Explore the world, the universe and everything in between

21 July 2026

The nations, the cosmos, the past and the future are all subjects that will be explored in a packed Gresham College programme over the next academic year.  

Special guests, including former Guardian editor Alan Rushbridger, will join 10 Gresham Professors and and three visiting professors to deliver nearly 100 lectures between September and June. With arts, humanities, social science, natural sciences, and law, there will be something for everyone.  

Just as Sir Thomas Gresham envisaged when he envisaged Gresham College in his will, every lecture will be free to attend and live-streamed. They will also be available to watch online. Last year, Gresham lectures attracted a global audience of more than 7.5 million views.  

The season launches on Monday, 7 September, with a lecture that aims to answer a pertinent question. “Why Do We Need Empathy?” explores social divisions, AI and philosophy. This will be the inaugural lecture by the new Provost of Gresham College, Professor Jane Shaw.  

Also making his debut is Professor Matt Higgins, Gresham College’s new Professor of Physic. The biochemist who specialises in immunotherapeutics will deliver six lectures that look at transformative medicines and how they have changed lives. The series starts with breakthroughs with treating HIV, and will be delivered on Wednesday, 16 September.  

Gresham College’s Professor of Astronomy, Sky at Night presenter Professor Chris Lintott, will be exploring the Solar System and the wider universe using some of the very latest data from telescopes and missions. Each lecture will be hot off the press, revealing fresh insights from the cutting edge of space exploration.  

Closer to home, Professor Helen Czerski, the Frank Jackson Foundation Professor of the Environment, will continue to explore the world around us with a particular focus on what is happening right now. The first lecture in the series looks at carbon and how we are changing its natural cycle. This takes place on Thursday, 24 September.

There will be a return for lunchtime lectures, giving people the chance to have a lunch break with a difference. Speakers include psychotherapist Philippa Perry who will answer “Can You Be Your Own Therapist?”

Other topics in this strand include an exploration of what The Wife of Bath can teach us about women in Chaucer’s age; whether the purpose of yoga is for transcendence or transformation; the hidden stories behind London’s Hatton Gardens; the work of the Metaphysical poets; and the theatregoing experience in Shakespeare’s time. 

There will be a return for lunchtime lectures, giving people the chance to have a lunch break with a difference. Speakers include Philippa Perry who will answer “Can You Be Your Own Therapist?

Alan Rusbridger will explore the future of public interest journalism in rapidly changing times, as part of a series focusing on journalism in the 21st century.  

Professor Mícheál B Ó Mainnín will look at the importance of languages indigenous to the British Isles, including Ireland, and what we can learn from Shakespeare’s time about the Irish tongue.

A mini-series of lectures will take place in Durham as part of a new partnership with the St John's College, Durham. Professor Robin May will explore “The Future of Medicine”, while Professor Sarah Hart will unpack “A History of the World in four Algorithms”. Professor Ian Mudway completes the series with “The Life Cycle of a Holiday”.  

Other topics covered include LGBTQI history, world cinema, copyright, and how Londoners spoke in Sir Thomas Gresham’s 16th century England.

Richard Smith, Chief Executive of Gresham College, said:  

“Once again, Gresham College will offer people Time To Think, thanks to our inspiring mixture of lectures covering a wide range of topics. They include excursions into history, space, and the world around us, ensuring that there is something for everyone.  

“We are really proud of the depth and range of the lectures, which will be given by some of the finest minds in academia and beyond.  

“Gresham College has always offered a programme that inspires, encourages, nurtures and challenges. This is no exception. We feel that our founder, Sir Thomas Gresham, would be delighted that his vision continues to this day.

“We look forward to welcoming you across the coming academic year.”

ENDS  

NOTES TO EDITORS

Pictures available on request.

For more information about this story or to arrange an interview with a Gresham College professor, please contact: Phil Creighton press@gresham.ac.uk

Most lectures take place in Barnard’s Inn Hall, Holborn at 6pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays. Some will be held at other central London venues. Due to demand, places need to be reserved, with booking opening a month before the lecture date.  

Gresham College has been providing free, educational lectures – at the university level – since 1597 when Sir Thomas Gresham founded the college to bring Renaissance Learning to Londoners. Our history includes some of the luminaries of the scientific revolution including Robert Hooke and Sir Christopher Wren and connects us to the founding of the Royal Society.

Today we continue Sir Thomas's vision. The College aims to stimulate intellectual curiosity and to champion academic rigour, professional expertise, and freedom of expression. The full academic programme can be seen by logging on to: www.gresham.ac.uk

Gresham College is a registered charity number 1039962 and relies on donations to help us encourage people's love of learning for years to come. For more details or to make a gift, visit our website.