An array of talks and seminars are taking place here at Clare Hall in the coming weeks, open to all College members to enjoy. Dates for your diary include…

Digital Humanities talk by Dr Anthony Harris

Monday 13 February, 5pm, Richard Eden Suite

These days the term ‘Digital Humanities’ is used in various academic settings, but what exactly is it? In general, it can be explained as the use of any digital tools or resources to accomplish scholarly research outcomes in Humanities research. However, in more modern times it has also been used to refer (even) to the application of mathematics (including statistics, and probability) to Humanities datasets.

Led by Clare Hall Research Fellow and Tutor, Dr Anthony Harris, this session will look at a few examples of the Digital Humanities, including digital imaging, databases, websites, ‘coding’, and the use of spreadsheets for Humanities projects. Students should bring their own projects to the session, during which (or afterwards in optional supervisions) they will have an opportunity to ask questions regarding the most suitable digital tools to use in their research.

The Betty Behrens Seminar on Classics of Historiography

Thursday 16 February – Thursday 9 March, 2pm, Richard Eden Suite

The Betty Behrens Seminar on Classics of Historiography offers a unique opportunity for students and scholars to reflect on some great historical works and engage in discussion with renowned experts. As we know, a classic is recognised as such insofar as it retains its value as an intellectual and cognitive tool, helping us to gain an understanding of the past as well as the present from a particular cultural viewpoint. Classics still have the capacity to resonate and speak to us about current problems. They produce perspectives that are implicitly comparative and dynamic, thanks to the historical dimension passing through both them and us. These considerations are even more relevant when we speak about the classics of historiography because the same historical dimension is present on several more levels. These classics challenge us to contemplate some historical problems, which are only fully understood when properly contextualised. In the same way, even the classic itself can fruitfully produce its own intellectually provocative value only when it is read through the eyes of the present but interpreted with a historicist approach. This seminar series will endeavour to underline the importance of the classics of historiography for their relevant intellectual function in creating critical political thought.

Three Slide Talks

Thursday 16 February, 7pm, ALB

Clare Hall’s Three Slide Talks will return this Lent and Easter terms, following their inception by Dr Keri Wong and Dr Roland Alexander several years ago. College members are invited to give 10-15 minute presentations using no more than three slides, followed by an informal discussion on their topic. Speakers are encouraged to be creative with the presentation, whether it’s on their research or another topic, and must stick to the three-slide rule!

Speakers in February will include:

• Diana Voicu, PhD student in Genetics, on Why ‘junk DNA’ matters – from maize to primate evolution
• Professor Paul Hedges, Visiting Fellow from Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore, on Christian Polytheism? On the Politics of Terminology
• Esdras Paravizo, PhD student in Engineering, on The method of play: using games in (design) research

Discover more via Esdras’ emails, and contact him for further details: ep650@cam.ac.uk

The Clare Hall Tanner Lecture on Human Values 2023: Professor Paul Krugman and Professor Meg Jacobs

Tuesday 14 March, Robinson Auditorium

The 2023 Tanner Lecture at Clare Hall is to be delivered by the Nobel Laureate Paul Krugman, Professor Emeritus at Princeton University, Distinguished Professor of Economics at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York, and Centennial Professor at the London School of Economics, together with Professor Meg Jacobs, Senior Research Scholar at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. They will explore current and historic inflation.

Invitations are being circulated now. This is an in-person only event, and there will not be a livestream or publicly-accessible video recording. For any queries, please email Tam Marshall-Watts, College Registrar, via college.registrar@clarehall.cam.ac.uk

Further afield…

Cambridge Festival 2023

Friday 17 March – Saturday 22 April 2023

The Cambridge Festival features a range of online, on-demand and in-person events covering all aspects of the world-leading research happening at Cambridge. If you are a Clare Hall member and are involved in an event within this year’s festival, please email the Communications Office so we might publicise this to College members.