Geography: insight4me Geography – Global Commons With Dr Dan Hammett From The University of Sheffield & Professor Chris Philo From University of Glasgow

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• University of Glasgow: Prof Chris Philo, Professor in the School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, will present Tragedies of the Commons. This talk introduces ‘the commons’ as meaning a complex bundle of resources, like air, water, land, etc. that people can supposedly access freely ‘in common’ with each other. We will ask about the historical roots of the commons, and of threats to it, in both the British countryside and British colonies. We will consider what is sometimes called ‘the tragedy of the commons’ – an idea with a curious double meaning – particularly emphasising what happens when different peoples in different places start to be denied access to common resources.

• The University of Sheffield: Dr Dan Hammett, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Geography will present Governing the Global Commons. This talk thinks through the vital importance, but also huge complexities, of governing the global commons with a focus on both geopolitical and security concerns but also the centrality of the global commons for sustainability agendas and the future of the planet. During this talk we will discuss the environment, social, political and economic considerations at play in both the rush to exploit and efforts to protect the global commons.

insight4me is a series of subject specific webinars for Year 12 & 13 students, and equivalent. The sessions directly support students’ current studies by giving an insight into particular curriculum areas whilst affording an understanding of how these subjects continue beyond A-levels, T-levels, IB, BTEC and equivalent qualifications, and how they vary between universities.

In this insight4me Geography online event for schools and colleges, University of Glasgow and The University of Sheffield will each have roughly 30 minutes to deliver a punchy, topic based ‘micro’ talk. Within an overall session theme of Global Commons, the universities have the freedom to choose their own focus and use the time to convey the key points of the case studies for the students.

Our events are designed so that a group of students can take part from a classroom or students and teachers can take part as individuals, either from school or from home. This means that sessions will continue irrespective of possible school closures.

As a live, participative event, this session will not be recorded but slides and other resources will be shared after the event, where available.

Suitable for: Year 12 & 13 students (and equivalent) studying, or with a possible interest in studying, Geography and related disciplines. Student groups, and individual students and teachers are very welcome to join us.

Preparation/Pre-Reading: Students may wish to consider the 2 topics and discuss some of the key elements in advance. Students can also think about questions they have about studying Geography at university level.

The IT Setup: The event will be run on Bluejeans (similar to Zoom) and participants will be able to join using laptops, tablets, and mobile devices. If you are joining as a school group, we recommend connecting with one device and projecting on to a whiteboard. You will be able to interact with the university via a microphone and/or typed comments and questions. Full details will be sent to those who have registered (see below) prior to the event.

Booking a Place: This is free for schools and colleges. If you would like to take part in this event, please register your interest using the link to the registration form below:

Register here