The Happiness Lecture

The University of Birmingham is pleased to announce the speaker for the Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture 2023, Dr Clenton Farquharson CBE.

Clenton is a passionate advocate and speaker on social justice, and we eagerly anticipate the insights he will bring through his lived experiences to the lecture.

In the June 2023 Honours List, Clenton was awarded a CBE for services to disability personalisation, social care and health policy, and was awarded an Honorary Degree at the University of Birmingham in July 2023. Clenton was named in Disability News Services’ list of influential disabled people and in as one of this year's Social Care Top 30 by Care Talk Magazine.

Clenton actively promotes an understanding of equality, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, as well as the implementation of practices that can empower and motivate individuals and organizations.

Find out more about Clenton

Be sure to join us for an inspiring and thought provoking lecture this December. Bookings open this Friday (27 October) but you can register your account on Eventbrite now to speed up the process. Tickets are free, and in the event of all tickets being allocated, a waiting list will operate.

The Baggs Memorial Happiness Lecture began in 1976. Born in Birmingham in 1889, Thomas Baggs was an alumnus of the University who went on to become a teacher, journalist and a war correspondent for the Daily Mail before pursuing a successful career in advertising and publicity for the USA automobile industry.

When he died in 1973 Thomas bequeathed a substantial sum to the University to provide for an annual public lecture on the theme of ‘Happiness - what it is and how it may be achieved by individuals as well as nations.’

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