About this day
This inspirational and informative programme will appeal to all A-level and IB Geography students studying or about to study globalisation, changing places and the carbon cycle. Geography in Action features five informative and engaging sessions in which leading geographers will extend students’ knowledge. This day also features a special talk given by an explorer designed to inspire students and motivate them to excel.
Programme & speakers
Superpower Geopolitics: from the Cold War to the ends of the Earth. Alasdair Pinkerton, Royal Holloway University of London
What is a superpower? And what do superpowers reveal about borders, sovereignty and geopolitics? Dr Alasdair Pinkerton will chart the rise of ‘superpowers’ during and after World War 2 and the emergence of new powers in an increasingly turbulent world
About Alasdair Pinkerton
Alasdair is a political geographer. He appears frequently in the UK and international media on issues related to global geopolitics, including the Falkland Islands, Gibraltar and the UK’s Overseas Territories.
Dangerous Neighbours: learning to live with volcanic activity Jenni Barclay, University of East Anglia
Some 800 million people live within 100 km of an active volcano and live with the hazards volcanic eruptions create. Jenni will explore those hazards, and the many different ways communities at risk cope with, and recover from volcanic eruptions.
About Jenni Barclay
Jenni works on reducing volcanic risk. She enjoys working with communities at risk and interpreting the clues about volcanic behaviour in the rocks from the eruption.
Exploration inspiration Benedict Allen, Explorer, author, TV presenter
Join Benedict as he relates tales of world wide exploration and encourage you with his infectious love of geography and the world around us.
About Benedict Allen
Benedict Allen FRGS is a writer, traveller and adventurer known for his technique of immersion among indigenous peoples from whom he acquires survival skills for hazardous journeys through unfamiliar terrain.
Stories from the ancient seas: Earth's dynamic carbon-cycle Kate Littler, University of Exeter
Human beings are turning the carbon-cycle on its head. Kate will tell us how ancient mud from below the bottom of the oceans, and the fossils and chemicals within, can give us insights into past upheavals in the carbon-cycle.
About Kate Littler
Kate is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Exeter. Her research focuses on carbon-cycling, ocean circulation, and orbital pacing in the Paleogene and Cretaceous greenhouse worlds.
Where is home? Geographies of migration and displacement Annabelle Wilkins
While we often think of home in terms of shelter and family life, home is also connected to feelings of belonging and identity. Drawing on the experiences of Vietnamese refugees in the UK and broader evidence on migration, this talk will explore what makes a place ‘home’ and the meanings of home for migrants and refugees.
About Annabelle Wilkins
Annabelle Wilkins is a social and cultural geographer with research interests in migration, displacement and home. She is a Research Associate at the University of Manchester.