Fantastic season

A highlight of the programme will  be local women’s rights campaigner and 90s TV presenter Huffty McHugh, who will be discussing the inequalities faced by women, challenging stereotypes and highlighting the importance of representation. Huffty’s talk will be the International Women’s Day event on 10 March. Last year, Huffty was awarded an honorary degree by Newcastle University in recognition of her work helping women and girls in need.

Umbereen Moir Head of Corporate Events at Newcastle University said: “We are really proud to unveil another fantastic season of INSIGHTS public lectures. There is a wide range of topics under discussion by leading figures, ranging from the Hillsborough Disaster to  creativity in the region and education, health and inequality. We are also thrilled to invite Huffty McHugh back to campus for International Women’s Day.”

Upcoming lectures

The new INSIGHTS public lectures season begins on 5 February when journalist, broadcaster and author Iain Martin  will deliver the Defence Lecture: The end of the holiday from history.  He will discuss how Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine has shattered assumptions about defence in the West.

Professor Jo Fox will  explore how propaganda in its many forms works, why it is an inherently human behaviour, and how we confront one of the most complex societal challenges of our time. The Pro-Vice Chancellor of Newcastle University’s Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, will give her lecture Fake news: Historical perspectives, contemporary challenges on 24 February.

How can organisations and educators ensure the ethical use of AI? Leading authority on artificial in intelligence Rob McCargow, will discuss the use of AI in higher education and its impact on the workforce.

On 23 April, Emeritus Professor Phil Scraton, from Queen’s University Belfast, will give the talk ‘Justice for the 97’: Fractured lives, truth recovery and the Hillsborough Law. Based on three decades of research into the 1989 Hillsborough Disaster, this lecture examines how investigations and inquests failed the bereaved and survivors.

Live Music in the King's Hall

The new season of Live Music in the King’s Hall also gets underway on 5 February with Jordan Aikin and Quercus pushing contemporary folk music into new territory.  

PhD student David de la Haye and poet Tara Bergin will explore the natural soundscapes of ponds and rivers on 12 February, while the University’s Aubertin organ will be showcased with music from France and the Netherlands on 26 February.  Andri Björn Róbertsson and Alison Frances Gill will lead a programme of Tyneside and North East songs mixed with folk and art songs from Andri’s native Iceland on 19 March.

Live in the King’s Hall concerts take place at 1.15pm on Thursdays and are free to attend. Student performances also take place at 4pm on Thursdays.

Unless otherwise stated, INSIGHTS public lectures are held in-person in the Curtis Auditorium, Herschel Building, NE1 7RY. All events a free and open to all, but pre-booking is required. Bookings for lectures will open at 10.00am one week before the event.