OPEN LECTURE PROGRAMME AUTUMN 2013
WELCOME TO THE OPEN LECTURE AUTUMN BROCHURE The University has, for many years, provided a wide range of popular Open Lectures maintaining the University’s high profile at a local, national and international level. Our programme includes a variety of interesting speakers covering diverse subject matters. Open Lectures are free to all and no booking is required. This term we are delighted to invite you to enjoy the majority of Open Lectures in our newly refurbished Lecture venue, the Grimond Building. From time to time, Open Lecture details change after advertising material has been printed. We therefore strongly advise you to check the website for any last-minute changes: www.kent.ac.uk/openlectures. We look forward to welcoming you.
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Open Lectures are free and open to all, no booking required. For a comprehensive guide to public events at the University of Kent, please visit: www.kent.ac.uk/events 3
WEDNESDAY 2 OCTOBER
WEDNESDAY 9 OCTOBER
How modern life-styles impact circadian entrainment and sleep
Memristor: The right stuff for brain-like machines
Till Roenneberg
Till Roenneberg is a Professor of Chronobiology at the Institute of Medical Psychology at Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich, Germany. Professor Roenneberg explores the impact of light on human circadian rhythms, focusing on aspects such as chronotypes and social jet lag in relation to health benefits. The direct and indirect costs of sleep-related problems are estimated to approach 1% of the gross domestic product. Yet, we still know surprisingly little about this important state of our lives. Till Roenneberg will be describing in detail the reasons why our sleep patterns have changed, and will give examples of the consequences.
No booking required Grimond Lecture Theatre 1, Canterbury Campus / 6pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 4
Professor Leon Chua
Professor Chua is known internationally as a pioneer in three major research areas, namely, neural networks, chaos, and nonlinear circuits. His work in these areas has been recognised internationally through numerous major awards, including 8 honorary doctorates from major universities in Europe and Japan. This lecture will give an elementary introduction on the memristor, an acronym for ‘memory resistor’, and will reveal the origin of its magical ‘non-volatile’ memory. It will also show why the memristor is the 4th basic circuit element, on par with the resistor, inductor, and the capcitor.
No booking required Grimond Lecture Theatre 1, Canterbury Campus / 6pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 5
WEDNESDAY 16 OCTOBER
Professor Dame Athene Donald Citizens, science and citizen science
Professor Dame Athene Donald is the Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Cambridge. Her activity sits within the sector of Biological and Soft Systems, and focusses on using the ideas of soft matter physics to study a wide range of systems of both synthetic and biological origin. Professor Donald believes that science touches everyone, but knowledge of it and its implications is patchy amongst politicians, journalists and the general public. She will be exploring some of the underlying reasons for this and the myths that have grown up. Plus how and why scientists get up to surprising, exciting and creative things, and how the public themselves can get involved in some citizen science projects.
No booking required Grimond Lecture Theatre 1, Canterbury Campus / 6pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 6
WEDNESDAY 30 OCTOBER
Jonathan Cooper OBE, LLD
Things Can Only Get Better: What’s next for human rights protection in the UK? In July 2013 human rights lawyer Jonathan Cooper was awarded an honorary graduate degree in for his contribution to human rights law. Before studying for the Bar in 1991, Jonathan was the HIV/AIDS Coordinator for the Haemophilia Society in London, and in 2001 he was awarded an OBE for his work in human rights. At present, Jonathan is Chief Executive of the Human Dignity Trust and Trustee of the Sigrid Rausing Trust. Jonathan Cooper’s lecture will highlight the Human Rights Act’s strengths and weaknesses. It will also assess the opportunities and threats that it faces, and will question whether there is a practical and realistic alternative to the HRA.
No booking required Grimond Lecture Theatre 1, Canterbury Campus / 6pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 7
MONDAY 4 NOVEMBER / VICE-CHANCELLOR’S LECTURE
Steve Pateman
The opportunity to create a sustainable recovery Steve joined Santander in June 2008 and became Executive Director, Head of UK Banking in March 2012, with his appointment as a Member of the Santander UK Board confirmed in June 2011. Steve’s responsibility now covers Retail, Corporate, Commercial and Business Banking, incorporating all of Santander UK’s channels under his remit. Steve was previously the CEO of Business Banking, Managing Director of Commercial Banking and Managing Director of Corporate Banking at NatWest and RBS.
No booking required TBC, Canterbury Campus / 12.30pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 8
THURSDAY 21 NOVEMBER / FOUNDATION DAY
Dame Rosalyn Higgins DBE QC
What may and may not an international judge do?
Dame Rosalyn Higgins is the former President of the International Court of Justice. Prior to being elected to the International Court, Dame Rosalyn was Professor of International Law at the University of Kent, and is now a patron of the University of Kent's ‘Kent Law Campaign’. Dame Rosalyn’s lecture will consider the role of the international judge and the rules and principles that exist to ensure independence and impartiality. The different approaches of various international courts will also be discussed.
No booking required Woolf Lecture Theatre 1, Canterbury Campus / 6pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 9
ADDITIONAL LECTURES WEDNESDAY 6 NOVEMBER / WAIN MEDAL LECTURE
Sarah O’Connor Drugs from Plants
Sarah O’Connor was an Irving Sigal postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Professor Chris Walsh at Harvard Medical School from 2001-2003, where she studied the biosynthesis of microbial-derived natural products. After her postdoctoral work, she became assistant and then associate professor of Chemistry at MIT. In 2011 she moved her research group to the John Innes Centre where she is a Project Leader in the Department of Biological Chemistry. She is also a Professor of Chemistry at the University of East Anglia. Her work focuses on understanding how natural product pathways work, with a particular emphasis on plant-derived alkaloids. In her lecture, Sarah will describe her recent efforts with Madagascar Periwinkle, a medicinal plant that produces Oncovin and Velbe, compounds that are used to treat a variety of cancers.
No booking required Woolf Lecture Theatre 1, Canterbury Campus / 6pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 10
TUESDAY 12 NOVEMBER / BRUSSELS LECTURE (BRUSSELS CAMPUS)
Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou
Lessons of the global financial crisis for economists and economic journalists
Androulla Vassiliou is a Cypriot and European politician who was the European Commissioner for Health in 2008. Since February 2010, she has been the European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Multilingualism and Youth. Commissioner Vassiliou is very active in social and cultural fields particularly within the UN and EU. In Cyprus she has held many important posts and is on the Board of many public and private companies.
No booking required Brussels Campus / 6pm Contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 11
EVENTS Music events The University Music department promotes a range of music events throughout the year including lunchtime concerts, workshops with visiting professional musicians, concerts in Canterbury Cathedral and various other venues. For more information visit www.kent.ac.uk/music Gulbenkian Theatre and Cinema The Gulbenkian Theatre has a diverse programme including drama, comedy, dance and music. The Cinema is an independent film theatre which shows mainstream, alternative and foreign films. For more information visit www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian Sports events The University of Kent’s Sport, Physical Activity & Recreation department runs a varied programme of sporting events. For more information visit www.kent.ac.uk/sports
Please help us save paper by signing up to receive the Open Lecture programme booklet by email. Please contact the Events Team / T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 12
HIGH TABLE DINNERS Booking Information
All College Honorary Senior Members and College Members are invited to attend the High Table Dinners
RUTHERFORD ANNUAL HIGH TABLE DINNER Wednesday 30th October 2013
FOUNDATION DAY
Thursday 21st November 2013 Additional dates to be confirmed. The price of a three-course dinner with wine is ÂŁ35.00 per person.
If you would like to make a booking to attend one or more of the High Table Dinners, please contact: The Events Team T: 01227 827745 / E: events@kent.ac.uk 13
Free hot drink upgrade* Order a small and we will upgrade you to a large at no additional cost.
Located at the heart of the University campus, nestled amongst the theatre and cinema, the Gulbenkian Café offers the perfect place to catch up with friends before or after an Open Lecture. Our award winning chefs use fresh, seasonal and locally sourced produce to create delicious light lunches and mouth-watering snacks including delicious cakes and Fairtrade coffees.
* Redeem this voucher at the Café. Only one voucher valid per transaction.
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www.kent.ac.uk/gulbenkian
Enjoy 10% off* hot food when you visit to attend a University of Kent Open Lecture
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* Redeem this voucher at the Café. Only one voucher valid per transaction.
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DPC 115732 9/13
For all other events taking place at the University of Kent, please see the University Events Calendar www.kent.ac.uk/events