TEDxStMarysUniversity: Beyond the Boundaries of Discipline

St Mary’s University is delighted to announce TEDxStMarysUniversity an afternoon and evening of enlightening and exciting 18-minute talks.

As well as questions around whether the traditional university is dead, we’ll be discussing the ethics of vaccine passports, climate change and whether psychoanalysis can teach us about on-line misogyny.

If you have an interest in the conversation between science and theology or want to hear about the Beatles, Jay Z and Dangermouse, this is the event for you.

Speakers

Ankur Shiv Bhandari (Senior Lecturer in International Business)

Ankur comes from an Industry background of Marketing and business development of more than 20 years. Ankur has worked with global clients across the world on harnessing “intent" of consumers and shoppers through Marketing and business development into purchase thereby building value for organisations. Ankur has now broadened his perspective to research the subject of “Intent”, how it is formed and how it impacts actions. Ankur’s research is now looking at the “Role of Intent” from the disciplines of Marketing, Psychology,Behavioural Science and Law. Ankur’s research has wide ranging applications in personal, private and public sectors.

Claire Mulvenna (Lecturer, Physical Education and Sports Coaching)

Claire is a Lecturer in Physical Education and Sport Coaching and teaches across a number of programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. Claire has worked extensively within sport coaching and sports development across both elite and community environments. Working for organisations such as Birmingham FA and the Manchester United Foundation Claire has written and delivered several football coaching and leadership programmes aimed at upskilling coaches.

Cynthia Harper (Senior Lecturer Education)

Cynthia joined St Mary`s in 2002. She is a Senior Lecturer in Primary Religious Education and the PGCE MA. She delivers modules across the undergraduate, postgraduate and work based route programmes. She has had a range of experiences with St Mary’s as director and lecturer. Cynthia has a wide range of experience teaching in schools and online ranging from nursery to teaching KS3. Her roles in school range from Deputy Head, subject coordinator and Chair of Governors. She has worked in schools in the Midwest of America, the UK and in France. She has also achieved a prestigious Millennium Fellowship for Religious Education from the Farmington Institute in 2000. Cynthia is passionate about creating a classroom environment that is engaging and providing the best outcomes for all children. As a leader in education she places great value on working collaboratively with her peers.

Elisabetta Canetta (Senior Lecturer in Physics)

Elisabetta Canetta investigates the use of bioengineering devices for the rehabilitation of stroke and other brain injury patients. She graduated from the University of Bologna (Italy) with an MPhys in theoretical nuclear physics and gained a PhD in Experimental Biophysics from the University of Grenoble (France). In 2004 Elisabetta moved to the UK and held a series of postdoctoral positions at the University of Abertay Dundee, Surrey University and St Andrews University. In 2013 she joined St Mary’s University as a Lecturer in Physics. She is currently a senior lecturer in Physics and in addition to her scientific interests, Elisabetta’s research encompasses the transcendence of mathematics and physics and their synergic relationship with theology. Her main research interests are in philosophical natural theology; in particular, she is investigating how physical and mathematical theories can be used to further explore theological doctrines.

Gemma Hobcraft (Senior Lecturer in Medical Law and Ethics)

Gemma Hobcraft is a Senior Lecturer in Law at St Mary's University and a Barrister at Doughty Street Chambers. She has previously been Deputy Chair of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority. Her academic and legal work focus on health care regulation.

Jacob Johanssen (Senior Lecturer in Communications)

Jacob Johanssen is Senior Lecturer in Communications, St. Mary's University (London). He is the author of Psychoanalysis and Digital Culture: Audiences, Social Media, and Big Data (Routledge, 2019), Fantasy, Online Misogyny and the Manosphere: Male Bodies of Dis/Inhibition (Routledge, 2021) and Event Horizon: Sexuality, Politics, Online Culture, and the Limits of Capitalism (with Bonni Rambatan, Zero Books, 2021). His research interests include psychoanalysis and digital media, sexuality and digital media, affect theories, psychosocial studies, and critical theory. He is Co-Editor of the Counterspace section of the journal Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society and a Founder Scholar of the British Psychoanalytic Council (BPC). He sits on the executive committee of the Association for Psychosocial Studies (APS).

Jacob Phillips (Director of Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts)

Jacob Phillips is Director of the Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts. He joined St Mary’s as a lecturer in theology in 2016, has headed-up the Institute of Theology since its inception in August 2018, as well as overseeing its merger with the humanities to create the new Institute of Theology and Liberal Arts in September 2020. Jacob holds a first-class degree in Theology from Heythrop College, where he was awarded the Marcus Ward Prize for New Testament studies, and a distinction in his MA from King’s College London, where he was awarded the Relton Prize for Christian Doctrine. He completed his PhD at King’s College on Human Subjectivity in the Theology of Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Jacob works across a diverse range of sub-disciplinary areas, mostly within systematic and philosophical theology. He is concerned with issues of human self-understanding, subjectivity, conscience and obedience, with reference to the work of Erich Pryzwara, Joseph Ratzinger, John Henry Newman and others.

Kenny Tang (Senior Lecturer, Business Management)

Dr Kenny Tang is a thought leader in digital disruption and transformation leadership - especially on how space exploration and satellite technology could open a new frontier to address climate change. Kenny earned his PhD in Business Strategy at the Judge Business School, Cambridge University and his MSc from the University of Oxford’s Templeton College Centre for Management Studies (predecessor to the Said Business School at Oxford University). He has written/edited 9 books in the field of climate change, sustainability, start-ups and digital currencies. He is a Professor of Practice at Hult International Business School with campuses in London, Shanghai, Dubai, Boston and San Francisco. He sits on the Investment Committee of the British Innovation Fund that invests in deep tech start-ups from leading UK universities. His earlier career included spells at global investment bank Union Bank of Switzerland (UBS) and KPMG.

Mark Griffin (Head of Drama St Mary's)

Mark Griffin is the current Head of Drama at St Mary's, where he has been instrumental in the development of accesible conservatoire level training Acting and Technical theatre programmes within a University structure. He trained as a secondary school teacher and taught in Manchester, Hastings and Birmingham before taking an MA in Theatre Direction at Goldsmith's College. Immediately prior to joining St Mary's he worked as a freelance playwright and director with a focus on Community, Forum, and Immersive Theatre work.

Philip Booth (Professor of Finance, Public Policy and Ethics)

Professor Booth holds the position of Director of Catholic Mission at St. Mary’s having previously been Director of Research and Public Engagement and Dean of the Faculty of Education, Humanities and Social Sciences. He is Director of the Vinson Centre and Professor of Economics at the University of Buckingham and Senior Academic Fellow at the Institute of Economic Affairs. From 2002-2016, Philip was Academic and Research Director at the IEA. Previously, Philip worked for the Bank of England as an adviser on financial stability issues. He has written widely, including a number of books, on investment, finance, social insurance and pensions as well as on the relationship between Catholic social teaching and economics. He is Deputy Editor of Economic Affairs and has previously worked in the investment department of Axa Equity and Law. Philip has a BA in Economics from the University of Durham and a PhD from City University.

Richard Mills (Senior Lecturer in Twentieth Century Literature and Popular Culture)

Richard Mills is a Senior Lecturer in Literature and Popular Culture at St Mary’s University, London. He has been programme director for the Film and Popular Culture, Cultural Studies and Irish Studies degrees. He has published extensively on popular music, Irish literature and culture, film, fashion and British television. Mills is the author of The Beatles and Fandom: Sex, Death and Progressive Nostalgia (Bloomsbury 2019). He is co-editor of Mad Dogs and Englishness (Bloomsbury 2017) and he is author of the forthcoming The Beatles and Black Music: Post-colonial Theory, Musicology and Remix Culture (Bloomsbury 2021).

Sarah Green (Senior Lecturer, Primary Religious Education)

Sarah is a Senior Lecturer in Primary Religious education. She delivers modules across the undergraduate, postgraduate and work based route programmes. Sarah has a wide range of experience teaching in schools and online from nursery to teaching KS2. She has worked as a Primary School teacher for twenty-four years in both Catholic and Community Schools. She co-ordinated RE, Maths, Physical Education and all key stages. Sarah was a Deputy Head Teacher for eight years during which time she mentored NQTS and managed professional development of both teachers and teaching assistants. Sarah has also achieved her NPQH and more recently her Fellowship of Higher Education. Sarah is currently studying the MA in Religious Education. Sarah has a particular interest in educating children (and parents) about each other’s faiths and worldviews breaking down stereotypes and building up community cohesion. She is passionate about raising the profile of Religious Education in Primary schools.

Syed Kamall (Professor of International Relations)

Syed Salah Kamall, Baron Kamall is a Professor of Politics and International Relations at St Mary’s University, Twickenham and the Academic & Research Director at the Institute of Economic Affairs, a classical liberal think tank in London. He writes on politics, foreign affairs and international trade.

Trevor Williams (Professor of Economics)

Trevor Williams is the former chief economist of Lloyds Bank, and worked as an economist in the city of London for 30 years, including the government economic service. Trevor's extensive experience covers financial market risk, econometric modelling, banking markets, the future of technology and analysis of the UK and global economy. He is currently a Professor at St Marys university, visiting Professor at the University of Derby, author of Trading Economics (Wiley) and writes a regular monthly column for Moneyfacts. Trevor also blogs on topical issues.