Events Calendar

In this session we will compare traditional, creative and academic CVs so that you can be prepared for all areas of the job market. There will be a chance to practice writing about your experience as a researcher in the style that is suited to your chosen CV.

Upon completing this workshop, you should be able to:

• Identify the differences between an academic, creative and a traditional CV and when to use each option

• Write about your researcher experience in the style that is suited to your chosen CV
   

This session is part of the ‘Beyond the Doctorate’ programme for postgraduate and early career researchers. The Beyond the Doctorate programme is a series of careers activities which aim to empower Postgraduate Researchers (PGRS) and Early Career Researchers (ECRS) to proactively shape their career pathways by developing their skills, confidence and networks necessary to succeed within and beyond academia.

If you wish to attend this session and you have any additional support needs please contact Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise to let us know (email careers@soton.ac.uk or phone 023 8059 3501).

This Workshop will be run by Public Policy Southampton. 


In this session you will learn:

- about the key announcements in the 10 Year NHS Plan
- openly discuss opportunities or barriers posed by the plan
- work to identify which parts are most relevant to your current work (or identifying areas to focus future research funding)
- Identify actions you can personally take to further your policy directions in this space

If you have any questions about the workshop, please contact the facilitator listed below. 
If you have any issues with booking on to the workshop, please contact CHEP@Soton.ac.uk 

This in-person workshop introduces participants to the TILTEd@Southampton (Transparency in Learning and Teaching TILT) framework developed by Professor Mary-Ann Wilkhelmes.

Facilitated by the Assessment Consultancy team, the session offers a practical, evidence-based approach to improving student understanding of assessment. 

Participants will explore how transparent communication in assessment design can enhance student success and reduce inequities and will apply the methodology to their own assessment briefs.

By the end of this event, participants should be able to:

·       Understand the principles of the TILT framework

·       Practically apply the TILT methodology to enhance clarity and transparency across their assessment briefs.

·       Reflect on the impact of transparent teaching practices on student equity and success.

·       Identify opportunities to embed TILT practices within their own and wider discipline area

From Plankton to Plate follows the journey of ocean life through the marine food chain — from microscopic plankton to fish, whales, and the communities that depend on them. This public event invites you to explore how research across the University is helping to understand, sustain, and manage these vital connections.

Speakers will share new insights into marine ecosystems, aquaculture, and fisheries governance, and how this work supports the transition towards more sustainable seafood systems and thriving coastal livelihoods.

Hosted by the Southampton Marine and Maritime Institute (SMMI), the Future Towns Innovation Hub (FTIH), and the Infrastructure for Port Cities and Coastal Towns (iPACT) Network.

Book tickets Here

We are delighted to announce that this year’s SEGEG Meeting will take place in Southampton on 20 November 2025, hosted at the University of Southampton’s City Centre Campus. Please see event details and registration link below. 

This half-day meeting will bring together leading researchers to discuss advances in statistical and genetic epidemiology, covering topics from AI-driven integration of rare variants in disease diagnostics to somatic mitochondrial mutations, gene–environment interactions and life course epidemiology.

ὌC Event Details

• Registration: [Eventbrite link]  https://tinyurl.com/segegfmed

• Date: Thursday, 20 November 2025
• Time: 13:00–17:30 (registration from 12:30)
• Venue: Sir James Matthews Building, 169 Above Bar Street, Southampton SO14 7NN

(~10 minutes’ walk from Southampton Central station)

• Campus: City Centre Campus, University of Southampton

• Map: [Google Maps link] 

   

Programme

12:30 – 13:20 Registration

13:20 Dr Alex Couto Alves (University of Southampton)

Welcome and Opening Remarks

13:30 Prof. Sarah Ennis (University of Southampton)

Using algorithms and AI to identify rare disease diagnoses within a common disease cohort

14:00 Dr Gareth Hawkes (University of Exeter)

Discovery and architecture of rare non-coding regulatory effects using population-scale whole-genome sequencing

14:30 Dr Moneeza Siddiqui (Queen Mary University of London)
The value of diverse ancestries in understanding causes of diseases: insights from GWAS & exome sequencing in South Asians with T2D

15:00 – 15:30 Coffee Break

15:30 Prof. Jordana Bell (King’s College London)
Exploring variance QTLs in monozygotic twins and population samples as an approach to reveal gene–environment interaction effects on human traits

16:00 Prof. Nick Jones (Imperial College London)
Cryptic somatic mitochondrial DNA mutations in single cells: accumulation in mid–late life, links to ageing hallmarks, and cross-species insights

16:30 Prof. Marjo-Riitta Järvelin (Imperial College London)
Life course genetic epidemiology of early growth and development

We look forward to welcoming you in Southampton for an engaging afternoon of science and discussion.

Kind regards,
Alex

Dr Alex Couto Alves

Senior Lecturer in Statistical Genomics

School of Human Development, Faculty of Medicine

University of Southampton

ὍE +44 (0)23 8059 1083

὎7a.couto-alves@soton.ac.uk

The aim of this session is to provide information on research fellowships and to offer tips on how to apply for funding. Content will include an introduction to the UoS Research funding Development team and an overview of Fellowships and New Investigator Awards.  

 Upon completing this workshop, you should be able to:

·       Find information on the Research Funding Development team and access the support they provide

·       Access information on Fellowships and New Investigator Awards

·       Begin drafting applications for fellowship funding

This session is part of the ‘Beyond the Doctorate’ programme for postgraduate and early career researchers. The Beyond the Doctorate programme is a series of careers activities which aim to empower Postgraduate Researchers (PGRS) and Early Career Researchers (ECRS) to proactively shape their career pathways by developing their skills, confidence and networks necessary to succeed within and beyond academia.

If you wish to attend this session and you have any additional support needs please contact Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise to let us know (email careers@soton.ac.uk or phone 023 8059 3501).

Winchester School of Art Department of Art and Media Technology invites you to their guest speaker talk: The Art School and the Everyday.

Venue: Lecture Theatre B, East Side, Winchester School of Art and online via Teams

Speakers: John Beck, Professor in the School of Humanities, University of Westminster and Matthew Cornford, Professor of Fine Art at the University of Brighton.

In the 1960s there were over 150 art schools in England alone. The majority of these institutions had their origins in the Victorian era and were built to meet the needs of industry. Over time many of the buildings were repurposed, abandoned, and in some cases, demolished.

Since 2018 John Beck and Matthew Cornford have shown, in a series of regionally-focused exhibitions, original photographs of art school buildings or the sites upon which they stood, accompanied by a capsule history of each institution. They have explored the many art schools of the North West and the Midlands and are currently working on Yorkshire for a show in Leeds, before moving on to Eastern England. The aim is to complete a photographic survey of the over two hundred sites of all UK art schools. 

The project is interested both in the history of often forgotten institutions and in the place of the arts in the towns and cities of contemporary Britain. 

This talk will introduce the project, explore some the influences on and issues raised by the work, both in terms of art education past and present and the nature of collaborative research. 

The third in an exclusive series of concerts celebrating the creative genius of Johann Sebastian Bach.

Max Reger described Johann Sebastian Bach as ‘the beginning and end of all music’, while Brahms once declared ‘Study Bach, there you will find everything’. Both composers feature in this final concert in Chloë Hanslip and Danny Driver’s series.  Reger’s Suite in the Old Style reflects the composer’s love of Bach and the baroque period.  Brahms’ last violin sonata has in terms of compositional craft and instrumental writing many echoes of baroque and renaissance contrapuntal approaches.

​Please join the Evaluation Community of Practice Teams channel for full information and joining instructions.

 Evaluation Community of Practice - Home

This session will be repeated on the 27 November from 14:00 - 15:30

In this session, the Student Disability and Inclusion team will discuss a variety of support, mechanisms and services aimed at supporting disabled students.  

Alongside a presentation, this interactive session allows to explore a range of case scenarios that PATs or other academics may encounter when dealing with their students. 

Finally, the session will provide tips on inclusive/accessible practice that benefits all learners.

By the end of this event, participants should be able to:

• Outline the support provided by the Student Disability and Inclusion  

• Understand what Student Support Recommendations are and their significance in providing students with equal access to education 

• Take part in a set of case studies and identify support that could be provided to disabled students  

• Identify few ways of making teaching more inclusive and accessible

Fellowship Month at the University of Southampton is designed to give you the information and knowledge needed to plan and develop your next application to take your research career to the next level. 

The Funder Focus sessions are a great way to learn more about the specific schemes on offer across the research landscape, ranging from post-doc fellowships through to prestigious early career researcher opportunities.   

Hear from our Research Funding Development team about the fellowship and first grant opportunities from the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council, Natural Environment Research Council and Wellcome Trust, an outline of the support available to you from central services and schools, and time to ask your questions.   

This session is suitable for final-year PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, research technicians and early-career researchers. 

This session introduces advance literature searching skills for colleagues under taking a systematic or scoping review

Please Note: This session is only bookable on staffbook by those members of staff in Faculty of Medicine, School of Psychology, School of Health Sciences. 

If you have any questions about the session itself, please contact the facilitators listed below. 
If you have any issues with booking onto the event please contact CHEP@soton.ac.uk and the team will be able to assist you further. 

Are you looking to design exam questions that truly reflect your students’ learning? Join our hands-on workshop where you'll learn how to create effective, fair, and outcome-aligned exam questions. 

We’ll guide you through aligning questions with learning outcomes (LOs), using mini-introductions to focus student attention, and structuring questions progressively using Bloom’s taxonomy. Discover how to increase complexity through sub-parts and develop rubrics that standardise grading and support consistent feedback. By the end of the session, you'll be equipped with practical strategies to create assessments that promote deeper understanding and improve grading consistency.

By the end of this event, participants should be able to:

• Understand the role of learning outcomes (LOs) in assessment design.​

• Identify characteristics of well- and poorly-aligned exam questions.​

• How to use Bloom’s taxonomy to guide question development.​

• Closing the loop – remembering the importance of feedback.

Join us for an exciting afternoon at the Doctoral Research Poster Showcase!

Now in its fourth in-person edition, the Doctoral College Research Poster Showcase celebrates the exceptional work of doctoral researchers at the University of Southampton. With 130+ posters already entered, this year’s event promises to be our biggest yet!

Whether you're a postgraduate researcher (PGR), staff member, or student, you're warmly invited to attend and explore the breadth of research being undertaken across the University. VIPs and guests will also be joining us to mark this special occasion.

All posters will be available online too, so if you can’t make it in person, you won’t miss out!

Event Highlights

1200-13:00 | Demystifying the PhD

• Learn what a PhD involves and how it compares to other doctoral routes..

• Discover PhD opportunities at Southampton and beyond.

• Reflect on whether a PhD might be the right path for you.

• Get tips on ow to chat with PhD students at the poster showcase and make the most of the event.
   

13:00-15:30 | Doctoral Research Poster Showcase Opens

• Official welcome from Professor Tracey Newman.

• Explore 80+ posters and presentations from doctoral researchers across AHSS and STEMM.

• Enjoy light refreshments and sweet treats while networking with fellow PGRs, staff, students, and invited guests.
   

15:10 | Prize Announcements & Closing Remarks

• Best Poster, Most Innovative Poster, and Runner-Up prizes for both AHSS and STEMM categories.

• People's Choice Winner.

• Closing remarks.

ὊC Have Your Say at the Doctoral Research Poster Showcase! 

Don't miss your chance to explore groundbreaking doctoral research and vote for your favourite poster at the 2025 Doctoral Research Poster Showcase.

Voting will open on the afternoon of the event, and you'll only have one opportunity to cast your vote — so make it count!
An online Poster Gallery will be available, featuring posters and abstracts. Stay tuned — more details coming soon!

Curious about what it’s like to do a PhD? Come along to this friendly and informal event to explore doctoral study and hear directly from current PhD researchers about their research journeys.

Ὕ3   Wednesday 26 November
ὕB 12:00–13:00
ὌD Hartley Suite (B38), Highfield Campus
ὑ7 Book your place: https://bit.ly/47HxFq2

 We’ll start things off with a relaxed one-hour workshop where you’ll:

• Learn what a PhD involves and how it compares to other doctoral routes.
• Discover PhD opportunities at Southampton and beyond.
• Reflect on whether a PhD might be the right path for you.
• Get tips on how to chat with PhD researchers at the poster showcase and make the most of the event.

After the workshop, you’ll have the chance to browse the annual Doctoral College Research Poster Showcase, where PhD researchers present their research. This is a great opportunity to ask questions, hear real experiences, and get inspired.

Friendly staff will be on hand throughout to help you connect with students working on topics that interest you and make sure you feel supported.

In this workshop we will cover the basics of copyright and open licencing. 

We will go over how to legally reuse third party copyright in your teaching with copyright exceptions and licences. We will help you find open content that you can reuse in your teaching. 

There will be time at the end of the workshop to ask questions. 

Join us for the first of our FELS Inaugural Lecture series, celebrating the achievements of our newly appointed Professors and showcasing our innovative and impactful research. 

Each event will feature two speakers and will be followed by a post-event reception and canapes. The events will also be available to attend online.

At our event on Wednesday 26 November 2025, Professor Denis Drieghe from the School of Psychology and Professor Maggie Donovan-Hall from the School of Health Sciences will be presenting their research.

Professor Denis Drieghe: Eye Movements during Reading as a Window on Language Processing

Eye-tracking is widely acknowledged as the methodological gold standard for examining the cognitive mechanisms underlying reading. A substantial body of research has demonstrated that a variety of linguistic factors systematically modulate both the duration and spatial distribution of eye movements. For example, high-frequency words (e.g., apple), which are processed with relative ease, are typically associated with shorter fixation durations and fewer fixations compared to low-frequency words (e.g., inlet). In a typical experiment, participants read silently from a computer screen while an eye-tracker records their eye positions with high temporal and spatial precision, thereby enabling the detailed analysis of moment-to-moment processing during reading. Crucially, because this technique does not interfere with the natural behaviour of participants, it offers a high degree of ecological validity.

The field of eye-movement research in reading has, arguably, been overly concentrated on a single, highly controlled task: the careful reading of an isolated, self-contained sentence by native speakers, predominantly in English. In his inaugural lecture, Professor Denis Drieghe will address how this narrow empirical focus has resulted in an unduly restricted theoretical perspective on reading. He will do so by examining reading across a broader range of contexts, including different tasks (e.g., skim reading), extended formats (e.g., paragraphs), participants with varying levels of reading proficiency, in languages with markedly different orthographic systems (e.g., Chinese), and by readers who are non-native speakers

Professor Maggie Donovan-Hall: Bridging Worlds: Multidisciplinary Pathways to User-Led Design in Assistive Technology

Health technologies, such as prosthetic limbs, are becoming increasingly advanced and sophisticated. Yet real progress depends on understanding how these devices fit into people’s everyday lives, their functional use, social meaning, and psychological impact. By involving users, their families, and the professionals who support them, technologies can be designed that are not only innovative but also meaningful, sustainable, and truly fit for purpose.

In her inaugural lecture, Maggie will explore her role as a psychologist working collaboratively within interdisciplinary teams to take a person-centred approach to health technology and service development. She will discuss how partnerships and embedding users’ voices throughout all stages of research and design can enhance the creation of effective, user-focused technologies.

Maggie will also reflect on her career journey, sharing key influences, collaborations, and lessons learned along the way. She will highlight her passion for integrating research-led education and collaborative practice to drive meaningful change and build capacity within the prosthetics and orthotics (P&O) sector.

Fellowship Month at the University of Southampton includes several in-person, hands-on sessions to help support you in your fellowship journey, while providing you the opportunity to meet and network with colleagues with a similar interest in moving to the next stage of their career.   

Convincing a fellowship panel that you are the right candidate requires an ambitious and exciting idea. This session, led by Ying Chen (Head of Research Funding Development), is focused on giving you the tools to help shape your research into an application that demands to be funded.   

This session is suitable for postdoctoral researchers, research technicians and early-career researchers who are planning on submitting a fellowship application in the next 12 months and who have a project in mind to discuss. 

This workshop will provide information on what to expect from the job application process and how to get your application form to attract attention from academic employers. 

Upon completing this workshop, you should be able to:

• Look for academic jobs using a variety of resources

• Analyse job adverts to identify what skills the employer is looking for

• Confidently complete application forms providing evidence of your skills
   

This session is part of the ‘Beyond the Doctorate’ programme for postgraduate and early career researchers. The Beyond the Doctorate programme is a series of careers activities which aim to empower Postgraduate Researchers (PGRS) and Early Career Researchers (ECRS) to proactively shape their career pathways by developing their skills, confidence and networks necessary to succeed within and beyond academia.

If you wish to attend this session and you have any additional support needs please contact Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise to let us know (email careers@soton.ac.uk or phone 023 8059 3501).

Are you a busy academic looking to create a more inclusive and supportive learning environment for your students come the next academic year? Are you fed up of the need to make changes for individuals throughout the semester? Then join us for an engaging and practical workshop designed to introduce tips on inclusive education practices and enhance your teaching strategies from the start of the semester. Register now to start building a more equitable learning environment. 

Why Attend?

• Identify and Support Your Learners. Learn simple, effective ways to recognize your students' diverse needs and how to support them best.

• Simplify Inclusive Practices. Understand why inclusive education is important and how it benefits both students and educators.

• Design Inclusive Experiences. Discover practical tips for creating accessible and welcoming learning environments.

• Implement Change Easily. Use the "plus one" approach to make small, impactful changes in your teaching practice.

• Network and Collaborate. Connect with colleagues across the University, share experiences, and build your professional network.

Session led by: Vanessa Mar-Molinero (CHEP) & Tamsyn Smith (Digital Learning)

This is an intermediate workshop suitable for those who have used and produced outputs using GenAI and may be already engaged with GenAI use with their students.

This interactive workshop invites participants to collaboratively explore innovative approaches to assessment design by integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into their modules. Grounded in contemporary curriculum theory and the Advancing Assessment Principles, the session will examine how AI-enhanced assessments can foster critical digital literacies and prepare students for an evolving technological landscape.

Participants will examine how to scaffold formative and summative assessments which provide academic integrity and an opportunity to critique the role of AI use within their specific disciplinary context.

As part of the session, we will model how to use GenAI advanced prompt techniques to gain better quality outputs.

By the end of the session, attendees will leave with actionable ideas for their modules, a deeper understanding of AI’s pedagogical potential, and a theoretical grounding for embedding AI meaningfully into assessment design.

Developing your practice on this topic aligns to Advance HE Professional Standards Framework V4 & K4.

By the end of the event, participants should be able to:

·       Critically evaluate the pedagogical implications of integrating generative AI into assessment design, with reference to contemporary curriculum theory and the Advancing Assessment Principles.

·       Re-design assessment to include formative and summative assessment tasks that promote academic integrity and student engagement with AI tools.

·       Apply advanced GenAI prompt engineering techniques to generate high-quality outputs in assessment contexts.

·       Develop a theoretically informed base for embedding AI literacy into module design, enabling students to ethically and effectively engage with AI in their academic and professional futures.

In this session, the Student Disability and Inclusion team will discuss a variety of support, mechanisms and services aimed at supporting disabled students.  

Alongside a presentation, this interactive session allows to explore a range of case scenarios that PATs or other academics may encounter when dealing with their students. 

Finally, the session will provide tips on inclusive/accessible practice that benefits all learners.

By the end of this event, participants should be able to:

• Outline the support provided by the Student Disability and Inclusion  

• Understand what Student Support Recommendations are and their significance in providing students with equal access to education 

• Take part in a set of case studies and identify support that could be provided to disabled students  

• Identify few ways of making teaching more inclusive and accessible

This workshop will provide you with the opportunity to analyse your current skill set and consider how you can use it in a job role beyond academia. Ideas and inspiration will be provided around the types of jobs that you could do and how to tap into visible as well as hidden job markets. There will be guidance on how to create a job-hunting plan. This session will focus on jobs in the Arts and Humanities sector.

Upon completing this workshop, you should be able to:

• Analyse your skills and suggest areas to develop using the researcher development framework

• Use the 4 different researcher pathways to explore the current labour market

• Generate a job-hunting plan with achievable goals to keep your job search moving
   

This session is part of the ‘Beyond the Doctorate’ programme for postgraduate and early career researchers. The Beyond the Doctorate programme is a series of careers activities which aim to empower Postgraduate Researchers (PGRS) and Early Career Researchers (ECRS) to proactively shape their career pathways by developing their skills, confidence and networks necessary to succeed within and beyond academia.

If you wish to attend this session and you have any additional support needs please contact Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise to let us know (email careers@soton.ac.uk or phone 023 8059 3501).

Derivative and altered artists books including a selection from the WSA Library Artist's Book Collection.

This exhibition attempts to seek dialogue between each artistic interpretation which collectively explore the tactility of unmaking, and to celebrate the breadth of techniques at play.

These include tearing, cutting, sticking, pricking, stitching, obscuring, revealing, submerging, drilling, slicing, collecting, and reordering. Each artist offering their unique creative vision to suggest an alternative reading which might be reclaimed through the practice of alteration.

From seemingly careless abandon which expose the delicate fragility of a book to the deliberate and almost surgical precision, each serve to reclaim a new meaning, and to celebrate its new altered state.

Curated by Dave Gibbons

Winchester School of Art, Park Avenue, Winchester, SO23 8DL

Turner Sims favourites, the London Mozart Players Chamber Ensemble are joined by special guests. They present two defining 20th century works.

Vaughan Williams’s early masterpiece sets the words of A E Housman. Composed in 1909, ‘On Wenlock Edge’ provides an eerie foreshadowing to the many men lost in the Great War. Tenor Mark Le Brocq, who appeared with Welsh National Opera in its highly successful production of Britten’s ‘Death in Venice’, brings his unique perspective.

Pianist Anna Tilbrook joins the LMP for a work which writer Gerard McBurney described as ‘a chamber-music classic of the 20th century’.  Shostakovich’s work proved immediately popular with the public when it was first performed in September 1940.  It also won Shostakovich his first Stalin Prize, the highest decoration given at the time to the country’s most elite artists.

This workshop will provide information on what to expect at academic and industry interviews. There will be insights into what interview panels are looking for and how to answer questions effectively.

Upon completing this workshop, you should be able to:

• Prepare for an interview by researching your interviewer and completing pre-interview tasks.

• Answer initial interview questions such as ‘tell me about yourself’ and ‘can you tell us about your experience’ using an elevator pitch.

• Answer behavioural-based interview questions using the STAR technique.
   

This session is part of the ‘Beyond the Doctorate’ programme for postgraduate and early career researchers. The Beyond the Doctorate programme is a series of careers activities which aim to empower Postgraduate Researchers (PGRS) and Early Career Researchers (ECRS) to proactively shape their career pathways by developing their skills, confidence and networks necessary to succeed within and beyond academia.

If you wish to attend this session and you have any additional support needs please contact Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise to let us know (email careers@soton.ac.uk or phone 023 8059 3501).

Ensuring students engage with and apply the feedback they receive is a commonly cited challenge, which can feel frustrating given the amount of time we spend composing said feedback. In this interactive workshop, we will firstly explore some possible reasons that students are struggling to engage with feedback and consolidate our understanding of what effective feedback looks like. We will then practice applying this knowledge to evaluating and improving real examples of feedback.

Developing your practice on this topic aligns to Advance HE Professional Standards Framework A4.

By the end of the event, participants should be able to:

·       Understand the main reasons why students may not engage with feedback

·       Identify features of effective and less effective feedback, and apply this knowledge to practical examples 

This session will provide an introduction for staff who haven’t had to deal with sensitive data before, so aimed at early career researchers, PhD supervisors and inter-disciplinary researchers.

The Learning Objectives are:  

- What sensitive data is​
- Processing sensitive data​
- Keeping sensitive data safe​
- De-identifying your data (Anonymisation/pseudonymisation)​
- Sharing sensitive data & ethics around consent​
- Planning for sensitive data
 

Workshop outline 

In this workshop aimed at those new to examining research degree students, we will consider best practice for examining the doctoral thesis. Participants will learn from experienced examiners about how to prepare for and conduct the viva voce examination, the regulations at the University of Southampton, and the potential outcomes of a viva. We will also consider the roles and responsibilities of doctoral examiners from receipt of the submitted thesis through to final submission. 

Workshop learning outcomes:

• Prepare effectively for examining a doctoral thesis 

• Understand the roles and responsibilities of the doctoral examiners, and how to work effectively as an internal or external examiner 

• Demonstrate awareness of the University of Southampton regulations for the doctoral examination (including recent changes allowing for vivas by video-conference)

• Identify the potential outcomes of a viva, and understand how to apply these in practice

Venue: Lecture Theatre B, East Side, Winchester School of Art / Online via Teams

Speaker: David Bithell, Professor of Art and Emerging Media and Chair, Creative Arts Department Southern Oregon University (USA)

Working in the fields of performance, installation, and interactive environments, David Bithell presents an overview of his artistic practice with a particular focus on his ongoing project Matters Dark and Luminous - an evolving platform for hybrid physical/digital puppetry, interactive music and generative visuals.

About Material Interests

Hear from leading artists and other world-changing practitioners across the fine arts and related industries in this flagship speaker series organised by the Department of Art and Media Technology and co-sponsored by Southampton Institute for Arts and Humanities.

Intrigued by using objects to enhance your teaching, but don’t know where to start? Want to explore simple yet effective ways of using object-based learning to bring concepts and ideas alive, as well as spark discussion and engagement? 

This lunchtime workshop introduces you to teaching with objects: it will cover the rationale for using objects in education settings, provide a hands-on experience with real artefacts to give a sense of what this approach looks and feels like, and highlight digital resources from galleries and museums around the world that can fit into your teaching practice. This introductory session will provide examples and tools that you can use immediately, as well as the foundation for deeper engagement via future workshops through CHEP if desired. No prior experience with object handling is expected or required.

By the end of this event, participants should be able to:

- Understand how objects can represent, convey, and express ideas or concepts in your field, as the basis of designing and modifying teaching activities (aligned with dimension A1 in the Professional Standards Framework 2023)

- Identify which kinds of objects might be more relevant for different topics and teaching modes as you choose approaches that are appropriate for your field (aligned with dimensions A2 and K1 of the PSF 2023)

- Know where to turn for free virtual (i.e. digitised) objects from existing galleries and museums that are relevant for your field (aligned with dimensions A5 and K4 of the PSF 2023)

- Become aware of available apps and tools for digitising your own objects, and incorporating them into your teaching practice (alighted with dimensions A5 and K4 of the PSF 2023)

This introductory workshop will support colleagues in thinking about designing learning activities throughout a module to help scaffold the skills and knowledge that students need to complete the assessment. We will work through examples to identify the key skills and knowledge needed, and how to build in developmental learning activities to prepare students for summative assessment. We will also discuss ways of communicating this effectively to students, to help enhance engagement in teaching throughout a module.

Developing your practice on this topic aligns to Advance HE Professional Standards Framework K2, A1 & A4.

By the end of the event, participants should:

- Identify up to five skills and concepts/knowledge that are needed for the summative assessment.

- Have mapped out their teaching activities for the module and aligned these to the skills and concept/knowledge.

- Developed strategies to communicate this with students, to encourage engagement. 

Join us for our FELS Inaugural Lecture series, celebrating the achievements of our newly appointed Professors and showcasing our innovative and impactful research. 

Each event will feature two speakers and will be followed by a post-event reception and canapes. The events will also be available to attend online.

At our event on Wednesday 3 December 2025, Professor Stephanie Henson from the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Professor Julian Leyland from the School of Geography and Environmental Science will be presenting their research

Professor Stephanie Henson - Down to the deep – the ocean’s role in the carbon cycle

The biological carbon pump is a series of processes that transfers organic carbon from the surface ocean into the deep ocean. Without the ocean’s biological carbon pump, atmospheric CO2 concentrations would be approximately 50% higher than pre-industrial levels. However, much of the functioning of the pump remains poorly known due to its complexity and the difficulty in adequately observing its many components. This therefore makes it difficult to model the pump, so our knowledge of how this important component of the global carbon cycle might respond to climate change is poor. In this talk I’ll present recent progress on using shipboard and autonomous vehicles to quantify variability in the biological carbon pump, discuss the current limitations in our understanding of the pump, and the implications of those knowledge gaps for robust modelling of the current and future pump.

Professor Julian Leyland - The Life of a Particle: Sediment Journeys Across Scales and Societies

Every landscape tells a story, and sometimes that story begins with something as small as a single grain of sediment. In this inaugural lecture, Professor Julian Leyland traces the extraordinary journey of a sediment particle as it moves through water and across scales: from its microscopic structure on a riverbed, through the shifting channels of great rivers and its role in shaping Earths great deltas. Drawing on two decades of research in physical geography, the lecture explores how sediment, often considered a passive product of erosion, is instead a dynamic agent linking geomorphic processes, ecosystems, and human societies. Interwoven with this scientific narrative is a personal story of a geographer’s own journey, from early field experiences and academic mentorship to leadership of research projects, and a reflection on the people, family, friends and colleagues who, like the currents that carry sediment, have shaped that path.

This session will equip researchers with key information on the policy landscape and how to turn their research into evidence-informed policy at the local, national and international level.

If you have any questions relating to this session, please email: publicpolicy@soton.ac.uk

If you have any queires or concerns relating to booking on to this session, please contact CHEP@Soton.ac.uk 

Join Concerteenies for the musical story of ‘Blown Away’, for children aged 3+ and their families.

‘Penguin Blue and his friends are in for a surprise! It all starts with a windy day and a brand new kite… Come fly away with Penguin Blue as he gets caught in a gust of wind and the adventure begins.’

Travel through the wintry antarctic to the Jungle tropics with Meera Maharaj (flutes), Annabelle Lawson (piano) and Polly Ives (narrator). This new musical story is composed by award-winning Paul Rissmann based on the book by Rob Biddulph and digital animation by Victor Craven.

The concert also features Saint Saens’s ‘Aviary’ from ‘Carnival of the Animals’, Kaija Sarriaho’s ‘Couleurs du Vent’, Florence Price’s ‘Adoration’ and Lord Kitchener’s calypso ‘London is the Place for Me’ (featured in the film ‘Paddington’).

Join in with songs and actions in a relaxed and friendly environment. This is a perfect introduction to music, storytelling and animation.

Suitable for ages 3 - 8 and their adults

On Monday 15th December 2025 the Special Collections team will be hosting a drop-in session in our searchroom on Level 4 of the Hartley Library.

There will be a small exhibition of archival and rare book material reflecting Jane Austen’s world and Regency Britain.

There will also be a chance to look behind the scenes at our storage areas and a talk by our conservation team on the work they undertake to care for our collections.

There will be two bookable sessions at 11am and 2pm, each between 1 hour and 1 hour 30 mins.

This is a free event but pre-booking is essential.

Please contact archives@soton.ac.uk if you are interested in coming along.

A strong educational portfolio is increasingly important in supporting career progression for all staff involved in education, and particularly for those in teaching focussed roles.  However, it can be a challenge to engage in the kinds of activity that contribute to such a portfolio given the pressures associated with the multi-faceted role of the modern academic. 

This workshop will give practical examples of how colleagues can develop their educational portfolio in a way that complements the ‘day job’, supporting enhanced effectiveness as well as enhancing the CV.  Pathways to Senior/Principal Fellowship of the HEA will be discussed, along with the prestigious National Teaching Fellowship administered by AdvanceHE. 

The workshop will be facilitated by CHEP colleagues who have achieved promotion here at Southampton.

By the end of this event, participants will be able to:

- Describe activities that support the development of a broad-based educational portfolio.

- Identify challenges for enhancing your personal educational portfolio.

- Plan future activities to enhance personal educational portfolio.

As part of the Advancing Assessment SMP, the Assessment Consultancy have been leading on Southampton Transformative Assessment Redesign with Students (STARS), working with students across all five faculties to better understand their experiences with assessment and feedback. In this insight session, we will share key findings from our STARS work to date, along with some suggestions for best practices to mediate some commonly found challenges in assessment and feedback across the institution.

By the end of the event, participants should: 

·       Understand the main themes underlying students’ experiences of assessment and feedback at institutional level

·       Identify and begin to develop potential strategies to address common challenges in assessment and feedback in your own contexts

A warm evening of stunning festive music from the multi-prize-winning Connaught Brass.

Christmas is a time for tradition. This cracker of a programme romps through the exuberant final chorus of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio and seasonal Tchaikovsky. Traditional tunes and baroque classics are rounded off with the seasonal favourite ‘Have yourself a merry little Christmas’.

Connaught Brass are quickly making a name for themselves as a fresh talent in the chamber music world. They have already made their debut at the Lucerne Festival and London’s Wigmore Hall. Their ability to manipulate and unify sound earned them 1st Prize in the Inaugural Philip Jones International Brass Ensemble Competition (2019) and the Royal Overseas League Mixed Ensemble Competition (2022). Vibrant, spirited and bold, Connaught Brass place emphasis on their friendship with one another to showcase their individual musical personalities within a unique collective sound.

Join us for music that gift wraps festive joy with interludes of serene reflection.

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Taking Stock & Looking Forward: The Past, Present & Future of Equality Law

Colm O’Cinneide, Professor of Constitutional and Human Rights Law at University College London

The Stefan Cross Centre’s 2026 annual lecture will be given by Colm O’Cinneide on Thursday 26^th February at Southampton University’s Highfield Campus.

Colm is Professor of Constitutional and Human Rights Law at University College London (UCL) and Vice-Dean (Research) of the Faculty of Laws. A graduate of University College Cork and King's Inns, he has published extensively in the fields of comparative constitutional, human rights and anti-discrimination law.

He has also acted as specialist legal adviser to the Joint Committee on Human Rights and the Women & Equalities Committee of the UK Parliament, as well as a range of national and international organisations including the ILO and the European Commission. From 2006 – 2016 he was a member of the European Committee on Social Rights of the Council of Europe (serving as Vice-President of the Committee from 2010 – 2014). Since 2008 Colm has been a member of the academic advisory board of Blackstone Chambers in London.

In 2024, he was nominated by the Government of Ireland as a candidate for the European Court of Human Rights, and his work has been cited by the Court of Justice of the EU and the Irish Supreme Court.