Imperial Annual Lectures

Explore groundbreaking innovations in electromagnetism with Sir John Pendry for the Dean's Annual Lecture from the Faculty of Natural Sciences. Learn how metamaterials—revolutionary materials with novel electromagnetic properties—can redefine imaging, communication, energy technologies, and even concepts like invisibility. For more information about events at Imperial College London visit our website:

Gravity is the overarching miracle connecting everything, everywhere, forever in the Universe. But the brightest minds in physics are yet to uncover its secrets. At this year’s Festive Lecture, Professor Claudia de Rham, Imperial’s Professor of Theoretical Physics and Director of the Abdus Salam Centre for Theoretical Physics, invites you to join her on a captivating adventure navigating the different meanings of gravity and the lessons learned through a life in pursuit of gravity. With Professor de Rham, we’ll consider predicting our own fall and embracing free-fall (or more scientifically) how gravity manifests itself through the curvature of spacetime. We’ll think about universality, gravity’s well-hidden sense of humour and ask if gravity – the most subtle and delicate phenomenon known to exist – could ultimately end up being the most important ingredient in the whole Universe? About our speaker Professor Claudia de Rham researches gravity, particle physics and cosmology in pursuit

The Grantham Institute Annual Lecture 2024 is given by trailblazing politician, environmental activist and author, Caroline Lucas. The links between the rise of populism, and the acceleration of the nature and climate emergencies, are complex and increasingly inextricable. The extreme right will exploit any and every opportunity to sow discord, and weaponising climate action has now become a major feature of their playbook. At the same time, planetary collapse will create exactly the conditions in which the politics of the populist hard right thrives – chaos, fear and division. Preventing Earth system collapse and preventing the rise of the extreme right are therefore twin tasks that have to be tackled together. This can seem an intractable challenge, until we recognise that it is bold climate action itself which is the best way to neutralise the populist threat. Because if it is to be successful and sustainable, climate action requires exactly the nationwide investment, democratic ren

Join Professor Stuart Schreiber, Morris Loeb Professor at Harvard University and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, for the Department of Chemistry’s annual Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson Lecture. For more information about events at Imperial College London visit our website:

Global Development Hub Annual Lecture – Urban Resilience and Climate Adaptation: A Conversation with the Mayor of Freetown. In partnership with C40, join The Global Development Hub at Imperial for an engaging discussion with Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, Mayor of Freetown and Co-Chair of the C40 Cities Network to hear her thoughts on the future of urban sustainability and policy, and the progress made towards achieving SDG 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities. In this discussion, chaired by Professor Frank Kelly, Yvonne will address the challenges and opportunities that cities face in the 21st century, with a particular focus on Least Developed countries. She will share her vision for a sustainable Freetown, speaking on the importance of data-driven policies and community-led solutions. The discussion will provide an opportunity to explore how cities can balance growth and sustainability, ensuring a high quality of life for residents, whilst taking steps to tackle climate change and protec

Join Dame Anne Glover, Special Advisor to the Principal at the University of Strathclyde and the President of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society for the Annual Athena Lecture.

The Geoffrey Wilkinson Lecture, established in 2022, is a flagship Chemistry annual lecture named after Sir Geoffrey Wilkinson FRS, a Nobel laureate English chemist who pioneered inorganic chemistry and homogeneous transition metal catalysis. This year’s lecture will be given by Professor Ewine van Dishoeck, Professor of Molecular Astrophysics at Leiden Observatory. Professor van Dishoeck is the former President of the International Astronomical Union and a co-editor of the Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics.