Open lectures: Semester 1 - 2024-25
Every semester, the University organises free open lectures on a wide variety of topics and aimed at a general audience.
Most require tickets (available on individual event pages) but some do not. Look for the 'Book tickets' button on the web page.
Upcoming events
Past events
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Remembering Richard Rowland: A mini-conference
A mini-conference to honour the life and work of Dr Richard Rowland.
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William Bowes ‘Bill’ Morrell, 1913-1981: 'For the Common Good'
William Bowes Morrell expanded York Conservation Trust, founded York Common Good Trust, and promoted environmental conservation in York.
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Dehumanisation, annihilation and failures of UK drug policy
Join York's Drug Science Society for a talk on the pressing challenges and shortcomings of drug policy in the UK with Dr Geoff Page
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The Loyalty Trap: Civil Servants’ competing loyalties under the Trump administration
Most civil servants complied with the Trump administration, balancing professional duties with occasional resistance based on local conditions.
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‘I am tired of earnestly placating him’: Women's folk songs about patriarchal oppression among the Guji of southern Ethiopia
This talk examines Guji women's folk songs as tools to challenge patriarchy, convey stories, and foster feminist solidarity.
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'Our peculiar northern antiquity of speech': Mary Powley of Langwathby (1811-1882), the Vikings in England, and Local Dialect
Mary Powley was a pioneering dialectologist, contributing to Victorian dialectology and Viking studies in Cumbria, especially local culture.
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Challenges and Opportunities for Biodiversity Conservation: From an ecosystem services perspective
Join a panel of experts from the University of Eswatini and the University of York as they discuss biodiversity conservation through the lens of ecosystem services.
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Viewpoints on vulnerability as a focus for policing and public services
This webinar presents research on vulnerability in policing, highlighting varied perspectives on responses to harm and ways to improve service support.
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In conversation with Julian Richer
The Company of Merchant Adventurers is delighted to welcome Julian Richer — retail entrepreneur, campaigner, philanthropist ,author, Sunday Times columnist and Company member — to the Merchants’ Hall.
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Epiphanies
A philosophical ethics centered on epiphanies explores their significance, impact, and appropriate responses, as Sophie will discuss.
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Sustainable Futures Forum: Building for Good
A celebration of business-led initiatives for sustainable and resilient development.
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The Searchers: Five Rebels, Their Dream of a Different Britain, and Their Many Enemies
Andy Beckett discusses his book 'The Searchers' - a study of Diane Abbott, Tony Benn, Jeremy Corbyn, Ken Livingstone and John McDonnell.
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Sewing Discord: Shirts, men, and war in a transnational renaissance
This talk examines foreign men's linen shirts in Renaissance Italy, highlighting fashion's influence on authority, allegiance, and identity.
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Vulnerability: Prevention between Social Policy and National Security
What do policymakers mean when they use the language of vulnerability?
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Creating a digital zine - LGBTQ+ parents' and carers' stories of adversity, love, joy and hope (Event two)
Research about solutions to perinatal loneliness identified that LGBTQ+ parents and carers experienced discrimination and exclusion, which resulted in feelings of loneliness.
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Meaningful Business: The story so far in York and North Yorkshire
Are you ready to take your business beyond just profits and create lasting value for your employees, customers, stakeholders and the wider community?
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Still City: A Diary of an Invasion - book launch
This collection captures survival, mourning, and hope amid violence, drawing from media, history, and personal experiences of invasion.
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Creating a digital zine - LGBTQ+ parents' and carers' stories of adversity, love, joy and hope (Event one)
Research about solutions to perinatal loneliness identified that LGBTQ+ parents and carers experienced discrimination and exclusion, which resulted in feelings of loneliness.
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Let’s talk about birth and antenatal education
We will share highlights from recent research on childbirth, including anonymised real-world examples, to show how decisions are made about birth between midwives, women and their birth partners.
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Past It? Digging up the radical evolution of menopause and the archaeology of women
The Department of Archaeology present a talk for World Menopause Day.
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Audacious Hope: An archive of how democracy is being saved in India
Indrajit Roy's Audacious Hope explores acts of resistance in India, highlighting democratic struggles against authoritarianism, casteism, and majoritarianism.
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100 days of Labour: Are we any closer to solving inequality?
Fifteen years after The Spirit Level, social scientists discuss inequality's ongoing impacts and future, focusing on child poverty and hope.
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Early Modern Paper
Professor Helen Smith will give a short talk on early modern paper, a substance that was both commonplace and remarkable.
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On Resistance
The Department of English and Related Literature present the first of Adam Phillips' talks this semester.
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York and the North: The Black Death, 1349-1373
The 1349-1350 Black Death killed nearly half of northern England, with new bio-sciences reshaping our understanding of its impact.
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Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder (AHP)
SSE Thermal and Equinor's Aldbrough Hydrogen Pathfinder project combines hydrogen production, storage, and power generation to advance UK energy transition.
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Interdisciplinary research to investigate leafy greens food supply chain in Ghana
This talk looks at addressing the challenges in Kumasi's leafy greens supply chain, emphasizing the need for training, financial support, and sustainable practices.
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Rethinking climate resilience planning by understanding the legacy of interventions in food production systems
This talk will examine how African communities engage with introduced climate adaptation interventions, focusing on their responses, contexts, and local agency.
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Plays, poems, politics and protest: Why Joost van den Vondel matters
Professor Nigel Smith discusses Joost van den Vondel - a significant Dutch author, who used his plays to critique power and societal risks.
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Urban agriculture as a strategy for building climate resilience: Evidence from Accra, Ghana
Explore how urban agriculture in Accra, Ghana can enhance climate resilience, highlighting policy challenges and proposing recommendations for improvement.
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The organised irresponsibility of artificial intelligence
Professor Jack Stilgoe discusses 'Responsible AI' amidst growing elite interests and emerging AI safety research.