated in processes of reproductive labour.

An active proponent of equality, she has written comprehensively on the misleading trope of victimising sex workers and how often main-stream feminist movements can actively harm those in the industry.

She is the editor of Women and the Subversion of the ‘Community: A Mariarosa Dalla Costa Reader’ (PM Press, 2019) and author of ‘Mothers & Others: The Politics of Work in Neoliberal Britain’ (MUP, forthcoming).

MIRANDA KANE Miranda Kane is a comedian, and was a plussize sex-worker in London for seven years. She wrote and performed her first show in 2012 which went on to receive 5-starred reviews and has sold out in theatres across the UK and Australia. Since then, she has written and recorded the sitcom ‘Slaving Away’ for audible. com, based upon her ‘utterly mundane life as a dominatrix’. She is currently a sex-blogger for The Metro and has also taken part in debates and public speaking events to promote the decriminalisation of sex-workers.

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Windrush In Collaboration with the Cambridge African Carribean Society

6pm, May 3rd, Virtual

When news of the Windrush Scandal broke - Caribbean Commonwealth citizens working and living in the UK wrongly detained, denied legal rights, and threatened with deportation - there was widespread disbelief as to the damage and injustice it has and continues to cause. This interdisciplinary panel of those at the forefront of this issue seeks to discuss and raise awareness of the Windrush Generation, and the causes and consequences of the Scandal. By asking these questions this panel will interrogate what Windrush reveals about systemic racism and values in contemporary Britain, and what must be done in recompense to prevent the repetition of these institutional failures.

AMELIA GENTLEMAN

DR PATRICK VERNON OBE

Amelia Gentleman is a reporter at the Guardian and author of ‘The Windrush Betrayal, Exposing the Hostile Environment.’ She won the Paul Foot award, Cudlipp award, an Amnesty award, journalist of the year British journalism awards and London press club print journalist of the year for Windrush investigations.

Dr Patrick Vernon OBE is a British social commentator and political activist of Jamaican heritage, who works in the voluntary and public sector. He is a former Labour councillor in the London Borough of Hackney.

ANTHONY WILLIAMS

H.E. SETH GEORGE RAMOCAN

Anthony Williams has experienced firsthand the injustices of the Windrush scandal and has become vocal about the detrimental consequences he has suffered due to Home Office actions. He arrived from Jamaica in 1971, as part of the Windrush generation he was wrongly classed an illegal immigrant in 2013 and threatened with deportation, depriving him of access to work or social security, leaving him destitute for 5 years.

His Excellency Seth George Ramocan is Jamaica’s 13th High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. He served as the Consul General of Jamaica in Toronto from 2009 to 2014. During his tenure, Mr. Ramocan was appointed Dean of the Caribbean Consular Corps.

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The Arab Spring: 10 years on 5pm, 5th May, Virtual

Just over a decade on from Mohamed Bouazizi’s self-immolation ignited a wave of uprisings against repressive regimes across the region, many of these states are engulfed in civil war or perpetual instability with all of them facing an uncertain future. While it is clear that the reverberations of the 2010-11 Arab Spring are not nearing their denouement, this panel will attempt to address the successes, failures and futures of the affected states as of 2021.

H.E. NABIL BEN KHEDHER

MICHAEL STEPHENS

His Excellency Nabil Ben Khedher is the Tunisian Ambassador to London, after joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1994 he held a variety of positions ranging from deputy director for Latin America to specialising in European affairs at the Tunisian Embassy in Brussels. Most of all he Diplomatic Advisor to the President Beji Caid Essebsi from 2015-2017, during which he liaised between the Presidency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs during an important period of establishing relations on behalf of a democratic Tunisia.

Michael Stephens was the Research Fellow for Middle East Studies at the Royal United Services Institute, the world’s oldest thinktank. During 2017 Mr Stephens worked as the Senior Research Analyst for Syria and Lebanon for the FCO. Mr Stephens’ research has focused on Iraqi Kurdistan, and the Kurdish regions of Syria, their social composition and responses to the threat from the Islamic State.

DR MADAWI AL RASHEED Dr Madawi Al-Rasheed: Dr Al-Rasheed is Visiting Professor at the LSE Middle East Centre, having previously been the Professor of Anthropology of Religion at King’s College London. Her current research focuses on the reinterpretations of Islamic texts among a small minority of Saudi reformers and the activism in the pursuit of democratic governance and civil society.

95 95


Farmers Protest

9th May, Virtual

Since November, thousands of farmers have been encamped in New Delhi and keeping vigil, exposing stark inequality across India. Is mass organizing more effective than the government? Are the protests causing religious divides? Are the reforms a step in the right direction or are they antithetical to India’s functioning? How can India move forward – and what lessons can the world learn from this mass uprising?

NODEEP KAUR

RAVINDER KAUR

Nodeep Kaur is an Indian labour rights activist and member of the Mazdoor Adhikar Sangathan (MAS), one of the unions of industrial workers supporting the Indian farmers’ protest.

Professor Ravinder Kaur is a historian of contemporary India. She is Associate Professor of Modern South Asian Studies at the University of Copenhagen.

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Class

In Collaboration with Cambridge 93% Club

5pm, 10th May, Virtual

Despite the vast expansion of the United Kingdom’s higher education provision from the 1960’s onwards, concern remains about the under-representation of students from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Compared to their middle and upper class peers, they are statistically much less likely to apply to and win a place at the most selective institutions in the UK. How do we remedy this under-representation? How can universities make themselves more attractive to nontraditional applicants?

IBRAHIM MOHAMMED

PROFESSOR KALWANT BHOPAL

Ibrahim Mohammed, more commonly known as Ibz Mo, is an educational influencer and YouTuber, who read Human, Social and Political Sciences at Wolfson College, Cambridge, and graduated in 2019. He began his YouTube channel just over three years ago to document his time at Cambridge as an ethnic minority and working-class student, and today, has a total of over 125,000 subscribers, and over 11 million views.

Professor Kalwant Bhopal is Professor of Education and Social Justice and Director of the Centre for Research in Race and Education (CRRE) at the University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on the achievements and experiences of minority ethnic groups in education, and she has conducted extensive research on exploring discourses of identity and intersectionality, examining the lives of BME groups as well as the marginal position of Traveller communities.

PROFESSOR LEE ELLIOT MAJOR Professor Lee Elliot-Major is Professor of Social Mobility at the University of Exeter, and is Britain’s first in the field. Alongside being a former Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust and authoring multiple books, Lee is also an Honorary Professor at the UCL Institute of Education, an Associate Member of Nuffield College, Oxford, and an Associate of LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance.

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Behavioural Economics

In Collaboration with The Marshall Society

5pm, 12th May, Virtual

What happens when human decisions aren’t rational? What policy implications come from the “behavioural economics revolution”. With the advent of the Behavioral Insight Team and the Nudge Unit, behavioral economics is here to stay — but how can individual decisions give us insight into health, wealth, and happiness?

IRIS BOHNET

KATHLEEN VOHS

Iris Bohnet is the Academic Dean of Harvard Kennedy School. She is a behavioral economist, combining insights from economics and psychology to improve decision-making in organizations and society, often with a gender or cross-cultural perspective.

Kathleen Vohs is an American psychologist and behavioral economist. She is Distinguished McKnight University Professor and Land O’Lakes Chair in Marketing in the Carlson School of Management at the University of Minnesota. Her research has been embraced by leaders such as Mark Zuckerberg and Barack Obama.

NAVA ASHRAF Nava Ashraf is Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics and Political Science. She is also Director of Research of the Marshall Institute, Co-Director of the Psychology and Economics program at STICERD, and co-Lead Academic of the International Growth Centre, Zambia.

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Colonial Artifacts

5pm, 17th May, Virtual

Should museums return their colonial artifacts? Is African heritage currently the prisoner of European museums? This panel event will address the issues regarding negotiated agreements, institutional policies in countries in the North Atlantic and Africa, issues around the law and the responsibilities that need to be put in place.

DR MONICA HANNA

DAN HICKS

Dr Monica Hanna is an archaeologist and Egytptologist.. Her research focuses on space, knowledge and identity of archaeological sites, with particular interest on different meanings and reflections of heritage on identity of space and communities. She is the acting Dean of the College of Archaeology and Cultural Heritage, Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport (AASTMT) in Aswan, Egypt .

Dan Hicks is a British archaeologist and anthropologist. He is Professor of Contemporary Archaeology at the University of Oxford, Curator at the Pitt Rivers Museum, and a Fellow of St Cross College, Oxford.

FELWINE SARR

CHIKA OKEKE-ANDULU

Felwine Sarr is a humanist, philosopher, economist, and musician and the AnneMarie Bryan Chair in French and Francophone Studies at Duke University. He is the author of Afrotopia.

Chika Okeke-Andulu is an Igbo-Nigerian artist, art historian, art curator, and blogger specializing in African and African Diaspora art history and the Director of Graduate Studies in the Department of Art & Archaeology at Princeton University.

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Democracy in America: The Constitution in Historical Perspective In Collaboration with the Laslett Society for the History of Ideas

3pm, 19th May, Virtual For over two centuries, American political life has been shaped for better or for worse by the Constitution. To study its inception and evolution is therefore to study American political culture itself. Our expert panel will discuss the ways in which the Constitution, ratified in 1788, continues to shape American political discourse today, and how an understanding of its fraught history might offer answers in America’s contested political climate.

ADAM LEBOVITZ

DANIELLE ALLEN

Adam Lebovitz is an historian of constitutional ideas, and a Fellow of Trinity Hall, Cambridge. Having published widely on constitutional design in the ancient and the modern worlds, his first book, ‘Colossus: Constitutional theory in America and France, 1776-1799’, will be published by Harvard University Press in 2022.

Danielle Allen (Chair) is James Bryant Conant University Professor, and Director of the Edmond J. Safra Center for Ethics at Harvard University. A political theorist who has written extensively on democratic theory, political sociology, and the history of political thought, she is the author of Our Declaration: A Reading of the Declaration of Independence in Defense of Equality (2014).

NAME

ALISON LACROIX

Bio here

Alison LaCroix is the Robert Newton Reid Professor of Law at the University of Chicago Law School, and an Associate Member of the Department of History. Specializing in US legal history, her forthcoming book, ‘The Interbellum Constitution: Union, Commerce, and Slavery From the Long Founding Moment to the Civil War’, in under contract with Yale University Press.

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Mental Health After Love Island In Collaboration with Student Minds Cambridge

7pm, 19th May Do reality television shows need to do more to address mental health? The focus on celebrities to be “perfect” as well as the publicization of mental health demonstrate competing societal pressures. The impact of social media on body standards is crucial for young people. The panel will detail the panelists’ experience on love island, changes in the industry, and advice to young people on dealing with societal pressures and body standards.

YEWANDE BIALA

ROSIE WILLIAMS

Yewande Biala was an Islander in 2019. Since leaving the show, she has been an advocate of bringing microaggressions to the public’s attention and a campaigner of vaccine uptake among young people from ethnic minority backgrounds.

Rosie Williams is a social media influencer and businesswoman who was an Islander in 2019. She has been outspoken for the role of aftercare in the reality TV world.

AMY HART Amy Hart was an Islander in 2019, as an air hostess and cabin crew manager from Sussex. She has spoken about the mental health support the show has given as part of the Where’s Your Head at Campaign.

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The Male Gaze in Media

5pm, 22nd May, Virtual

How does the objectification of women in all types of media, from film and television to the porn industry, contribute to how women’s sexuality is perceived in the real world? During this moment of unrest, it is more crucial than ever to explore how society contributes to the dehumanization of women, and the media is a key place to start. Media’s role as storyteller to the masses means that it has incredible power to shape our collective perceptions of the world and the people in it, and male control over media industries has resulted in not only a vastly skewed and harmful representation of women, sexuality and sex. This panel will confront the male gaze that penetrates all forms of media, its impact and what steps we can all take so that women can take back ownership of their sexuality.

CELINE PARRENAS SHIMIZU

LISA PESCOT-HEBERT

Celine Parreñas Shimizu is a renowned film scholar and filmmaker who is director of the School of Cinema at San Francisco State University. Her work focuses on race and sexuality at the site of representation in global popular culture; she has released five books and publishes widely in several of the top academic journals. She has also released two feature films and her expertise on the racial stereotyping of Asian-American women has been drawn upon in the articles of many famous news outlets such as The Washington Post, Vox and CBC.

Lisa Pecot-Hébert is an experienced criticalcultural trained scholar and associate professor of journalism at the University of Southern California who specialises in gender and body image, race and identity, women and beauty, cosmetic surgery, and body image. Her unprecedented research into makeover programs in the media such as ‘Extreme Makeover’ and ‘The Swan’ as well as the history of cosmetic surgery provides valuable insight into TV and media’s role in shaping women’s identities.

NAOMI MCDOUGALL JONES Naomi McDougall Jones is an award-winning actress, filmmaker, author, and activist for women in film. She has written and produced two-award winning indie feature films ‘Imagine I’m Beautiful’ (2014) and ‘Bite Me’ (2019); she has also a written a book named The Wrong Kind of Women: Inside Our Revolution to Dismantle the Gods of Hollywood, which confronts the rampant sexism of both the representation and casting process of the film industry, and the impact it has on social perceptions of women.

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Everyday Sexual Harassment

5pm, 5th June

What are the everyday occurrences of women experiencing sexual harassment in education and on the streets? At such a crucial moment, how can and should we address them? We hope this panel will explore this issue and the wider threats modern women face, from the perspectives of activists who are working on this both on- and offline.

SOMA SARA

MAYA TUTTON

Soma is a campaigner around the patterns of sexist abuse that take place within education, particularly in certain ‘sanitised’ spaces like elite private schools. Through the power of publishing testimony online from hundreds of survivors, she has held institutions accountable for the effects of sexual harassment on their students and forced change around recognising and acting on these issues.

Maya Tutton is a student and activist, who co-founded the political organisation ‘Our Streets Now’ with her sister Gemma in 2019. ‘Our Streets Now’ is dedicated to ending the normalisation of public sexual harassment and making it a criminal offence. Their petition has had over 400,000 signatures, with the movement helping to start many vital conversations around the experiences of street harassment in Britain and beyond.

FAY MAXTED Fay Maxted is the CEO of Survivor’s Trust, having worked with victims of sexual violence for over 20 years. During her time there, she has set up five new rape support centres across the country. She is also an accredited counceller, specialising in sexual violence support. In 2015, Fay was awarded an OBE in recognition of her dedicated work in promoting survivor’s trust.

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Police, Civil Liberties & Feminism 7pm, 15th June

Do the police help or harm feminist movements? Can the police, or the political, be a site of feminist organizing? Can the police protect women? The recent tragedy of Sarah Everard’s death and the breaking up of the vigil demonstrate fissures and important questions in the relationship of feminism, civil liberties, the state, and the police.

THE RT. HONORABLE SHAMI CHAKRABARTI

NGOZI FULANI

Shami Chakrabarti is a Labour Party politician, barrister, and human rights activist. Between 2016 and 2020, she served as Shadow Attorney General for England to Wales. Prior to that, she was the director of Liberty, an advocacy group promoting civil liberties and human rights, and held the post between 2003 and 2016. She has written and broadcast widely, and has authored two books: ‘On Liberty ‘(2014) and ‘On Women’ (2017).

Ngozi Fulani is the CEO and founder of Sistah Space, a domestic violence charity for AfricanCarribean women. She is trained as an independent domestic violence advocate and is a campaigner for hearing the voices of British Africna heritage women.

BELL RIBEIRO-ADDY

DJANOMI HEADLEY

Bell Ribeiro-Addy is the Labour MP for Streatham and the Shadow Minister of State for Immigration. She has been vovalen a vocal opponent of the Police and Crime Bill.

Djanomi Headley is the senior independent domestic violence advisor and operations manager of Sistah Space.

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Long term & psychological effects of Covid-19 7pm, 16th June

What are the long-term consequences of Covid for individuals and our society at large? Join us as Professor Sir Simon Wessely asks the experts at the front line of care delivery for the past year as the pandemic raged in the UK. He will explore the aftermath of the virus and how it might affect us in the long-term and how best we can optimise our wellbeing moving forwards.

PROFESSOR SIR SIMON WESSELY

DR. PAUL GLYNNE

Professor Sir Simon Wessely, FMedSci is a Professor of Psychological Medicine at the Institute of Psychiatry, Kings College London, former President of both The Royal College of Psychiatrists and The Royal Society Medicine. He was knighted in 2013 for services to Military Healthcare and Health Research.

Dr Paul Glynne is a general physician at UCLH. He went to medical school at UCL. He is a former clinical director at UCLH of Emergency Services and Medical Director of The Medicines Board. He is founder of The Physicians clinic a multidisciplinary group of physicians in London. He specialises in complex diagnostic cases. He has led the acute care response to the pandemic at UCLH for the past year.

DAME JANE DACRE Dame Jane Dacre is a British Rheumatologist at The Whittington Hospital and medical scholar . She is Professor of Medical Education at UCL and Director of the UCL Medical School. She was past President of Royal College of Physicians She has been involved in the care of patients throughout the Covid pandemic.

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SOCIAL EVENTS


20S JAZZ NIGHT STUDY SPACE WELFARE EVENTS VIRTUAL AFTER THURSDAY DEBATE SOCIALS COFFEE & NEWSPAPERS MAY WEEK CELEBRATION FLY FORUM

I am very excited to introduce our plans, hopes and

I remember the Union’s Freshers’ Ball in 2019, the only

dreams for social events next term. With the Union re-

Cambridge ball I have ever had a chance to attend, as

opening and the new bar and restaurant, there are so

an incredible experience. It was such a positive social

many new opportunities to use the space in creative

occasion and really made the Union feel approachable

ways. From bringing back old favourites like ‘coffee

to me. Every Union member deserves social events

and newspapers’ and Jazz nights to creating new

like that. Much like our speaker and debate events,

traditions, like allowing the Union to open up for study

we hope there is something here for everyone, with a

space.

combination of relaxed and more upbeat events both virtually and in person.

Social events are such an important part of the Union and, as things open up, they will be at the forefront of

The exact dates of these events will be TBC as changes

what we offer our members. This time has also given us

of covid regulations are clarified and confirmed,

a chance to reflect on what students truly value. Most

but they will be publicised as soon and as widely as

of all, we want to be a space for connecting people,

possible. Can’t wait to welcome you back in style!

meaningful conversations and, last but definitely not least, having lots of fun. Emma Prichard, Social Events Officer


20s Jazz Night Join us for a bespoke evening of smooth jazz and cocktails to celebrate the reopening of the Cambridge Union. Experience the amazing sound of a live band once again, whilst dressed up to the nines with your friends for a roaring 20s theme. We are sure this will be a night to remember!

Welfare Events In collaboration with our brand new welfare officers, we are planning to hold a series of chill and fun events in exam term. These will be perfect if you are interested in getting to know new people in a more relaxed setting or just if you need a time to destress from the pressures of exam term. They would also be amazing opportunities to discuss any feedback you had on the Union and ways we could make it a more comfortable and accessible place.

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Study Spaces When regulations relax around (around the 17th May), we hope to open up the new and restored Cambridge Union building to book for socially distanced study. Bored of the same workspace in your college library or room – we have you sorted! And if that doesn’t take your fancy, perhaps getting a coffee and table at our new restaurant will.

Virtual After Thursday Debate Socials For all those who miss being able to argue over which side should have won in the Union bar on a Thursday night, we have the next best thing! In a virtually reconstructed Cambridge Union on ‘gather’, you will be able to once more interact with other members who’ve watched and enjoyed the debate to discuss the topic and whatever else you might like.

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Coffee & Newspapers Brought back based on popular demand! Every Sunday morning, the Cambridge Union will provide coffee, newspapers (and maybe even some pastries!) to allow you to catch up on the week and escape the Cambridge bubble in the best way possible.

May Week Celebrations Have all your May Balls been cancelled and your dreams of wild post-exams celebrations shattered? Last, but definitely not least, the Cambridge Union hopes to provide, as much as we possibly can, an unforgettable night in that last week 9 of term for your hard work to be rewarded the way it deserves. Member ideas are welcome and we also hope to offer other opportunities to get involved in this event nearer the time.

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FLY Forum and Bar Social This special forum event in collaboration with Freedom. Loving. You., the network for women and non-binary people of color to rant and celebrate in Cambridge, is bringing Fly Forum to the Union. For the first time, Forum will take place in the Union, with all identifying welcome.

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S TA N D I N G C O M M I T T E E

Siddharth Pai

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FULL COMMITTEE Secretary Librarian Membership Officer Graduate Officer Alumni Executive Alumni Officer Welfare Officers

Access Officer BME Officer Women’s & Non-Binary Officers LGBTQAI+ Officer Disabilities Officer Senior Guest Liaison (Debates) Deputy Senior Guest Liaison (Debates) Guest Liaison Officers (Debates) Senior Guest Liaison (Speakers) Guest Liaison Officers (Speakers) Head of Events Management Deputy Heads of Events Management Events Management Officers Head of Audio-Visual Audio-Visual Officers Video Editor Head of Press Press Officers Head of Publicity Publicity Officers Graphic Design Officers Photographers

James Vitali Kieron Spoors Yifei Zheng Morgan-Ellis Leah Dolly Theis Cassandra Shand Eleanor Hargrove & Sanah Kashyap Tom Matthew Zak Ali Ellenoor Shameli & Shibhangi Ghose Georgia Fearn Jasper Federman Naomi Kilcoyne Calvin Hartley Sam Hunt & Adam Bradley Grace Smithson & Sophia Nie James Mackey, Evie Morgan & Jasper Federman Caitlin Farrell Christopher George, Fuschia Webb & Natalie Egan Ceci Power, Cedric Van Duffel, Darina Andriychenko, Jilllian Paffenbarger, Mahera Sarkar & Somsubhro Bagchi Adele Chu Joe Bray, Ewan Woods & Mahon Hughes Cathryn-Olivia Barton Alisha Raja Sebastian Erskine, Jack Rennie & James Saker Henry Spencer David Quan, Edward Barlow, Ella Worsfold & Joel Adu-Boateng Rhea Sarawgi & Sophie West Nordin Ćatić Levente Koroes

SUB COMMITTEES Speakers Committee Sophia Nie, Jillian Paffenbarger, Evie Morgan, Su Shien Ng, Christopher Long, Edward Barlow, Daan Timmers, Somsubhro Bagchi, Yeo Zhi Kai, Calvin Hartley, Leti Ryder, Dom Martin Debates Committee Samuel Rubinstein, Jack Rennie, Kieron Spoors, Jonathan Heywood, Nicole Bowen, Huma Siddiqi Presidential Committee David Quan, Sanah Kashyap, Dioni Ellinikaki, Ariella Taub, Armelle Kim, George Kyprianou-Hickman, James Combe

COMPETITION CONVENORS Cambridge IV Convenors: Patrick Connolly, Harin Perera Cambridge IV Deputy Convenor: Oxana Zhigalova Cambridge Womxn’s Convenors: Lara Brown, Karen Chen Cambridge Schools Convenors: Atiyu Mehta, Conall Hughes Cambridge Schools Deputy Convenors: Dioni Ellinikaki, Darina Andy, Siddharth Pai International Competition for Young Debaters Co-Convenors: Joshan Parmar , Filip Gavranovič

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S TA F F & G O V E R N A N C E TRUSTEES The Rt. Hon. The Lord Smith of Finsbury PC (chair) Dr. Nigel Brown OBE Dr. Nigel Yandell Nick Heath FRICS The Hon. Daniel Janner QC David Branch

Araba Taylor Rachel Green David Robinson The President of the Union, Joel Rosen The Vice President of the Union, Jungmin Seo The Debating Officer, Tamkeen Nawab

THE DIRECTORS OF CAMBRIDGE UNION SOCIETY ENTERPRISES Steve Bax The President of the Union, Joel Rosen The Vice President of the Union, Jungmin Seo

THE 2021 COMMITTEE Rachel Green (Chair) (ex officio President, Easter 1998) Steve Bax (Bursar) Alex Forzani (ex officio Vice President, 2012-13) Joel Rosen (President, Easter 2021) Jungmin Seo (Vice President, 2020-21) Patrick Connolly (Treasurer, 2020-21) Dolly Theis (Alumni Officer) Imran Mateo (ex officio Vice President, 2018-19) Vincent Rustill (ex officio Treasurer, Lent 2019) Abdullah Shah (ex officio President, Easter 2019) Nick Wright (ex officio Vice President, 2014-15) Amy Gregg (ex officio President, Lent 2015)

Rachel Green David Robinson

REVIEW COMMITTEE Joshua Blanchard Lewis (ex officio Vice President, 20089) (Chair) Alex Forzani (ex officio Vice President, 2012-13) Nick Wright (ex officio Vice President, 2014-15) Page Nyame-Satterthwaite (ex officio President, Michaelmas 2017) Frederick Dyke (ex officio Executive Officer, Michaelmas 2014) Samuel Longton (ex officio Social Events Officer, Lent 2019) Imran Mateo (ex officio Vice President, 2018-19)

STAFF Col. (Retd.) William Bailey MBE - Bursar Steve Bax - Bursar Designate Joe Burman - General Manager Eric Mbarani - Brasserie Manager Ben Pope - Head Chef Sam Heap - Bar Manager Stephen Chukualim - Senior AV Technician

Louise Gamon - Membership Secretary Katherine Connolly - Events Coordinator Hannah Goodger - Events Administrator Sabine Edwards - Advertising and Sponsorship Elspeth Twist - Financial Manager Tracey Hertwick - Assistant Accountant Phil Caldecoat - Site manager Barry Mobbs - Site cleaner

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Astra Zeneca as a Corporate Patron of the Union.


PRESIDENT’S THANKS I first set foot in the Union just over a year and a half

emails. Let’s watch The Politician sometime.

ago and in that time I’ve been fortunate to enjoy the wit, generosity and friendship of so many wonderful

Jungmin, you have been a sensational Vice-President,

people. I’ve been endowed with opportunities I would

diligently doing so much whilst never taking the credit

never have imagined and gotten to debate and laugh

or seeking the limelight. The Union is fortunate to have

with students from around the world.

someone with such integrity and evenhandedness to steer the ship throughout this year. As we’ll both be

The Union and the world around it have changed

retiring at the same time, I look forward to many walks

indescribably in that time, yet thanks to the resilience

on the heath.

of its people we have kept (fairly) calm and carried on. I remain eternally grateful to so many.

Lara, I’ll never forget dancing the night way away at the Union freshers Ball with you and Cary. Since then

Naomi and Grace, thank you for taking an overly-

I’ve worked with you at every level of the Union and

enthusiastic fresher under your wings. Your warmth

your dedication has been second to none. Thank you

and kindness has left an indelible mark on me.

for your persistence and herculean efforts in sorting

The Union can be a daunting place for many - you

our debates this term.

demystified it and made me feel at home. I’ll forever treasure my first two terms on Full Committee under

In the history of the Union, there has never been a

your leadership. Once an SGL always an SGL.

treasurer like Patrick Connolly ‘Robinson’ :). Patrick you have moved mountains overhauling entire

To the former Presidents who showed me the way,

systems, helping AV at every turn, keeping a watchful

a heartfelt thank you. Jonah, your advice has been

eye over the balance sheet and helping us all in

precious. Thanks for showing me the ropes and

countless other ways. The Union is a more streamlined

teaching me the tips and tricks behind securing the

and effective organization thanks to your leadership.

best speakers. Rachel, in my first term at Cambridge

You’ll make a fabulous VP.

you showed us what a forward-thinking and modern Union could look like - your nomination meant a

Emma, thank you for keeping us all grounded - I think

great deal. Emaan, it was an honour to serve as your

it was Tamkeen who described you as the ‘sanest

Speakers Officer, thank you for always being there.

member of committee’. Friendly, extraordinarily competent and a joy to work with, you’re putting on

Tara, I’ve never met anyone with a drive like yours.

some groundbreaking events. Without realising it,

You have secured a dazzling line-up of speakers and

you’ve made the atmosphere in the Union and on

gone above and beyond helping out with every aspect

committee more relaxed and down to earth.

of the Union. I don’t know how you do it. Thank you for Sharena, where to begin? Not only is your taste in

all of the late night phone calls and the early morning.

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continued...

PRESIDENT’S THANKS thick and thin. I know formal commersations will begin

music faultless but you’re bringing some of our

later but allow me to express my personal gratitude.

favourite artists to the Union. You’ve done so much

With a warmth and kindness you often deny you have

to make the Union a more inclusive and welcoming

looked after hundreds of students who have passed

place. You’ve brought a real buzz and energy to the

through our doors. I hope you’ll pop back to Bridge

Union. Keep shaking things up.

Street from time to time so this is thank you but not goodbye.

Tamkeen and Cary, you’ve both invested so much into Competitive debating this term. You’ve unlocked the world of debating to so many and I’m forever indebted to you for you wisdom and good humor.

To my lovely successor Keir - although I’ll leave the Union at the end of this term with a lump in my throat, I know our society will be in safe hands. Well done on AJ.

To the fabulous Speakers and Debates Committees, your hardwork has paid off. So many of you have built entire events from scratch and I’m enormously proud. If you ever need any help throughout your time at Cambridge you know where to find me. Joe Burman, our General Manager, has overseen Thank you to my own Presidential Committee and to

a breathtaking redevelopment. The new bar looks

David, Sanah, and Dominic in particular. Together

sensational and you’ve combined a clear vision with a

we’ve introduced members’ stash, secured a new

peerless attention to detail. You’ve handled countless

Youtube intro and ensured the smooth running of the

logistical hitches with a calm surety. In a few short

Committee and weathered storms big and small.

weeks the whole of Cambridge will be able to see the product of your years of hard work.

The Union’s staff are world class and have overseen an extensive redevelopment through a pandemic with

Steve, our incoming bursar you are simply the

grace and grit.

friendliest man I’ve ever met. You’ve treatest us all with immense kindness. I can’t wait for innumerable cups of tea, (the occasional pint) and banter at the

To Bill Bailey, our bursar for the last thirteen years

bar. We are lucky to have someone with such charisma

Heaven only knows what you’ve done for the Union but

on board. Here’s to the term to come. It’s just a shame

we are forever thankful. With dry wit, indefatigability

that your first will be my last.

and sagely wisdom you’ve led the troops through

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PRESIDENT’S THANKS continued... Louise, you’re a pillar of the Union. Dependable and

Mum and Dad thank you for always believing in me

approachable you always keep the show on the road.

and for teaching me to believe in myself.

With an understated dedication you’ve looked after thousands of members and guests.

Lastly thank you to you, the members of the Cambridge Union - all 70,000 of you. Your collective support has

Thanks must also go to Sam our Bar Manager for

spurred us on time and time again.

your humour, dedication and personality. Many past committees warmly recall your presence at the bar.

To every fresher, who looks at the Union with a mixture

I’ve seen how engaging you are with visiting speakers

of apprehension and curiosity, I was where you were

and can’t wait to bring some punters to the bar this

just a year and a half ago. Yes, you are good enough.

Easter. The future belongs to you now. Stephen, your contribution to AV is immense. You’ve been a true pioneer of new formats and ways of generating content. You’re the person who connects viewer at home with our speakers. Keep challenging us to do more. I’m sure AV will go from strength to strength. Thank you Katherine, for all of your efforts in designing this (and other termcards). Your patience in dealing with us as we added ‘just one more speaker’ time after time is very impressive. Thank you to my incredible friends at Trinity Hall and across the uni you’ve made my time at Cambridge joyous and memorable. I couldn’t have done any of this without your love and support. In particular thank you to my college wife Ella who has been lovely and kind beyond measure. Jack, you make me so very happy. Thank you for bearing with me as I’ve worked on this - I hope I’ve made you proud.

Yours ever,



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