Community Conversations

Join us at the Crown and Treaty Uxbridge for a friendly, collaborative exploration of some of the latest research taking place at Brunel University London, facilitated by four of Brunel’s leading academics. The conversation will provide lots of opportunity to pose questions to the academics, as well as discuss the implications of the research for Uxbridge, its residents and the local Hillingdon community.

Community Conversations are a friendly collaborative exploration of some of the latest research taking place at Brunel University London, facilitated by four of Brunel's leading academics.

Conversations provide lots of opportunities to pose questions to the academics, as well as the implications of the research for Uxbridge, its residents and the community.

Event 1 - Community Conversations: Brunel University and Uxbridge (26 February, 2024)

Geoff Rodgers was appointed to Brunel University in 1989 as a lecturer in Physics, becoming a Reader in Mathematical Physics in 2001 and Professor of Theoretical Physics in 2003. Having led the research agenda at Brunel for 15 years, as Pro Vice Chancellor and Deputy Vice Chancellor, he has recently been appointed as Pro Vice Chancellor for Enterprise and Employment, with particular responsibility for Brunel’s local, civic partnerships.

Event 2 - Community Conversations: Why Write Poetry? (4 March, 2024)

Join Daljit Nagra MBE Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel in conversation to discuss how poetry can be essential to wellbeing.

Daljit Nagra is a Professor of Creative Writing at Brunel University, Chair of the Royal Society of Literature, Council of Society of Authors, national advisor to Poetry By Heart, and a PBS New Generation Poet. His four poetry collections, have won the Forward Prize for Best Individual Poem and Best First Book, the South Bank Show Decibel Award and the Cholmondeley Award, and been shortlisted for the Costa Prize and twice for the TS Eliot Prize. Daljit is the inaugural Poet-in-Residence for Radio 4 & 4 Extra and presents the weekly Poetry Extra.

Event 3 - Community Conversations: Are social connections good for you? (11 March, 2024)

Professor Christina Victor is the Chair of Gerontology at Brunel University London. Christina’s research is focussed upon health and health inequalities and the evaluation of services for older people.

This conversation will look at different social connections and how we maintain them. It will also consider the benefits to different social interactions and the effects of being lonely. Additionally we will look at how maintaining and investing in social connections can support health and wellbeing.

Event 4 - Electronic Waste - Exploring public behaviour towards electronic waste (18 March, 2024)

Join Dr Lucia Corsini - Lecturer in Product Design and Enginnering in conversation to discuss attitudes towards electronic waste.

Waste products, electrical and electronic equipment (e-waste) is the fastest growing waste stream in UK and globally. In the UK, less that 35% of electrical and electronic equipment placed on the market is recovered, meaning that the vast majority is sent to landfill, incinerated, or illegally exported.

We generate 24.9kg of e-waste per person and 155,000 tonnes of e-waste is thrown away in household bins every year. Yet the value of precious metals in this unrecovered e-waste is worth over £370 million annually. This community conversation will discuss the public’s behaviour and attitudes towards e-waste, covering topics such as consumption, product lifetimes, hoarding, reuse, repair, recycling and disposal.