A university's role in shaping the future: What more can we do?
Your hosts and panellists for the launch of Forged in Sheffield, Shaping the Future each bring with them a deep connection to Sheffield and a passion for creating positive change. They'll come together to spark interesting discussion and create an unforgettable evening.
Master of Ceremonies
Dan Walker, Master of Ceremonies
Dan Walker is a prominent journalist, newsreader and presenter. He fronts Chanel 5’s flagship 5 News programme, as well as hosting Classic FM’s breakfast show. Previous presenting roles include BBC One’s Football Focus, and BBC Breakfast. Dan graduated from Sheffield with a BA in History in 1998, staying to complete an MA in Journalism the following year. Dan maintains close ties with the University and the city, having moved back with his family in 2011. He's heavily involved with his former department - sitting on their Advisory Board, giving guest lectures and mentoring aspiring journalists as part of the Dan Walker Scholarship.
Your hosts
Claire Brownlie, Speaker
Claire Brownlie is Director of Student Futures at Liverpool Hope University. With 25 years' experience across the education sector, Claire is also a qualified executive coach and strategic fundraising and stakeholder engagement consultant. She’s previously worked in PR, alumni engagement and fundraising in senior roles at the universities of Sheffield, Manchester, Nottingham and Queen Mary University of London. Now a Pro-Chancellor here at the University of Sheffield, she began her career as President of Sheffield Students’ Union in 1995 and has remained a passionate member of the alumni community ever since.
Professor Marie Kinsey, Panel Chair
Marie Kinsey is a broadcaster, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Emeritus Professor of Journalism Education at the University of Sheffield. After early career roles presenting for BBC Radio London, she became Deputy Financial Editor for IRN/LBC where she won a Wincott Award for Excellence in Financial Journalism. Marie co-presented The City Programme on Thames TV before returning to LBC to front The Business Programme. She was also among the BBC's first regional bi-media business and industry correspondents at Radio 4 and 5 Live. A former MA course leader here at the University, Marie now volunteers on the Journalism, Media and Communication Advisory Board, in addition to writing and presenting orations for honorary graduands.
Professor Koen Lamberts, Host
Koen Lamberts is President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Sheffield, with leading roles across higher education, including Chair of UKCISA's Board of Trustees and Board Member of the Russell Group. Koen is a leading expert in experimental research into cognitive processes in perception, memory and decision making, and of mathematical and computational modelling of these processes. He has vast experience of commercial and industrial partnerships in applied research, with a focus on consumer behaviour and product design.
Your panel
Ade Solanke, Panellist
Ade Solanke is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter. Having studied English Literature at Sheffield, she worked as an arts journalist before launching a PR company for the creative industries. In 1992 Ade earned a Fulbright Scholarship for a screenwriting masters in California, going on to work as a story analyst for Disney, New Line and Sundance. Her debut stage play, Pandora’s Box, was nominated as Best New Play at the Off West End Theatre Awards, and toured nationally to glowing reviews. Born in London to Nigerian parents, Ade has been both a Royal Literary Fund Fellow and writer-in-residence for the British Film Institute. Ade received the Professor Robert Boucher Distinguished Alumni Award in 2016.
Andy Haldane, Panellist
Andy Haldane is Chief Executive of the RSA, and has been named by Time magazine as among the world’s 100 most influential people. Prior to his role at the RSA, he was the Bank of England’s Chief Economist and served as Chair of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Council. Andy is the founder of Pro Bono Economics, a charity that encourages economists to assist with projects on a voluntary basis. He's also a trustee for National Numeracy and Patron of the charities Reach and Speakers for Schools. Andy studied Economics at Sheffield, and was awarded an honorary degree by the University in 2018.
Professor Lee Elliot Major, Panellist
Lee Elliot Major is the UK’s first Professor of Social Mobility and a world-leading expert on improving the prospects of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. His work directly impacts policymaking across schools, universities, governments and global employers, and he regularly features in national media on education and social mobility issues. Lee is a former Chief Executive of the Sutton Trust, Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, a founding trustee of the Education Endowment Foundation, and sits on the DfE’s Schools Strategy and Delivery Advisory Group. The first in his family to attend university, Lee holds both a PhD in theoretical physics and an honorary degree from Sheffield, and was awarded an OBE in 2019.
Professor Dame Pam Shaw, Panellist
Pam Shaw is a multi-award-winning academic neurologist, Director of the Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), and a world-leader in motor neuron disease (MND) research. Having authored more than 560 publications, her work has proven instrumental in the genetic subclassification of MND and in the development of new therapies with significant impact on life expectancy and quality of life. A former Pro-Vice Chancellor for the Faculty of Health, Pam has led the national Association of British Neurologists’ Clinical Research Academic Committee, and sat on the panels of key neuroscience bodies including the Medical Research Council, Wellcome Trust, and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Appointed Sheffield’s Professor of Neurology in 2000, she has personally secured over £170m in research funding and has greatly expanded the workforce capacity of SITraN - today it comprises more than 300 staff and graduate students.