Stephenson Connections: Ideas Talks
In collaboration with Stephenson College, as part of the College’s wider Connections programme, we have hosted a large number of ‘Ideas Talks’ throughout the academic year. These are opportunities for students to come and listen to regional, national, and international experts talk about a wide variety of topics that aren’t covered in their regular curriculum. At Stephenson College JCR we support our college values of innovation and the ideas talk certainly help to foster such values amongst our students.
Overall the Stephenson Ideas talks aim to ask difficult questions and produce interesting and innovative ideas and solutions and ideas in the minds of our students and guests.
We have hosted a wider variety of fascinating speakers this academic year, you can find out some more about them below.
Dr John Topping
Our first speaker was Dr John Topping, who is currently the Chief Scientist and Co-Founder of Power Roll. Power Roll is an organisation that aims to increase the utilisation of solar power globally using innovative microgroove architecture, invented by Dr Topping in 2011. Dr Topping has had a long career in innovation, working for organisations such as Pilkington, UK Defence Agency, P2I and the UK Space Agency.
Dr Topping spoke about such innovation, particularly about how his style of challenging the status quo has assisted his research, and asking the question – ‘Is technological and scientific progress helped or hindered by adherence to conventional wisdom?’
Carol Botten
Carol Botten, an experienced figure in the volunteering and outreach sector here in the North East, gave a talk that discussed 'Taking a lead and igniting collaboration - why do it?'
Carol has worked in the VCS sector for the best part of her professional life of nearly 25 years, with a specific background in development within the cultural and voluntary sectors, with previous roles focusing on management, business development, fundraising and communications.
In September 2018 Carol was appointed as CEO of VONNE following four years as Deputy CEO. At VONNE, Carol leads on external policy work with the NE Local Enterprise Partnership and the North of Tyne Combined Authority on skills, employability and inclusive growth and more recently developing work on addressing the Climate Emergency.
She is passionate about supporting the sector’s leadership and governance capabilities and developing new programmes and projects to increase organisations’ sustainability and resilience.
In addition, Carol is a member of Northern Powergrid’s Social Issues Expert Group and Stakeholder Panel, the NE EU Exit Implementation Group and the Cabinet Office’s National Leadership programme.
Stephan Roman
The author of 'Isle and Empires, Romanov Russia, Britain and the Isle of Wight', Stephan Roman gave a talk on his latest work.
Stephan Roman studied History at the University of Oxford, specialising in Modern European and British History. He then went on to train in Library and Information Science at Sheffield University. Not just a scholar Stephan has a wealth of experience in international relations, particularly revolving around culture, having been the regional director for the British Council in Western Europe and North America, and then South Asia. Stephan has combined his interest in culture and international relations in some of his written work. Having previously written about Islamic libraries in Europe and North America. Most recently, however, Stephan Roman has published ‘Isle and Empires; Romanov Russia, Britain and the Isle of Wight’. Stephan Roman was also appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George in 2012 and was awarded the Romanian Order of Merit for Services to Culture in 2004.
A little about the book: Isle and Empires is a journey into a world of Imperial glory and power, family rivalry, wars, intrigue and alliances. It is also a story of Russia's revolutionaries, spies and terrorists, and the refugees fleeing Tsarist oppression who found shelter and safety both in mainland Britain and on the Isle of Wight. These events reverberate to the present day and much of what happened when the Romanovs ruled Russia continues to set the pattern for the current relationship between the two countries.
A fascinating talk for all those interested in the Romanovs, 19th-20th century Russian history, or even history more generally!
Sir James Bevan KCMG
Sir James Bevan, Chief Executive of the Environment Agency, gave a keynote lecture and Q&A on COP 26 in November 2021.
Sir James is most well-known for being Chief Executive of the Environment Agency and is consequently responsible for the day to day management of an organisation with responsibilities ranging from regulating major industries and the waste they produce to conservation and ecology. Prior to working in the Environment Agency, Sir James held a variety of roles in government, including the UK High Commissioner to India, and Chief Operating Officer of the UK Foreign Office, amongst other senior roles in the Foreign Office. Additionally, Sir James was a visiting fellow at the Weatherhead Centre for International Affairs at Harvard. An experienced and decorated diplomat, Sir James was made a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in 2006 and was awarded a Knighthood in 2012.
It was a fantastic opportunity to pose questions to Sir Bevan and get answers directly from one of the most influential figures on climate policy in the UK, especially at a time when there was such a focus on the environment and climate crisis due to COP 26 taking place in Glasgow.
Professor Jon Gluyas
Professor Jon Gluyas joined us at Stephenson College and gave a talk about the decarbonisation efforts taking place in the UK’s heating and cooling systems. The talk, whilst technical and laced with case studies and detail, was accessible for everyone and very engaging.
Professor Jon Gluyas currently serves as the Executive Director of Durham Energy Institute, an organisation that focuses on producing interdisciplinary research on energy decarbonisation and delivering integrated solutions for the climate emergency that incorporates social, policy and technical insights whilst partnering with industry and policy organisations, both at home and abroad. Professor Gluyas is also the Ørsted/Ikon Chair in Geoenergy, Carbon Capture & Storage in the Department of Earth Sciences alongside being Dean of Knowledge Exchange and a Non-Executive Director at ERC Equipoise Ltd.
Prior to taking on these prestigious academic and industrial roles, Professor Gluyas enjoyed a rich career in the energy sector, founding and working with numerous companies. All the whilst also working as an active academic most recently Chairing the American Association of Petroleum Geologists workshop on Geothermal/ Petroleum Cross Over Technology in 2017.
Mark Rowland
Mark Rowland, Chief Executive of the Mental Health Foundation joined us as part of our Stephenson Ideas speaker series, focusing on what it means to be a mentally healthy society. This was the keynote talk for the Stephenson College JCR Welfare team's mental health awareness campaign. Mark’s talk was very enlightening, in which he laid out his manifesto regarding what defined good mental health and therefore a mentally healthy society.
Mark was appointed as the Mental Health Foundation's Chief Executive in October 2018. Prior to that, he was the Foundation's Director of Communications and Fundraising. He has an MBA from the Open University.
He is focused on building a vibrant organisation and delivering the Foundation’s new strategy, centred on prevention in mental health, with the aim of ensuring that people across the UK can live mentally healthier lives.
Mark is a Non-Executive Director of Mental Health at Work, sits on the Government’s National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group, is Vice-Chair of the Coronavirus Mental Health Response Fund and is a trustee of Partners Relief and Development. He also brings lived experience of being bereaved by suicide to his role.
Rob Bell
Stephenson Ideas hosted Rob Bell, CEO of Graydon Lloyd and Visiting Fellow of Durham University Business School, to share his insights on business development and logistics in the context of developing markets.
Rob’s talk opened with a review of the literature that has shaped business thinking from Adam Smith to now. Rob then moved to the more recent flock of black swans that have challenged business assumptions and question an axiomatic drive for progress. A concluding section explores the impact of this relentless focus on developing markets to posit a much needed transformational and transitional alternative agenda.
Educated at St Andrews and Oxford Universities, Rob has worked in over 35 countries as Board Director, Owner and Counsel across multiple industries. A marketing and logistics specialist, his work on future-proofing business challenges ever better, cheaper and faster supply chains delivering products just-in-time for a more balanced view on inclusion and sustainability. Much of his experience has been in developing markets which has shaped his thinking and approach in wide ranging contexts. Some current students will recognise Rob Bell from his work with DUBS and Stephenson College on Project Kenten in Ghana. This project has a focus on post-harvest and its impact on food security.
Mike Barton
In collaboration with The Durham Leaders Think Tank, we hosted a workshop discussing whether there is only one way to be a good leader, and what is the value of unconventional leadership styles.
The workshop was hosted by Mike Barton, the unconventional Chief Constable whoturned Durham Constabulary into the best police force in the country.
The Durham Leaders Think Tank is a regular space for student leaders and alumni that encourages a forum of debate on current issues.
Andrew Feinstein
Stephenson Ideas hosted Andrew Feinstein, former member of the African National Congress (ANC) and former South African MP in Nelson Mandela’s government. Andrew’s talk focused on Britain's involvement in the war in Yemen.
During his time as a South African MP, Andrew served on the Finance Committee, and chaired the sub-committee that drafted the Public Finance Management Act, as chair of the ANC study group on public accounts and the ANC's official spokesperson on the National Assembly's public accounts committee. Feinstein was at the time referred to as "one of its most vocal and talented MPs", who argued that a thorough investigation into the South African Arms Deal had to be done. He resigned in 2001 when the ANC refused to launch an investigation into the matter. He is now considered an ANC dissident and critic, with his memoirs, After the Party, being severely critical of the political culture of the ANC.
Feinstein is Executive Director of London-based, global anti-corruption NGO Shadow World Investigations founded in 2009, with a special focus on the arms trade. In 2011 Feinstein published The Shadow World: Inside the Global Arms Trade, an investigation into the global arms industry published in 2011. The Washington Post described the book as "A comprehensive treatment of the arms trade, possibly the most complete account ever written."
The book was made into a feature documentary by Louverture Films, directed by the Belgian Johan Grimonprez. Feinstein co-wrote the film and features in it. The film reveals how the international trade in weapons – with the complicity of governments and intelligence agencies, investigative and prosecutorial bodies, weapons manufacturers, dealers and agents – fosters corruption, determines economic and foreign policies, undermines democracy and creates widespread suffering. The film premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in 2016 and won Best Documentary Feature Film at the Edinburgh International Film Festival in 2016, Tiempo de Historia Award (Best Documentary) Semana Internacional de Cine de Valladolid 2016, and Ensor Best Documentary at the Ostend Film Festival 2017.