Harpenden

Hot Issue Seminars (HIS)

Overview
The original idea for HIS evolved, four years ago, for a small group of U3Aers who wanted to explore specific topics thoroughly, with argument based on evidence and the aim of drawing considered conclusions? The idea was to create academic style seminars where the group collectively listened to a presentation and then discussed it.

The first session took place on 5th February 2020. The topic was ‘Good Economics for Hard Times’ based on a podcast produced by the Royal Society of Arts.

The early seminars used RSA podcasts and BBC Moral Maze recordings as stimulus material until Covid intervened and meetings had to go virtual. From then on we switched to members of the group choosing a topic, preparing pre-seminar reading material and briefly introducing the topic at each seminar. This has remained our procedure ever since we were able to meet in person again.

We are now a group of 14.

Topics covered so far:
2020 - 2021

  • Good economics for hard times
  • Climate crisis
  • Is democracy failing?
  • Populism
  • Environment and the climate crisis
  • Big tech and the future of democracy
  • Artificial intelligence
  • Economics and capitalism
  • The British economy; growth or what?
  • Meritocracy and privilege
  • China and world relationships
  • City, towns and villages post covid
  • The assault on truth
  • The triumph of aging and tragedy of agism
  • How to pay for the future of the NHS
  • Land rights/regaining the commons
  • The end of work.
  • The British constitution and the future of the House of Lords
  • How our views of the world are influenced

2022

  • Immigration
  • Levelling up
  • The BBC
  • Ukraine
  • Populism
  • The British Constitution & House of Lords
  • The Middle East
  • Social Media
  • Western moral superiority?
  • Successful human beings

2023

  • Water and the state of the rivers and oceans
  • Propaganda and power
  • Free speech
  • The BBC
  • Crime and public disorder (twice)
  • Ukraine
  • Central banking & interest rates
  • Supply chain security
  • The Israeli/Palestine crisis
  • Higher Education

2024 (Jan)

  • Journalism yesterday, today and in the future.

For further information please contact Chris Marsden (Group Convenor)

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More Group Pages
Art Appreciation Bus Pass Group
Church and Pub Climate Change
Creative Writing Current Affairs
Exploring London Family History
Gardening German Conversation
History Hot Issue Seminars (HIS)
Latin Local History
Mah Jong Needlecraft 1
Needlecraft 2 Play reading
Poetry Reading for Pleasure 1
Reading for Pleasure 2 Science & Technology
Scrabble Singing for Pleasure
Spanish Conversation Strollers - Saturday
Strollers - Weekday Walking Group