The GCPH Seminar Series

The first GCPH Seminar Series began in November 2004, with Anthony Grayling speaking on the “Perfect Polis” – a whistle stop tour of what cities have achieved through the ages, how this relates to what a good life is and what lessons does this experience hold for us as we grapple with the age old challenge of how to make life in the City better. 

Since 2004 there have been six series each including a wide range of topics and speakers and all including in depth discussions intended to explore the implications of these ideas and debates. 

The range of subjects has been deliberately more wide ranging than might normally be associated with a public health series. Alongside philosophy and history, we have heard about economy, consumerism, happiness, the biology of poverty, psychology, city planning and design. The lectures have also taken us from the molecular impact of deprivation on brain structure and development to how to live with an angry planet. Lecturers have come from the USA, India, Europe, Canada, the the UK.

For each lecture we also produce a range of resources – podcasts and soundfiles, presentation slides (where used), transcripts and a summary of the key ideas and main arguments contained in each lecture.  It has been the intention and our hope to introduce fresh ideas and unusual yet useful perspectives into the field.

Browse our past events