An Inaugural Lecture marks a significant milestone in any academic career.
Join us as we celebrate the extraordinary careers and research excellence of our academic colleagues, recently joined or promoted to Professor.
In these special open lectures, our professors welcome family, friends, colleagues and members of the public for a memorable evening unpacking their research expertise and offering insights from their career journey.
The Inaugural Lecture Series showcases a wide range of subjects and professorial expertise. These beacons of Brunel’s research community are leaders in their wider field, presenting their expertise, free and open to all.
As part of our 60th Anniversary celebrations, we are thrilled to welcome you to our new series of Inaugural Lectures.
Upcoming Lectures
Daniele Rugo: The Image of Genocide - Tomorrow and the Day After Tomorrow
The opening lecture of this series will feature Professor Daniele Rugo as he examines the continued significance of images from the Gaza Genocide and proposes new ways of understanding their function and temporality.
Book here
Emmanouil Karteris: A journey through academia in pursuit of my Ithaka
The second event in this series will be Professor Emmanouil Karteris as he recounts his academic journey capturing higher education, research, and academic life as a transformative voyage, inspired by C.P. Cavafy’s Ithaka.
Book here
Michael Wayne - Understanding the British Crisis: 2008 to the present.
This lecture will feature Professor Micheal Wayne as he argues that the commitment of the Westminster parties to a project of distributing wealth from the rest to the rich, lies behind the crisis of political representation.
Book here
Harjit Singh - Practical engineering solutions for energy challenge
The talk will dwell on research experience in developing practical solar energy generators (for power, heat and cooling) and vacuum insulation (thermal insulation) in collaboration with global academic and industry partners. Specific outputs, impact and future directions will be shared as well.
Book here
David Tree
The next event in this series will be Professor David Tree centred around a Geneticist's Journey to Educational Leadership.
Book here
Tze Pei Chong - Learning from nature to quiet our machines
Modern society relies on machines that move through air and water, from aircraft and wind turbines to drones and vehicles. While these technologies bring enormous benefits and conveniences, they also generate noise that affects communities and the environment. A major scientific challenge is therefore how to design machines that are both efficient and quiet. This lecture will explore how nature offers powerful inspiration for solving this problem. Many animals have evolved sophisticated aerodynamic and hydrodynamic features that allow them to move silently through their environments. By studying these natural designs, such as the silent flight of owls and the surface structures of marine animals, engineers can develop new strategies to reduce noise while maintaining or even improving performance. The talk will also reflect on the broader journey of research in this field and its role in shaping a quieter and more sustainable technological future.
Book here
Learn more
For more information about the series or other research events at Brunel, please contact the team on researchengagement@brunel.ac.uk.
How to get here
All of the lectures in the series will be taking place on campus in Uxbridge, West London; you can find out more by clicking here. All those who register for an event will receive joining instructions, detailing timings and the exact venue location.
As public events in the evening, you are allowed to park on campus free of charge as long as you arrive after 4.30pm. We cannot guarantee that there will be be a space for your vehicle, so if you do choose to drive please come in good time in order to find a place to park. If you choose to walk, bike or use public transport please click here to find the best routes to get onto campus.
Livestream
We will provide Livestream details for all lectures, if you book an online ticket or in case you are unable to attend in-person.
Connect with us #BrunelLectures