Offering up a range of nine diverse events on topics as broad as digital health, big data, music for game controllers, language diversity and the US Capitol Riots, the programme aims to connect audiences with themes related to our world, and academic research, in the digital age.
The new season begins with the Inclusive Gaming Conference on Wednesday 1st May. This one-day conference brings together students, academics, and industry professionals to discuss research initiatives, works in progress, and future directions for explorations of inclusive gaming. The day consists of a series of roundtable discussions, keynote speakers, diverse presentations, and interactive gaming experiences. This is followed by the Digital Health Horizons Conference (Thursday 16th May), which delves into the dynamic interplay of digital health and medical artificial intelligence, exploring both the promising opportunities and significant challenges that lie ahead.
On Wednesday 22nd May we are delighted to be joined by Jesus College alumnus James Goldston (1986, PPE), a former President of ABC News, who will be giving a talk on Democracy on Trial: January 6 and the 2024 Presidential Election. James was tasked with producing the January 6 hearings conducted by the Select Committee to investigate the January 6th attack on the US Capitol. The ten historic hearings played a key role in the legal processes that are now underway against former President Donald Trump. Goldston, a former President of ABC News, joins us to discuss how the hearings came to happen, and why they remain so central to the future of American politics.
James Goldston
At Creative Multilingualism: Language Diversity in a Digital Age (Friday 24th May) guests can enjoy linguistically enriched snacks and drinks, and contributions from research and creative partners, on topics including teaching pronunciation with AI, interactions between linguistic diversity and biodiversity, and a Prismatic Jane Eyre. The event is organised by the University’s Creative Multilingualism programme, and includes a Yoruba/English musical finale by Grammy Award Winner Lekan Babalola (Percussion) and Kate Luxmoore (Clarinet).
A creative collaboration exploring the possibilities of video game controllers in music composition and performance features on Thursday 30th May. PLAY: Music for Game Controllers with the House of Bedlam includes a one hour performance of five new works and existing music to be interpreted by traditional instruments and video game controller instruments. Composers and performers share more about their creative processes, and audience members can try out the video game controller instruments themselves. The performances include a new work, Speedrun for cello and video game controller (2024) by Rob Laidlow, Career Development Fellow in Music at Jesus. The event is supported by The Cultural Programme, PRiSM, the Centre for Practice & Research in Science & Music at the Royal Northern College of Music, funded by the Research England fund Expanding Excellence in England (E3).
Dr Rob Laidlow, Career Development Fellow in Music at Jesus College.
Ben Goldacre, Professorial Fellow at Jesus College and Director of the Bennett Institute, will be giving the Inaugural Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub Lecture on Tuesday 4th June. In From Bad Science to Better Data Ben will discuss his career advocating for better research methods, and the differences – if any – in addressing these complex issues with the public, policymakers, and researchers.
On Thursday 6th May we are honoured to welcome back the Institute for Ethics in AI for its Annual Lecture, which this year will be given by Professor Joshua Cohen. Professor Cohen (Philosophy and Law, Stanford) is a political philosopher. He has written on issues of democratic theory, freedom of expression, religious freedom, political equality, democracy and digital technology, good jobs, and global justice. His books include On Democracy; Democracy and Associations; Philosophy, Politics, Democracy; Rousseau: A Free Community of Equals; and The Arc of the Moral Universe and Other Essays.
Professor Leah Tomkins
As part of a year of events marking the centenary of the death of the writer Franz Kafka, alumna Leah Tomkins join us for a conversation on her new book Franz Kafka and the Truths of Leadership (Edward Elgar Publishing) with the journalist and broadcaster Shelagh Fogarty on Friday 7th June. Franz Kafka is a writer who seems to crystallise modern understandings of the institutions of work, family, religion and the law, especially when they go awry. Images from stories such as The Trial and The Metamorphosis have soaked into the cultural conversation to such an extent that the expression ‘Kafkaesque’ immediately conjures up a mix of the awful and the absurd. Challenging the popular view of Kafka as patron-saint of the underdog, and emphasising the significance of his own work as a leader, Leah’s book explores Kafka’s expertise in the exercise of power. Kafka anticipates many of the core themes of leadership – both good and bad – but especially leadership of the populist, ‘post-truth’ kind, where facts are often overpowered by fictions and fantasies. The event will be introduced by Richard Ovenden, the Bodley’s Librarian, and is supported by ROUNDHOUSE FINANCIAL SERVICES (LONDON) LIMITED.
To round off the Trinity Term programme, the Digital Hub will host Hands-on History: Gaming Peripherals Past and Present on Tuesday 11th June. The event explores the history of gaming peripherals over the past 50 years on an innovative and interactive adventure. Guests can experience block stacking with R.O.B the Robot, musical jams with Donkey Konga, a real Mario Kart circuit with remote control karts, and much more! The event is supported by JoyPad.
To view the full listing page on the College website, click here.
Oxford Green Action Week (OGAW) provides an important opportunity to demonstrate the progress the College is already making towards carbon neutrality, and showcase just some if the sustainability initiatives that Jesus members are undertaking.
In 2023, Jesus launched a five-year Environmental Sustainability Strategy as part of its new Strategic Plan 2023-2027. The strategy sets out an action plan towards the College becoming net zero carbon by 2035, in line with the University of Oxford’s target. The challenges of reducing the College’s carbon footprint across all aspects of its estate, infrastructure and operations range from effectively managing waste and recycling to better conserving energy, and enhancing biodiversity. To oversee this work, an Environmental Sustainability Working Group was established in Michaelmas 2023, and comprises Fellows, staff and students.
Jesus’s OGAW activities kick off on Wednesday 21st February (17.00-19.00, Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub) with a forum on the College’s Environmental Sustainability Action Plan. Hosted by the Environmental Sustainability Working Group, the forum gives College members the chance to learn more about the steps the College is taking to become more sustainable, and discuss ideas for further action. Topics will include improvements to the College fabric, divestment and the OxFarm2Fork initiative, of which Jesus is a partner. All College members are welcome to attend.
To coincide with the forum and following previous feedback to the Working Group, the Accommodation, Conferences and Catering Department is rolling out a new labelling system across College to help all current members separate their waste more efficiently.
The College’s Catering Team already prioritises sourcing ingredients from sustainable sources wherever possible, but on Thursday 22nd February they’ll be going one step further with Sustainable Lunch Day. Head Chef Anand Dube and his team will be offering wild venison (sourced from a local butcher) as the main meat dish, alongside regular vegetarian dishes. Venison is the UK’s most sustainable meat choice, and also a great source of protein, and incredibly low in fat. It contains minerals that are good for health, including iron, phosphorus, potassium, and zinc as well as vitamins B6 and B12. Elsewhere, a selection of handcrafted beers from the Church Hanbrewery in West Oxfordshire will be on offer in the College Bar all week.
Jesus students are also keenly involved in OGAW, and will be hosting the following events:
Thursday 22nd February, 17.00 – 19.00, Cheng Cafe.
A fun evening of painting flower pots and planting seeds which students can take home and grow. All materials supplied, and free pizza and drinks.
Friday 23rd February, 17.30 – 18.30, Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub
JCR-organised talk by Professor Rosemary Gillespie, Visiting Senior Research Fellow in Evolutionary Biology and Biodiversity on the effects of climate change on biodiversity loss. Includes fairtrade wine tasting.
Ahead of OGAW and the upcoming Jazz Ball, the JCR also held a formal dress swap which encouraged students to share and/or hire dresses as a sustainable alternative to buying new outfits.
OTHER EVENTS
Friday 23rd February, 12.30, Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub
The Digital Hub will also be hosting a Climate League of Oxford and Cambridge (CLOC) event which brings together a panel of sustainability experts and college bursars to discuss and showcase sustainability initiatives in Oxford colleges. More details can be found here.
Thursday 22nd February, 17.30-18.30, Dorfman Centre at St. Peters College
Oxford Women* in Law Student Society (OWLSS) is hosting a panel event open to anyone and everyone, interested in a career in law with a focus on environmental impact. There will be a partner and associate from Hogan Lovells’ ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) team who will talk about current cases they’re working on in the renewable energy industry, as well as tips for students to enter into the sector.
Speakers: Julia Cripps (Associate) & Rita Hunter (Partner)
The Digital Hub at Jesus College, Oxford, is a new physical and virtual space in the centre of Oxford that brings together the brightest minds and the curious. It opened in 2022, and the Hub’s term-time events programme offers a wide range of interactive events, talks, workshops and performances on digital themes led by Jesus College researchers and collaborators from across the University. The programme is curated by the SOUTHWORKS Career Development Fellow for the Digital Hub, Dr Janina Schupp.
The HT24 programme includes an interactive climate change modelling bootcamp, an exploration of metaverse ethics through the eyes of Jamaican school students, an evening of talks and pitches by digital entrepreneurs, and a special St David’s Day event where participants can map the Welsh language through social media. In addition, the Hub Programme will host ESI Next Gen – a two-day conference for those working in, studying or interested in the integration of video games and esports in academia.
FULL EVENT LISTING AND BOOKING LINKS
Thursday 1st February 2024
17.30 – 19.00
FREE. Includes pizza and drinks
Join us for an interactive workshop that will test your ideas on solutions to climate change. We will be using En-ROADS, a global climate simulator that enables users to explore the impact that dozens of policies – such as electrifying transport, pricing carbon and improving agricultural practices – have on factors like temperature, air quality and seal level rise. As we’ve seen in COP28, there are numerous areas where action can lead to impact. We’ll use the En-ROADS simulator to help people make connections between the possibilities available to help ensure a resilient future, and give you an insight in to how international negotiations work. The workshop will be led by Jesus alumnus Dr David Preece (2001, Geography) and is hosted in collaboration with the College’s Environmental Sustainability Working Group.
Tuesday 13th February 2024
14.30 – 16.30
FREE. Includes cake and tea
One of the exciting developments in virtual reality is the Metaverse – a shared, immersive, and interactive virtual environment that allows for a digital representation of the user. Project Amplify, a collaboration between Youth Can Do I.T. (YCDI) in Kingston, Jamaica and Jesus College at Oxford University, explores the ethical design and use of such emerging digital environments, through the eyes and experiences of Jamaican youth. Join us as we hear from the project team and youth participants about their learnings/findings from the project; come and explore how ethical concepts influenced the design of the youth’s own metaverse spaces, and finally, grab a headset and immerse yourself in the virtual reality (VR) worlds created by the participants! It promises to be an exciting and thought-provoking session of discovery and exploration as told through the eyes of young people. Light refreshments provided. NOTE: Doors will open at 14:00 for a 14:30 start. Videos of the project will be screened during this time.
Tuesday 20th February 2024
Time: 5-7.30pm
Are you a start-up ready to showcase your ideas or are you interested in entrepreneurship in general? Join us for an evening of exciting pitches and inspirational talks by successful entrepreneurs. As part of the entrepreneurship showcase, the Cheng Kar Shun Digital Hub is delighted to be holding this year’s Oxford Hult Prize competition. The Hult Prize competition challenges student entrepreneurs to pitch ideas on improving global sustainability through innovation. The winning team from Oxford will travel to one of ten cities around the world to pitch for $1M in funding to transform their vision into reality. Book now if you would like to participate in the competition or are interested in seeing others enter the Dragon’s Den.
Friday 1st March 2024
15.00 – 16.30
FREE. Includes tea and cake
To celebrate the bond between Wales and Jesus College, the Digital Hub invites you for a talk by Professor David Willis during which we will explore the spread and evolution of Welsh language on social media. This will be followed by a tea and cake reception during which you can try your hand at our English language quiz and let the computer guess where you are from based on how you speak.
Wednesday 6th and Thursday 7th March 2024
08:00 – 20:00
A two-day extravaganza for professionals, academics, students, and enthusiasts dedicated to exploring the endless possibilities of video games and esports in educational settings. The event, run by ESI Insider, promises to be a hub of innovation, knowledge sharing, and networking opportunities for educators, students, industry professionals, and anyone passionate about incorporating gaming and esports in education, both curricular and extra-curricular. Alongside a full conference day in Oxford, with main stage talks dedicated to learning and collaboration, attendees can delve into breakout sessions and workshops that will provide insights into the latest trends and best practices in integrating gaming and esports into education. ESI Next Gen serves as a unique platform for educators, industry leaders, and students to exchange ideas, share success stories, and explore the rapidly evolving landscape of gaming and esports in education.
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