Past Events

campaign launch event in London with alumni

Were you amongst the 4,600 alumni and friends of the University who attended an event in the UK or overseas in 2019?  To find out more about our past events and to see if we caught you on camera, visit our Flickr site for a full selection of photo galleries. To catch up with our recent online events, please see our videos below.

From discovering six of the genes that predispose someone to bowel cancer, to pioneering the diagnosis and treatment of children’s cancers, Birmingham has a long history of making vital breakthroughs. It has always been a place that finds answers to make a real difference to people’s lives; and our researchers are close to further life changing solutions that could make a difference to patients in years, not decades. Join Professors Pam Kearns, Andrew Beggs and Colin Watts as they discuss ground-breaking research taking place at the University of Birmingham.

On Thursday 25 March, Professors Nick Loman, Alan McNally, and Alex Richter held a follow-up to the popular webinar on COVID-19 held in November 2020. Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University, chaired the panel and welcomed everyone to pose their questions to the experts.

Birmingham alumnus and CEO of the wellbeing app Calm, Michael Acton Smith OBE joins Professor Matthew Broome, Professor of Psychiatry and Youth Mental Health for an insightful discussion around mental health and wellbeing. Michael speaks about his inspiration for creating the Calm app and his journey to mental fitness. He will offer his insights on looking after your mental health, keeping ‘true to yourself’ and dealing with the pressures of work and life.

We welcome back Professor Scott Lucas who kindly offered to tackle your questions around President Biden's first 100 days. Helen Carey (off screen) asks Scott all the questions we received during the 2020 election event, but didn't get time to answer.

The 2020 US election was an election like no other. Amidst a deadly pandemic, economic recession and a racial reckoning, Americans voted in record numbers with Joe Biden declared as 46th President of the United States. Now that US congress has formally approves Biden's victory, thoughts turn towards the Presidential Inauguration and what happens next.

Professor Scott Lucas returns for an insightful discussion on what a Biden presidency might look like and the challenges he will face during his first 100 days in office. Scott will also reflect on recent events and discuss the impact Trump will continue to have outside of the White House.

The spread of COVID-19 is one of the biggest challenges the world has faced in recent history. Leading research teams at the University of Birmingham have played a key role in trying to understand the virus through genomic sequencing and mapping transmission rates, in order to forge a path through this difficult and uncertain terrain.

On 19 November 2020, Professors Nick Loman, Alan McNally, and K K Cheng gave an insightful discussion on their expertise and views on the subject, and showed how Birmingham is playing an instrumental role in tracking the virus. Alice Roberts, Professor of Public Engagement in Science at the University, chaired the panel and Q&A.

The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed the urgency with which we need to take global action on one of the most basic of human rights: water security. Nearly a quarter of households in low and middle income countries have been unable to adhere to basic hygiene guidelines like handwashing, in order to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

On 14 October 2020, Professors David Hannah, Stefan Kraus and Iseult Lynch, and Dr Rachel Cooper gave an enlightening discussion on global water security, the effects of water insecurity, and shared their expertise on what we can do as individuals and as a society to take action. Fiona Nunan, Professor of Environment and Development at the University, chaired the panel and Q&A.

Following on from the first US Election webinar, Professor Scott Lucas and other panellists held a follow up session to answer more questions from Bringing Birmingham to You: US Election Special webinar held on Thursday 8 October 2020.
This year's US election was seen as the most important American election since 1945, and possibly since 1860 before the Civil War. On Thursday 8 October 2020, panellists Scott Lucas, Michell Chresfield and Liam Kennedy gave a unique take on the November 2020 US presidential election. Professor Robin Mason, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) chaired this informative discussion, followed by a Q&A session.