On Wednesday, the first of the Upper Sixth Academic Lecture Series featured Dr Katherine Brown, from the University of Birmingham, giving a fascinating talk entitled Who Wants to be a Jihadi Bride? – Understanding and Preventing Violent Extremism. Dr Brown is a lecturer in Islamic Studies at the university and her talk was designed to stimulate discussion and critical thought about the circumstances that lead Western women and girls to journey to the Middle East to join extremist groups. Students were asked to consider what might lead young British women to make this decision and what our own role in preventing this might be. The lecture was interactive, stimulating and thought-provoking and tackled some very relevant and important issues. It was a great start to the new Lecture Series!
The great Easter Debate: a sweet, chaotic showdown
If you were expecting a serious, well-structured debate at this year’s Easter debate, you were in for a surprise. What unfolded was less of a formal argument and more of a theatrical masterpiece – complete with flying chocolate, wild accusations and a speaker who somehow turned it into a human rights campaign for sugar.
