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Blacks Britannica: Diversity in Medieval and Early Modern England

Africans have been present in England for more than two thousand years, but we rarely see them or hear about them. And often their existence is dismissed as a figment of 'political correctness' or 'wokism.' This lecture will critically assess the myth of England's story as a 'sacred white space' and examine the evidence for diversity in medieval and early modern history. Africans are integral to English history and forgetting this diminishes Englishness, by preventing us from understanding ourselves.

The Manuscripts and Intellectual Legacy of Timbuktu

The Malian city of Timbuktu is one of the world's oldest seats of learning and has an intellectual legacy of hundreds of thousands of manuscripts, coming from three great West African desert empires. These manuscripts offer a unique window into their history. This lecture will look at how their study can be used to advance our knowledge of the intellectual history of the premodern world.

How the Financial System Works

This lecture will explore our financial system. Why do banks exist, and what do they do with the money that savers lend to them? We’ll explore what risks they face and how they can go bust – even if they make completely safe investments. How does the stock market work – what happens when you trade shares, and why do some companies raise money on the stock market and others don’t? Can ordinary citizens influence how the money they save is used?

How to Save and Invest

This lecture will explore the essentials of financial planning. What are the different ways to save and invest? What does owning bonds and shares give you?

Nudging Society to Better Decisions

We often think that psychological biases worsen decision making - but they can also be harnessed for good.

Investing in Nature

The nature of investment is changing to better reflect the ecosystem of the planet we live on. The days of fossil fuel are numbered by the move to renewable energy. Resources and a healthy environment are finally being seen as core to our future.

How Companies Profit From Our Mistakes

CEOs make mistakes due to their own psychological biases – but they also profit from the biases of others. Some exploit investors by catering to sentiment – adding “.com” to their name during the Internet bubble or entering “hot” industries to inflate their valuations.

How I Became A Barrister

Gresham’s Professor of Law Jo Delahunty will explore what the future holds for the next generation of barristers: will they better reflect the society they serve in terms of background, ethnicity and gender? Is privilege and income as much of a division at The Bar as it is in society?

The South Sea Bubble of 1720

The London stock market boomed and crashed in 1720. The financial bubble is known to posterity as the South Sea Bubble.

The Mistakes CEOs Make

We often think that leaders are particularly strong in decision making – that’s why they’ve made it to the top. But evidence shows that even senior executives are prone to psychological biases, such as overconfidence, groupthink, and applying one-size-fits-all rules.

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