Explore today's real world issues in Law, Criminology, Psychology, Business and Computer Science. With inquisitive minds, we will question the world and form our own opinions. We’ll debate systems, procedures and behaviours. You may arrive at these events with questions, but you’ll leave with an ability to answer.
Join us as our popular Real World Lectures series returns with thought-provoking topics designed to challenge perspectives and spark discussion. From society’s obsession with True Crime to the complexities of Ethical Leadership, we’ll explore the issues shaping the world today. Stay tuned for full details and speaker announcements.
Real World Lecture
Must Justice be 'Seen to be Done'?
Wednesday 9 September 2026
From secret courts to super injunctions, can justice truly exist if the public never knows the full story?
This thought-provoking Real World Lecture explores one of the most pressing tensions in modern law: the conflict between open justice and the growing number of restrictions placed on what can be reported about court proceedings. From gagging orders to closed hearings, journalists and bloggers face a complex web of rules that can prevent the public from ever learning the full facts behind crimes, civil claims and other wrongdoing.
But if justice is not seen to be done, is it really justice at all? This session will examine the concept of open justice, the reasons reporting restrictions exist, and whether they can survive in an age of social media, citizen journalism and instant information sharing.
Perfect for anyone interested in media law, criminal justice or the future of the legal system, this session offers a timely and accessible introduction to one of law's most enduring debates.
Real World Lecture
Can AI Save Your Life?
Wednesday 14 October 2026
AI is diagnosing diseases faster than doctors, predicting patient outcomes and accelerating drug discovery. But can we trust machines with life or death decisions? This session looks at real world medical AI in practice, where it is already changing outcomes, where it falls short, and the ethical questions raised by handing healthcare decisions to algorithms.
Perfect for anyone interested in healthcare, technology or the ethics of artificial intelligence, this session offers a timely and accessible introduction to one of medicine's most urgent debates.
Real World Lecture
What Threats Should We Be Alert to in Today's Society?
Wednesday 11 November 2026
Since the attacks of 11 September 2001 and 7 July 2005, UK counterterrorism law has been rewritten again and again. Eleven Acts of Parliament later, is it keeping pace with the threat? This session traces that legislative journey from the Terrorism Act 2000 to today, examining what has worked, what has not, and where newer risks such as single issue extremism sit outside the current legal framework.
Perfect for anyone interested in criminal law, human rights or national security, this session offers a timely and accessible introduction to one of law's most pressing debates.
Real World Lecture
Why Do Entrepreneurs Jump With Faulty Parachutes?
Wednesday 9 December 2026
You know your parachute has an 80 to 90% chance of failure. There is no backup. Would you still jump?
This engaging and thought-provoking Real World Lecture explores why entrepreneurs take extraordinary leaps of faith in the face of overwhelming risk and uncertainty, and how the best of them find ways to land safely even when things go wrong. Drawing on real-world case studies, this session examines the psychology behind entrepreneurial decision making, including the illusion of control, the unknown unknowns of markets and the anatomy of resilience.
From pivoting under pressure to stitching the silk while still in the air, discover what separates those who survive the fall from those who do not, and what it really takes to build something from nothing when the odds are firmly against you.
Perfect for anyone interested in business, entrepreneurship or the mindset behind innovation, this session will challenge the way you think about risk, failure and what it means to succeed.
Real World Questions
As a student, we give you the space to explore current issues in:
Law, Criminology, Psychology, Business, Computer Science and more.
We equip you with the professional knowledge you need to go out and excel in your chosen career and shape the world around you. Read on to explore the issues through expert opinion blogs or join one of our Real World Lectures above.
Find out more