Great Lives | University of Lincoln

Great Lives Lecture Series

The University of Lincoln regularly welcomes high-profile individuals from all over the world to speak at our prestigious Great Lives lecture series. Open to staff, students, and the general public, the series connects audiences with inspiring figures who are considered leaders in the worlds of business, sport, politics, science, and the arts.

Chris Packham

Naturalist and TV presenter Chris Packham has delivered a number of Great Lives lectures and was appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Lincoln in 2015. His passion, knowledge and vast experience has benefited undergraduates on Zoology, Biology, Biomedical Science, Bioveterinary Science, Animal Behaviour and Welfare courses, as well as students in the School of English and Journalism and Lincoln School of Film and Media.

Carol Ann Duffy

Dame Carol Ann Duffy is the first woman to hold the post of Poet Laureate in its nearly 350-year history, and was appointed in 2009 for a ten-year fixed term. At Lincoln, Carol Ann is currently a Visiting Artist, giving lectures as well as speaking to students and alumni.

Lord Victor Adebowale

Lord Victor Adebowale CBE was Chancellor of the University of Lincoln from December 2008 until September 2023. He is recognised as a leading voice for people affected by poverty, mental health issues, drugs, alcohol, learning disability and complex needs.

Michael Mosley

Michael Mosley is a science presenter, journalist, and executive producer. He has become well-known for presenting health and medicine-based TV programmes for the BBC, and is also the author of the international bestselling books The Clever Guts Diet, The Fast Diet, Fast Exercise, and The 8-Week Blood Sugar Diet.

Angela Rippon

Famous for becoming the BBC’s first regular female newsreader in 1976, Angela Rippon has become a well-known face and voice on British television. The award-winning journalist has presented a wide variety of programmes from hard news and current affairs, to quiz shows and magazine programmes for both the BBC and other commercial radio and television stations. She has also authored several books.

Tom Heap

TV presenter Tom Heap is a freelance broadcaster and journalist with a passionate concern for rural affairs, science and the environment. He presents the investigations on Countryfile – one of Britain’s most popular factual TV programmes - and is the principal voice of ‘Costing the Earth’ on Radio 4, the nations only dedicated environment series. He is also a regular Panorama reporter covering food, farming energy and wildlife.

Andrew Graham-Dixon

Art critic, journalist and TV presenter, Andrew Graham-Dixon, has presented numerous landmark series on art for the BBC, including the acclaimed A History of British Art, Renaissance, and Art of Eternity, as well as individual documentaries on art and artists. For more than 20 years he has published a weekly column on art, first in the Independent and more recently in the Sunday Telegraph.

Abbie Hutty

In her current role Abbie coordinates a team of specialists that are working on developing a rover structure that will survive the rigours of a rocket launch, descent through Mars’ atmosphere, landing on its surface and lasting the operational lifetime of the mission.

Jason Bradbury

Jason Bradbury, technology expert and presenter of Channel 5’s The Gadget Show, was a Visiting Lecturer who taught on the Product Design and Computer Science degrees. Jason used his industry insight and experience for exciting project modules to provide industry-relevant challenges to students in their final year.

Judy Friedberg

Judy Friedberg is a freelance media consultant and journalist who worked on both foreign and home news before specialising in Higher Education as Universities Editor at the Guardian newspaper responsible for the University Guide and Guardian Students and overseeing the Higher Education editorial.

John Sergeant

John Sergeant is an award-winning journalist who has previously worked as the BBC’s Chief Political Correspondent and ITN’s Political Editor. Now a freelance journalist and broadcaster, John reports for BBC One’s The One Show, has hosted Have I Got News For You?, and is a regular on many Radio 4 panel shows.

Robert Winston

Professor Robert Winston is a medical doctor, scientist, and well-known television presenter. He has presented many TV shows for the BBC including The Human Body, Child of our Time, and Walking with Cavemen.

Dallas Campbell

Dallas Campbell is a presenter, actor and writer. He was a presenter of BBC One’s popular science show, Bang Goes the Theory, for six series, also co-presenting The Gadget Show, where he raced jet-powered street luges, wrestled robot jellyfish, tested the latest in gadgets, and broke the Scalextric land speed record.

Ann Cleeves

A prolific writer, Ann's books have been translated into 20 languages. Her novels are bestsellers in the UK, Scandinavia and Germany, selling widely and to critical acclaim in the United States. Two of Ann’s series of novels have been turned into major TV productions.

The Rt. Hon John Bercow MP

The Right Honourable John Bercow is the Member of Parliament for Buckingham and was elected as the 157th Speaker of the House of Commons on 22nd June 2009. He has been involved in politics since the mid 80’s when he served as National Chairman of the Federation of Conservative Students.

Mark Walport

Sir Mark Walport is Chief Executive of UK Research and Innovation. He has long been a champion for science, engineering, and technology and has held roles as Government Chief Scientific Adviser, Head of the Government Office for Science, and Co-Chair of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology.

Susan Greenfield

Baroness Susan Greenfield is a neuroscientist, author, and broadcaster. She is a currently a Senior Research Fellow at Oxford University where she heads a multi-disciplinary research group exploring novel brain mechanisms linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Rory Underwood

Rory Underwood MBE is one of England’s sporting greats. During his career as a professional rugby player, he scored a remarkable 49 tries in 85 international matches for England, making him his country’s all-time leading try scorer. He also scored 134 tries for Leicester Tigers and toured with the British & Irish Lions in 1989 and 1993, before being awarded an MBE for Services to Sport in 1995.

Stewart Lee

Stewart Lee is a stand-up comedian, writer, and director. He has made appearances on several TV shows for the BBC and Channel 4, and has won several awards including ‘Best Male Television Comic’ and ‘Best Comedy Entertainment Programme’ for Stewart Lee’s Comedy Vehicle at the 2011 British Comedy Awards.

Paul Boateng

A House of Lords peer and global development campaigner, Lord Paul Boateng became the first British person of African descent to serve as Cabinet Minister when he was appointed as Chief Secretary to the Treasury in 2002. He is currently Chairman of the English Speaking Union, an educational charity which works to give people the skills and confidence to articulate their ideas.

Suzanna Taverne

Suzanna Taverne has had a wide-ranging career spanning banking, education and media, across the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. In her current role as a BBC Trustee, she oversees the Services Committee and is a member of the Value for Money Committee.

Professor James Kakalios

Professor James Kakalios is a renowned US physicist, bestselling author, and dynamic storyteller who has advanced physics not only in terms of research but in world-wide outreach. His popular book, The Physics of Superheroes, has been translated into six languages, and he has been called upon by Hollywood directors as a consultant on superhero movies.

Bridget Kendall

Bridget Kendall MBE is an English journalist who became one of the BBC’s most respected international correspondents over her career. Since 1998 she has held the senior role of BBC Diplomatic correspondent, reporting on and analysing major global crises and conflicts, and their impact on Britain and the wider world.

John Hurt

The late John Hurt was an actor whose screen and stage career spanned more than 50 years. He was regarded as one of Britain's finest actors and is well-known for his roles in films including Harry Potter, Alien, The Elephant Man, and V for Vendetta.

Martin Rees

Lord Martin Rees is a leading astrophysicist as well as a senior figure in UK science. He has conducted influential theoretical work on subjects as diverse as black hole formation and extragalactic radio sources, and provided key evidence to contradict the Steady State theory of the evolution of the Universe.

Stephanie Shirley

Dame Stephanie Shirley is a successful IT entrepreneur turned ardent?philanthropist. Her charitable Shirley Foundation has made over £67m grants and initiated a number of projects that are pioneering by nature, strategic in impact, and significant in money terms.

Carl Djerassi

A prolific chemist, as well as a novelist, playwright, and poet, the late Professor Carl Djerassi made crucial contributions to the development of synthetic cortisone and the birth-control pill.

Charlotte Hogg

Charlotte Hogg is a management consultant and senior executive in financial services and central banking. She has held numerous high-profile positions, including Chief Operating Officer of the Bank of England, and is currently CEO of Visa’s European operations.

Carenza Lewis

Professor Carenza Lewis is a British academic, archaeologist, and television presenter. She is Professor of Public Understanding of Research at the University of Lincoln, and became a familiar face on TV when she became a presenter of the Time Team series on Channel 4 in the early 1990s.

Nicholas Parsons

Nicholas Parsons was a well-known radio and television presenter and an actor who enjoyed a career spanning more than 70 years. He played many supporting roles in British films in the 1950s and 1960s before going on to host many shows including Sale of the Century and BBC Radio 4’s Just a Minute.

Scott Davidson

Professor Scott Davidson is an international legal scholar. He has taught international and European law at the Universities of Hull (UK) and Canterbury (New Zealand), and published a number of books and articles on the international law of human rights, the law of the sea, and European law. He was also Deputy Vice Chancellor of the University of Lincoln.

Browse Our Great Lives Videos

Great Lives Preview with Andrew Graham-Dixon

Visiting Professor Andrew Graham-Dixon gives a sneak preview into what he will talk about in his upcoming Great Lives lecture in Lincoln.

Save the Planet with Chris Packham

Visiting Professor Chris Packham talks about the changes we can all make to protect the planet against pollution and climate change.

Live Q&A with Tom Heap

Countryfile presenter Tom Heap takes part in a live Question and Answer session on the subject of the environment at the University of Lincoln.

Great Lives with Angela Rippon

Newsreader and television journalist, Angela Rippon, talks to students and members of the public as part of the University's Great Lives lecture series.

All About Bats and Owls with Chris Packham

Visiting Professor Chris Packham talks all about bats and owls in this special Halloween Great Lives lecture.

Great Lives with Tom Heap

Countryfile and Panorama presenter Tom Heap delivers his 2018 Great Lives lecture at the University of Lincoln.

My Life and Autism with Chris Packham

University of Lincoln Visiting Professor Chris Packham shares his experience and tips for university students with autism or Asperger’s in this playlist.

Great Lives with Andrew Graham-Dixon

Historian and art critic Andrew Graham-Dixon delivers his 2018 Great Lives lecture at the University of Lincoln.

Great Lives Lectures

Visiting Professor Chris Packham talks about the importance of the Great Lives (previously Great Minds) lecture series at the University of Lincoln.

Chris Packham: Bats and Owls Highlights Reel

Highlights of Chris Packham's special Halloween All About Bats and Owls Great Lives lecture.

Andrew Graham-Dixon: Visiting Professor

As a Visiting Professor, Andrew Graham-Dixon is one of the acclaimed authors that contribute to the teaching and support of those students on the University of Lincoln's MA Creative Writing and Publishing course.

Andrew Graham-Dixon: The Value of Undertaking a Degree

Broadcaster, author, and University of Lincoln Visiting Professor, Andrew Graham-Dixon, explains the importance and value of undertaking a degree.

Andrew Graham-Dixon: The Value of an Arts Degree

British art historian, broadcaster and University of Lincoln Visiting Professor, Andrew Graham-Dixon, discusses the importance and benefits of undertaking an arts or humanities based degree in relation to today's society.