View all news

Discover the best of Bristol with free lecture series

Press release issued: 16 February 2015

The most inspiring lecturers at the University of Bristol, as voted by students, will be sharing their wisdom with the public in a series of free lunchtime and evening lectures.

The Best of Bristol Lectures, which get underway on Thursday [19 February], are organised by students to give fellow students, staff and members of the public a chance to experience the best teaching Bristol University has to offer.

Over 1,000 students voted online for their favourite lecturer, or for other lecturers they would like to hear. There will be 11 lectures given over six weeks, taking place on Thursday lunchtimes and Tuesday evenings throughout February and March.

Dr James Norman, from the Department of Civil Engineering, will kick off the series with a lecture on ‘How to change the world in three easy steps – a guide to extreme(ly creative) sustainability’, being held in the Wills Memorial Building at 1.10pm on Thursday.

It’s the brainchild of Bristol University graduate Tom Corfield, who founded the Best of Bristol Lectures in 2011 and has since successfully rolled the Free Range University (known as Fruni) concept out to other universities across the country, enabling university teaching to be more widely enjoyed and accessed.

Other topics this year include how we know what colour dinosaurs were, what makes a good film and is there life on Mars?

Jenny Castle-Miller, part of the Best of Bristol organising committee, said: “We’re really pleased to be able to relaunch the series this year. There’s such an interesting line-up and we hope that people from across the city, not just those at the university, will pop along to experience the inspiring teaching on their doorstep.”

The Best of Bristol Lectures, jointly organised and supported by University of Bristol students and the University of Bristol Students' Union, have been confirmed as:

  • Thursday, 19 February – ‘How to change the world in three easy steps – a guide to extreme(ly creative) sustainability,’ Dr James Norman, 1.10pm in the Wills Memorial Building.
  • Tuesday, 24 February – ‘Fighting antibiotic resistance: we’re all in it together,’ Dr Matthew Avison, 8pm, Hiatt Baker Hall, Stoke Bishop.
  • Thursday, 26 February – ‘Knowing the impossible: the colour of dinosaurs,’ Dr Jakob Vinther and Prof Mike Benton, 1.10pm in the Wills Memorial Building.
  • Tuesday, 3 March – ‘The idea of the university: the university in crisis,’ Dr Ian Wei, 7.30pm at Goldney Hall, Clifton.
  • Thursday, 5 March – ‘What makes a good film? Exploring film criticism and evaluation,’ Dr Pete Falconer, 1.10pm in the Wills Memorial Building.
  • Tuesday, 10 March – ‘Damaged landscapes of the Anthropocene: the cost of living in the modern world,’ Dr Merle Patchett, 7.30pm at Churchill Hall, Stoke Bishop.
  • Thursday, 12 March – ‘The best-selling show: is there life on Mars?’ Dr Lucy Berthoud, 1.10pm in the Wills Memorial Building.
  • Tuesday, 17 March – ‘A cyborg genealogy: science fiction in the classics,’ Dr Genevieve Livesley, 7.30pm at Clifton Hill House.
  • Thursday, 19 March – ‘Cadavers to computers: the changing face of medical anatomy teaching,’  Liz Gaze, 1.10pm in the Wills Memorial Building.
  • Tuesday, 24 March – ‘Veterinary public health and your Sunday roast: the role of vets in the production of safe meat,’ Andrew Grist, 8pm at Badock Hall, Stoke Bishop.
  • Thursday, 26 March – ‘Product design and research with children: supporting children in care,’ Dr Debbie Watson, 1.10pm in the Wills Memorial Building.

More information is available on the Best of Bristol Lectures website. Tickets available online via EventBrite, or at the door on a first come, first served basis.

Edit this page