Stamford Lectures

Christo Brand

Lessons from a Warder and his Prisoner

Thursday 10 June – 19:00*

In 1978, at the age of 19, Christo Brand was given his first posting to Robben Island as a prison warder. It was here that he first met Nelson Mandela, aged 60 at the time, and they formed a close friendship built on trust and mutual respect for each other during such a difficult apartheid era.

Join us in listening to the stories and recollections of Christo Brand live from South Africa.

*This will be an online lecture. Booking details to follow.

Dr Kevin Fong

Kevin Fong is a consultant anaesthetist at University College London. He holds degrees in astrophysics, medicine and aerospace engineering, he has worked and trained with NASA, and he’s an award-winning BBC presenter and author.

Over 50 years ago, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin successfully landed on the moon for the first time in the history of our species. The final 13 minutes of their descent were riddled with hazards, as the astronauts wrestled with communication problems, navigation errors, computer failures, the limits of fragile technology and dwindling fuel reserves. Although those watching around the world might not have realised it, the mission teetered on the brink of failure.

In his lecture, Professor Fong will unpick that 13 minute descent, and examine how the processes for making decisions in that extreme, time-pressured environment averted disaster and made that historic mission a success.

Stamford Lecture via Zoom on Friday 29 January 2021 @ 19.00

UPDATE 29/01/2021 10.40: The Stamford Lecture is now fully booked, and we have removed the registration link.

Ben Thompson

Ben is one of the presenters for BBC Breakfast, covering news and business for the programme.  He previously anchored BBC World’s flagship daily business programme, Business Live. He spent three years as the BBC’s Middle East Business Correspondent, reporting from a dozen countries including Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia and Lebanon. After his time in the Middle East, Ben reported from New York and Washington, serving as North America Business Correspondent.

Sarah Outen MBE (OS 03)

A record-breaking adventurer by land and sea, bestselling author, award-winning filmmaker and motivational speaker, Old Stamfordian Sarah was the first woman and the youngest person to row solo across the Indian Ocean and also the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska.

Claire Lomas MBE (OS 98)

A motivational speaker, campaigner, fundraiser and former event rider, Old Stamfordian Claire became a paraplegic as a result of a riding accident in 2007. In 2012, she finished the 32nd Virgin London Marathon in 17 days using the ReWalk robotic suit.

Professor AC Grayling

A British philosopher and author; previously Professor of Philosophy at Birkbeck, University of London, where he taught from 1991; a supernumerary fellow of St Anne’s College, Oxford;

Dr Suzannah Lipscomb

A British historian, academic and television presenter who has written and appeared in a number of television and radio programmes about British history; appointed to a personal chair as Professor of History at the University of Roehampton;

David Starkey

An English constitutional historian and radio and television presenter; formerly a lecturer in history at LSE and written several books on the Tudors;

Chadden Hunter

Producer / Director on BBC’s Seven Worlds One Planet; previously on Planet Earth 2, Wild Arabia, Planet Earth, Life and Frozen Planet.