Future of Universities: The Future of Research

What could future universities look like? What should their role in wider society be? Join us to hear a range of perspectives on how universities can evolve to remain a positive and rewarding place to work and study.

Higher education is a fundamental part of our global social history – world leaders, revolutionaries, boundary-pushing scientists and many more disciplines have been influenced by their time at a university. University attendance has changed dramatically in the past 70 years – in 1950, just 3.4% of the population attended university, compared to 37.9% in 2022.

The Future of Universities series looks to the future, and what universities could and should be like in 2033. We’re delighted to be hosting a diverse panel of experts including Nigel Thrift (Emeritus Professor and author of The Pursuit of Possibility: Redesigning Research Universities), Richard Pettigrew (Professor of Philosophy and Author of Who are Universities For?) and Hannah White (Director, Institute for Government).

We’ll be discussing the challenges and opportunities of research including but not limited to time scarcity, pressures facing early career researchers, the PGR landscape, and university research priorities at a point in the history of planetary breakdown when their research is needed most.

Join us to;

- Hear about what universities of the future could be

- Be part of the conversation with a diverse panel of experts including;

• Nigel Thrift, Emeritus Professor, author of The Pursuit of Possibility
• Richard Pettigrew, Professor of Philosophy, University of Bristol, author of Who are Universities For?
• Hannah White, Director, Institute for Government

Drinks and refreshments will be provided at this free event, and there will be an opportunity for networking after discussions.

This event is will also be livestreamed; to register your virtual attendance, visit this Zoom link; Zoom registration - The Future of Research.

This is the third event in our Future of Universities series. To view and register for the other events, click the event titles; The Future of Teaching | The Future Role of Universities in Society

Have a question for the panel?

Submit your question for the panel anonymously using this Microsoft Form, and it will be discussed during the event. Please note that we cannot guarantee we will have time to cover every question submitted.

Full panel;

Michele Barbour (Chair) - APVC, Enterprise and Innovation, University of Bristol

Nigel Thrift - Emeritus Professor, University of Bristol and Author of The Pursuit of Possibility

Richard Pettigrew - Professor of Philosophy, University of Bristol and Author of Who are Universities for?

Hannah White - Director, Institute for Government

Steven Hill - Director of Research, Research England

Amy Orben - Programme Leader Track Scientist, MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge

Xavier Chen - Postgraduate Researcher, School of Management, FSSL PGR Representative, University of Bristol

Jackie Thompson - Senior Research Associate, School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol

Agenda;

17:45-18:00 - Arrivals

18:00-18:10 - Introduction and welcome

18:10-18:30 - Nigel Thrift discusses his book, The Pursuit of Possibility; Redefining Research universities

18:30-18:35 - Panel introductions

18:35-19:35 - Panel discussion and audience q+a

19:35-19:45 - Closing remarks

19:45-20:15 - Networking and refreshments