Past events

Past CURE events have included:

SEMINAR – Energy, climate change and ‘impact’: Reflections on the role of the university

Dr Sara Fuller, Department of Environment and Geography, Macquarie University
Introduction and chairing: Professor Stefan Bouzarovski, University of Manchester
Wednesday, 9th July 2014, 4-5.30 pm
Venue: Hanson Room, Humanities Bridgeford Street building

The governance literature highlights the multiplicity of actors involved in addressing the challenges posed by climatechange. In this context one significant actor – distinct from other state and non-state actors – is that of the university. Action on climate change and energy within a university is manifest in forms including research, learning and teaching, and the development of low carbon campus infrastructure. Additionally as universities position themselves as key actors in their local community in economic, cultural, social and environmental terms, they increasingly seek to intervene on issues beyond their physical boundaries and create ‘impact’. However, such approaches rely on diverse conceptions of responsibility both within and beyond the university. This paper draws on case studies to review the multiple ways that the university is conceptualised in the context of action on energy and climate change and consider the wider implications in terms of emerging frameworks of governance, responsibility and opportunity.

SEMINAR – ‘Climax City’: Adaptation and Resilience

David Rudlin and Sam Brandt, URBED
Introduction and chairing: Dr Joe Ravetz, University of Manchester
Tuesday, 18th February 2014, 4.30-6 pm
Humanities Bridgeford Street building, Room 1.69

Climax City and the the lost art of city building: how spontaneous growth and master planning interact in the building of cities: or, how human societies create their urban nest. This interactive round table seminar looks at evidence and prospects for adaptation and resilience in urban form, planning and design, with examples from Milton Keynes to Guwahati via New York and Paris.  

SEMINAR – ‘A Vote of ‘No Confidence’: Why US Local Governments Take Action in Response to Shale Gas and Oil Development’

Joint seminar with the Geography discipline at SEED, supported by Manchester Energy
Professor Susan Christopherson, Cornell University
Introduction and chairing: Dr Saska Petrova, University of Manchester
Wednesday, 19th March 2014, 5-6.30 pm
Humanities Bridgeford Street building, Cordingley Theatre

A poster for the event can be found here. World-leading geography and planning academic Susan Christopherson presented some of her latest work on the political and economic challenges associated with the development of unconventional hydrocarbon development in the United States.

• Seminar with Gordon Walker on the ‘right to energy’, 11h February 2015. More information available here.
• Seminar with Stuart Dawley and Danny McKinnon, with a discussion by Gavin Bridge, 16th February 2015. More information available here.

PANEL DISCUSSIONS AND COLLOQUIA

• FORESIGHTING A FUTURE WITH CITIES – A ROUNDTABLE FORUM ON FUTURE-ORIENTED RESEARCH-POLICY, 24th June 2015.
• ‘Fracking: Energy Futures and Energy Vulnerability’, 7th October 2014. Report available here
• Double header event on current urban issues Professor Simon Marvin and Professor Jenny Pickerill. 11th November 2014. More details available here.
• Colloquium on Environmental transitions, 11th December 2014. More details available here.

PRESENTATIONS BY CURE MEMBERS

• A seminar by Professor Stefan Bouzarovski on ‘Retrofitted cities: Transforming buildings from within‘ for the Manchester Architecture Centre, 19th February 2014;
• A seminar by Dr Joe Ravetz on ‘Low-carbon synergy and social intelligence – the internal logic of a transition pathway‘ for the Sustainable Consumption Institute, 26th February 2014.