From AI to Refugees and local poverty and the Right to Food, three not-to-be-missed October events at Kent aim to explore some of society’s big issues.
Writing against expulsion
On Tuesday 17 October, Kent’s Professor Emeritus Abdulrazak Gurnah – winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature – will join his former Kent colleague, and co-founder of Refugee Tales, Professor David Herd, for a discussion on the subject of Writing Against Expulsion. The event will mark the publication of Professor Herd’s new book, Writing Against Expulsion in the Post-War World.
Award-wining novelist, and Kent Imaginaries Fellow, Kamila Shamsie has described this ‘profound and inspiring book’ as one of those ‘that arrives in the world and immediately feels necessary’ with Professor Herd ‘asking and brilliantly answering two questions about the condition of unwelcome migrants and the UK government: “how did we get here” and “how do we move away from where we are?”.’
The event will take place at the Sibson Lecture Theatre 2 at 18:00.
Empowering Tomorrow: Unleashing Creativity through Generative AI
On Wednesday 18 October we will welcome Amazon to our Canterbury campus for a conference on AI. “Empowering Tomorrow: Unleashing Creativity through Generative AI” will showcase the latest research and applications of AI in various domains and facilitate a joined up and collaborative approach AI across researchers, practitioners, policymakers and business – minimising the risks and challenges it poses, while capitalising on the opportunities.
There will be panel discussion sessions focused on three key areas; Generative AI in Education; Generative AI in Business & Healthcare; Using Generative AI in Your Studies. Each session will include short talks with a range of presenters, including Academics, Students and Professionals, with an opportunity for questions and discussions with the audience. The event will close with networking drinks accompanied by live music from German pianist Dr. Esther Fee Feichtner where we will compare AI generated music to the real thing.
Kent staff, students and alum are invited to join us at the Sibson building on the Canterbury campus between 14:00 and 19:00. The event will also be streamed online. View the full programme, book your in-person place and get the Teams links now.
Poverty, Policy and the Right to Food
On Thursday 19 October, our annual civic lecture, ‘Poverty, Policy and the Right to Food’ will address the recent report by The Canterbury Society on poverty and food bank usage in the region – a regional pattern that is indicative of the wider national picture.
The event is chaired by Kent’s Dr Philip Pothen and features talks from The Food Foundation’s Anna Taylor and authors of the ‘Poverty in Canterbury Today‘ report Jan Pahl and Martin Vye.
The report, which was published earlier this year by the Canterbury Society, drew attention to the serious levels of poverty being experienced by large numbers of people in and around Canterbury. As a result, there has been a significant and deeply troubling increase in destitution and the use of food banks in the city. At the same time an important national discussion is taking place concerning food insecurity, its impacts on education, health and wellbeing and on inequality across society.
The event will look at the wider discussion around food poverty and its relationship with education, health and wellbeing and inequality across society, and looking for solutions through the RTF initiative and how we can move to creating a food system that delivers access to healthy, sustainable and affordable food for all. After the presentations there will be time for questions and discussion about policies to reduce poverty.
The event is open to all and takes place in the Templeman Library at 18:00 – no need to book.