The Oxford Prospects and Global Development Institute

Throughout the last year, OPGDI has continued its programme of collaborative engagement on the most pressing issues facing the human population in this era of globalisation, drawing insights from leading scholars and experts from a diverse range of disciplines and specialisms.

In Hilary Term, the institute delivered a six-part online lecture series on the theme of ‘Technology, Society, and Humanities in times of transformational change.’ Prof. Kersti Börjars (Master of St Catherine’s College) delivered a lecture titled ‘Languages Don’t Change, People Change Languages’, Prof. Jonathan Wolff (Blavatnik School of Government) considered ‘The Future of Work’, Prof. Sam Fankhauser (Oxford Smith School) addressed ‘Climate Change and Net Zero Emissions’, Prof. Nir Vulkan (Said Business School) examined ‘The Way Ahead for AI in Banking and Finance’, Sir Walter Bodmer (Head of

Cancer Laboratory) spoke on ‘Genetic Characterisation of Human Populations and Health Implications’, and Sir Mike Brady (Department of Oncology) asked ‘Is this the Age of Intelligent Machines?’

We were joined in Trinity Term by Prof. Carlos Rojas (Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Duke University) for a lecture titled “Words Bridge Cross Borders.” And in a very welcome return to in-person presentation, Prof. Robert Walker (Department of Social Policy and Intervention Oxford and Beijing Normal University) presented ‘Poverty and New World Order’.

2022 also saw a continuation of OPGDI’s Oxford Restorative Justice seminar programme, with participants engaging in intensive and ongoing peer collaboration on the many aspects of this topical issue. The seminars examined the philosophical roots and social relevance of restorative justice and restorative justice in the contexts of gendered violence, policing, and the criminal justice system.

The new academic year began with OPGDI’s Globalisation Series, opening with a conversation between Prof. Sir Malcolm Evans and Prof. Ian Goldin on Prof. Goldin’s new book: ‘Rescue: from global crisis to a better world’. Other instalments included Prof. Colin Bradford (Brookings Institution) on expanding the G8 into the G20, and a conversation between Sir Tim Hitchens (President of Wolfson College) and Alice Nderito (Under-Secretary-General - UN Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide) on international diplomacy.

We were very pleased to hold the second year of the Oxford-BNU Creative Writing Award, which aims to encourage and celebrate cross-cultural dialogue and exchange. The competition’s opening was marked by an online panel conversation between the previous year’s three prize winners, sharing insights into their writing processes with Dr Lynn Robson. Alongside Lynn, this year’s judges include Boyd Tonkin, former Chair of the judging panel of the Man Booker International Prize, Liz Trubridge, Executive Producer of Downton Abbey, and Davis Bunn, novelist and Writer in Residence at Regent’s. We look forward to the announcement of the winners at the Award Ceremony in early 2023.

The Institute has also been pleased to organize a drinks reception for our crosscollegiate visiting students, marking the first of many social events throughout the academic year.