Rewley House Research Seminars

What is Hope? This seminar explored what hope is and invited us to consider what hope means to people in different circumstances. We were delighted to welcome as speakers Peter Hinton (DPhil student at the Department for Continuing Education), Dr Christine Jackson (Associate Professor in History at the Department for Continuing Education), and Prof Carl Heneghan (Professor of Evidence-Based Medicine at the Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences) who led a multidisciplinary discussion on the theme of 'Hope', particularly as it relates to their own work.

What is the impact we create? How is it measured, justified, used? Three speakers from a social, historical and professional background examine what impact means in different scenarios, both for academics themselves, and the public at large. We are delighted to welcome as speakers Gorgi Krlev (DPhil student in Social Impact Measurement at OUDCE), Matt Smart (Project Officer, Knowledge Exchange and Impact Team (KEIT) at the University of Oxford) and Dr Jon Healey (University Lecturer in English Local and Social History). Our speakers will lead a multidisciplinary discussion on the theme of 'Impact', drawing inspiration from their own research and experiences. This seminar will also include a discussion of the funding and other assistance available at the University of Oxford, in support of the Impact agenda.

Speakers for our seminar on the theme of Danger have Medical and Humanities backgrounds, and will consider the following: experimentation to diminish danger; the risks of ignoring danger, danger to the self and the ideal. This series of multi-disciplinary research seminars is designed to highlight current and future research initiatives in the Department for Continuing Education, and events are held once a term at Rewley House. The aim of the series is to bring together academic staff, current postgraduate students and administrative colleagues of the University in an informal intellectual and social environment.

The presentations invite us to consider what truth means to people in different circumstances, and how definitions of truth can affect decision-making, from literary risks to clinical trials. Four speakers illustrate their engagement with the concept of Truth with talks drawn from their recent research.

Three speakers share their insights into pattern exploration and, in some cases, exploitation, in their fields of finance, mathematics and climate change.

The presentations focus on the impact of the concept of future in changing debate, and how, in specific instances, concerns about the future affect behaviours in the present. We were delighted to hear from Jill Hind (currently a DPhil student in Archaeology) and David Howard (UL in Sustainable Urban Development and Director of the MSc in Sustainable Urban Development programme) who lead a cross-disciplinary discussion of the concept of 'Future', focussing on how the themes of future are involved in or direct their research.

Gender relations shape our everyday interactions at work, on the street and in the home. Our speakers cover a wide range of topics, from historical, legal and therapeutic perspectives. The seminar is chaired by Professor Linda Scott, the DP World Chair for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. Professor Scott is best known for her creation of the concept of the Double X Economy - a perspective which describes the global economy of women in both the developed and developing world, and the roles of women not only as consumers, but as investors, donors and workers.

The presentations focus on the importance of disappearance as much as appearance, presence as well as absence, and growth in the guise of degeneration, arguing from difference perspectives for the importance of malaise or corrosion as a subject of study.

Ethical decisions, and often dilemma, lie at the heart of all research methodologies and practice. Marianne Talbot, course director in Philosophy, chaired three presentations from across the disciplines. The three presentations challenge us, as well as the researchers themselves, to consider the ethical frameworks that shape daily practice and understanding of the world around us. Abi Sriharan: Ethical Dilemmas of Global Health Research David Griffiths: Heritage, Landscape and Ownership Kate Blackmon: Oversight of Research Ethics - Issues and Challenges Chair: Marianne Talbot (Departmental Lecturer in Philosophy)

Revolutionary concepts continually shape and uproot research agendas, and occasionally researchers themselves. This seminar examined the many ways revolution impacts on research. Kerry Lock explores the role of new ecological thinking in the way we understand and try to conserve the biophysical environment. Peter Watson takes a radical perspective and assesses how the label 'revolution' can distort our understanding of history. Kerry Lock: The Green RevolutionPeter Watson: The Feudal Revolution: Fact or Fiction?

The inaugural research seminar invited three speakers to consider how the concept and experience of 'risk' influenced their current research. Professor Jonathan Michie assessed the role of uncertainty in the current global economy and explored how that influences our economic behaviour today, while Nigel Mehdi considered the 'natural' hazards that shape everyday urban living. Finally, Adam Josephs engaged us with his experiences of risk as a management consultant, and how that has led to him explore the language of risk in new technologies.Jonathan Michie: Risk, uncertainty and the economyNigel Mehdi: Risk management and natural hazards in the built environmentAdam Josephs: Risky conversations: studying how technology product development teams talk about risk