Alumni Weekend

Dr Rana Irshad, University of Oxford, gives a brief whistle-stop tour of the exciting initiatives Oxford has running in exploring the vast expanse of the Universe in which we live. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Adam Roberts, Emeritus Professor of International Relations at Oxford, gives a talk for the Oxford Alumni Weekend 2013. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Dr Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, gives a talk for the Oxford Alumni Weekend 2013. Some have described the current moment of world history as a 'perfect storm', as a range of crises converge. The impacts of climate change are picking up speed with often devastating consequences. Increased pressures on limited natural resources are inevitably leading to conflict. Globally we see major economic exclusion and a democratic deficit. This lecture will highlight how the environmental movement needs to act very differently than it has done in the past, applying 21st century practices to 21st century problems, in order to play its part effectively. South African human rights activist Dr Kumi Naidoo has been the International Executive Director of environmentalist group Greenpeace since November 2009. He is an alumnus of Magdalen College and a former Rhodes scholar.

Geologist Mike Searle gives a beautifully illustrated talk on his expeditions and field research in many remote locations, over 25 years.

The St Anne's Gaudy Seminar explores the topic of food security, focusing in particular on sustainability, supply and demand, and aid and trade. How will science, ecology and consumers have an impact on how food is produced and distributed? Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Fiona McPherson, Senior Editor, Oxford English Dictionary, explores the OED's journey through the last century, from paper to screen, and how the digital age ensures that the OED remains as relevant as ever. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Professor Anthony Heath (Nuffield), Emeritus Professor of Sociology, presents findings from the ESRC-funded Ethnic Minority British Election Survey.

Dr Michael Black (Blackfriers Hall) speaking at the 2013 Oxford Alumni Weekend.

Reeta Chakrabarti, BBC Education Correspondent, gives the third annual Oxford Education Society lecture. She looks at changes in education policy under the Coalition government and the challenges of reporting them.

W.H.Auden described Spain as "...that arid square, that fragment nipped off from hot Africa, soldered so crudely to inventive Europe". This discussion looks in more detail at Spain's place in Europe, as well as the image and reality of Spain today. The panel includes Charles Powell, Director of the Elcano Royal Institute, Esperanza Aguirre DBE, former President of Madrid, and eminent journalist and author Tom Burns, who was awarded the OBE in 2001 for services to UK-Spain relations.