The University of Hertfordshire is inviting staff, students and the public to help them explore, innovate and imagine the future at their largest ever event – the Festival of Ideas.
Taking place next year on the 17 and 18 May 2024, the completely free, two-day, family-friendly festival will see the University opening up their campus to showcase their most innovative and exciting research work and opportunities.
Under the theme ‘Powering Your Tomorrow’, the Festival of Ideas will feature more than 50 diverse activities designed to bring work from across the University’s Schools and research and enterprise teams to life in entertaining and imaginative ways. From space gazing in the University’s pop-up planetarium and visits to virtual worlds, to exploring artificial intelligence and seeing life through the eyes of a robot living in Herts’ dedicated Robot House, the festival will feature a varied mix of immersive experiences, hands-on workshops, performances, exhibitions, film screenings and both virtual reality and real-life simulations.
A program of live talks and panel discussions by expert academics and industry leaders will also run over the two days, discussing future impact and solutions across a huge range of subjects including climate change, healthcare diversity, technology, industry and sustainability.
Prominent names from the sports, music, legal, healthcare, film, literary, arts and business world are also expected to be making an appearance, with announcements due to be made in the lead up to the festival.
Professor Quintin McKellar, Vice Chancellor at the University of Hertfordshire, said: “Herts is a dynamic and innovative university with a long history of driving ambition and enterprise across the region. Through our education, research, future skills development and innovation we are powering tomorrow for the sake of everyone’s future – which is exactly what the Festival of Ideas will celebrate.”
“We are really looking forward to welcoming all members of our community to our campus for the University’s biggest ever public event, so they can see first-hand the incredible range of work that happens here. Whether it’s by immersing themselves in our research, trying out some of our state-of-the-art facilities, meeting some of our incredible academics, researchers and students or helping us to explore new issues and ideas, we want everyone to leave the Festival of Ideas feeling inspired, informed and aware of what we are doing to help sustain and improve tomorrow’s world.”
The University of Hertfordshire’s Festival of Ideas takes place on Friday 17 May and Saturday 18 May. Register your interest now to receive updates, and secure early notice to reserve a free place on our sessions with limited spaces.
Contact
Press Office news@herts.ac.uk
+44 (0)1707 285 770
