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X-WR-CALDESC:Events for Edinburgh Futures Institute
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260402T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260402T180000
DTSTAMP:20260309T122601Z
CREATED:20260305T112626Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T122601Z
UID:10000339-1775127600-1775152800@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Day of Co-Creation
DESCRIPTION:The Binks Hub invites you to celebrate creative and participatory research practices. Join for one event\, or for the whole day!  \n\n\n\nThe Day of Co-Creation is co-badged with The School of Scottish Studies Archives\, Poverty Truth Community\, Outwith at the University of Edinburgh Library\, and the Binks Hub.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/day-of-co-creation/
LOCATION:Research Suite – 6th Floor\, University of Edinburgh Main Library\, 30 George Square\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9LJ
CATEGORIES:Book launch,Community Event,Talk/Discussion,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Day-of-Co-Creation-screens_Kirstin-Lamb-1-scaled.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="The Binks Hub":MAILTO:binks@ed.ac.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260402T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260402T160000
DTSTAMP:20260309T120659Z
CREATED:20260309T120657Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T120659Z
UID:10000341-1775138400-1775145600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Making Knowledge Together: Exploring community archives through zine-making
DESCRIPTION:Overview \n\n\n\nAn interactive zine workshop with the Poverty Truth Community and Dr Emma Davidson of the Binks Hub. \n\n\n\nThis is part of a co-creation day\, celebrating participatory and creative forms of research practices hosted by The Binks Hub and Outwith. To explore and sign up for other events\, view the collection here. \n\n\n\nRun by visual artist Jean McEwan\, Dr Emma Davidson and Helen Berry\, this session invites participants to explore how community archives create and share knowledge about lived experience. Though guided engagement with the Poverty Truth Community (PTC) archive\, participants will explore how community archives can be navigated\, understood and used\, and on the kinds of knowledge they make visible. The session will include a hands-on zine-making activity\, offering space to creatively reflect on archiving as a research method and to consider how we might archive our own research materials and experiences. In preparation for the session\, participants are asked that they spend time familiarising themselves with the PTC archive. The link the archive\, and a preparatory video\, will be shared in advance. \n\n\n\nYou are welcome to join us for the lunch prior to the workshop (13:00-14:00) or to just attend the workshop. \n\n\n\nThe event will take place in room 1.07 on the 1st floor of the Main Library. You do not need an access card to join us. \n\n\n\nThe session will be led by the research team who have co-created the Poverty Truth Community archive: \n\n\n\nEmma Davidson – co-director at the Binks Hub\, https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/emma-davidson \n\n\n\nJean McEwan – visual artist and creative facilitator\, http://jeanmcewan.com/ \n\n\n\nHelen Berry – researcher and doctoral candidate\, https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/helen-berry \n\n\n\nAccessibility Information \n\n\n\nThe session is designed to be relaxed\, informal and inclusive. Please let us know if you require adjustments that would make the session more accessible by emailing the Binks Hub at binks@ed.ac.uk.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/making-knowledge-together-exploring-community-archives-through-zine-making/
LOCATION:Research Suite – 6th Floor\, University of Edinburgh Main Library\, 30 George Square\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9LJ
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Workshop-Two-PTC_Kirstin-Lamb.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="The Binks Hub":MAILTO:binks@ed.ac.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260402T163000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260402T180000
DTSTAMP:20260309T121036Z
CREATED:20260309T121034Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T121036Z
UID:10000342-1775147400-1775152800@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:A Field Guide to Artist-Researcher Collaborations: Book Launch
DESCRIPTION:Overview \n\n\n\nA creative launch of a creative book about creative collaborations: celebrate the publication from the Binks Hub and Outwith at the Library. \n\n\n\nThis is part of a co-creation day\, celebrating participatory and creative forms of research practices hosted by The Binks Hub and Outwith. To explore and sign up for other events\, view the collection here. \n\n\n\nJoin us for the launch of A Field Guide to Artist-Researcher Collaborations\, an exciting new resource for people who would like to collaborate ethically with artists but aren’t sure where to start. Compered by Susan Morrison\, stand-up comedian\, broadcaster and one of the co-authors of the book\, this launch will be much more creative and fun than the average academic event (Susan is really very funny!). \n\n\n\nAttendees will receive a free hard copy of the book and invited by Susan and her co-authors Rhiannon Bull\, Jean McEwan and Jimmy Turner to engage with some of the creative exercises using drawing\, poetry\, sculpture and games that they have developed in the Field Guide to help people conceptualise\, design and ethically carry out collaborative work with artists. The team will share stories about the genesis\, philosophy\, and process of making the Field Guide\, and attendees will be invited to share their own plans\, experiences and wisdom about the role of creative collaborations in research. The event will also be the launch of the brand new Outwith Field Guides series\, of which A Field Guide to Artist-Researcher Collaborations is the first example\, and we will be joined by Nel Coleman from the University Library. Nel will introduce the series\, and offer tantalising details of the other Field Guides which are currently in development. \n\n\n\nJoin us for an interactive\, informative and fun look at working with creatives. \n\n\n\nThe event will take place in room 2.55 in Edinburgh Futures Institute. You do not need an access card to join us. \n\n\n\nGetting Involved \n\n\n\nThe team will be inviting attendees to have a go at some of the creative activities in the Field Guide. These have been designed to be as accessible as possible\, regardless of artistic experience and confidence. We will invite attendees to share their work with others\, but there will be no pressure at all to do so. All we ask is that you come with a sense of playfulness\, curiosity\, and willingness to have a go. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAbout our Partners \n\n\n\nNel Coleman is based at the University of Edinburgh Library\, and runs Outwith: Participatory Research at the Library. Their role is to support any research that opens the doors to wider involvement in the process; from citizen science to co-creation. Find out more about Outwith and what they do: outwith.ed.ac.uk \n\n\n\nRhiannon Bull is a writer of fiction and narrative non-fiction\, an illustrator\, and a painter based in Edinburgh. Rhiannon is currently undertaking PhD research at the University of Glasgow using creative writing to explore climate emotions in Scotland – www.rhiannonbull.com \n\n\n\nJean McEwan is a visual and participatory artist who has worked with communities and research projects for 20+ years. Based near Bradford but also working nationally\, she facilitates collage\, zine-making and creative journaling as means to explore meaning\, stories and messages with people – www.jeanmcewan.com \n\n\n\nSusan Morrison has been an MC at The Stand Comedy club since the day it opened\, and she has taken to the stage in clubs from Bournemouth to Inverness. She is a writer\, broadcaster and comedian with two grown-up children and a very patient husband. She is passionate about creating new ways for researchers and academics to bring their work to the public through her work with the Cabaret of Dangerous Ideas\, the Bright Club and The Provocateurs. In 2025\, Napier University celebrated her achievements in public engagement by granting her an honorary doctorate. \n\n\n\nJimmy Turner is a woodworker\, sculptor\, curator and anthropologist who works as a researcher for the Binks Hub at the University of Edinburgh. They concentrate on designing and developing research and arts projects with community organisations\, through which community members can explore their curiosities and priorities through art and creativity.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/a-field-guide-to-artist-researcher-collaborations-book-launch/
LOCATION:Research Suite – 6th Floor\, University of Edinburgh Main Library\, 30 George Square\, Edinburgh\, EH8 9LJ
CATEGORIES:Book launch
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Book-Launch_Kirstin-Lamb.jpg
ORGANIZER;CN="The Binks Hub":MAILTO:binks@ed.ac.uk
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260410T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260410T160000
DTSTAMP:20260326T084930Z
CREATED:20260326T084812Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260326T084930Z
UID:10000351-1775815200-1775836800@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:AI for All: Designing Responsibly 2026
DESCRIPTION:Natural Language Processing (NLP) is an area of AI that underpins technologies we use every day\, including personalisation systems\, voice assistants\, translation tools\, and generative AI\, such as ChatGPT. These technologies have huge potential – but how do we ensure they are fair\, accountable\, and transparent? \n\n\n\nJoin us for our annual drop-in festival of exhibits\, hands-on activities and opportunities to meet the next generation of researchers sharing their work and ideas of how we design and build a more responsible future.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/ai-for-all-designing-responsibly-2026/
LOCATION:Canopy\, Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Edinburgh Science Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/AIforAll3-credit-workbySarahImmel-photographbyChrisScott.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260416T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260416T173000
DTSTAMP:20260402T101233Z
CREATED:20260121T115248Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260402T101233Z
UID:10000325-1776330000-1776360600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching Conference 2026
DESCRIPTION:This year’s Interdisciplinary Learning and Teaching Conference will be hosted by Edinburgh Futures Institute\, at the University of Edinburgh. \n\n\n\nThe conference theme is Interdisciplinary Pathways: Engaging Learners and Creating Opportunities. The conference is open to everyone involved with interdisciplinary learning and teaching\, within and outside university contexts. We especially want to emphasise that students and early-career researchers\, staff from education sectors outside higher education\, and community partners\, are warmly welcome to attend. \n\n\n\nThis year will focus on how interdisciplinarity can be supported\, structured and created in different educational contexts\, including those before and beyond higher education. \n\n\n\nRegistration will be £85\, with some bursaries available for students and non-HE delegates. \n\n\n\nProgramme\n\n\n\nView the programme here. \n\n\n\n*subject to change. \n\n\n\nAccommodation\n\n\n\nConference delegates can enjoy a discount at the University’s accommodation by using the code ‘EVENT’ at www.uoecollection.com. This offers a reduction of 10-15% off the flexible rate\, varying by property and subject to availability. Nearby\, there are alternative hotel options: 3-star hotels like IBIS Edinburgh Centre South Bridge\, and Motel One Edinburgh Royal\, and 4-star hotels such as 10 Hill Place Hotel\, Apex Grassmarket Hotel\, Hotel Du Vin & Bistro\, Hilton Carlton Edinburgh\, and Marriott Residence Inn.  \n\n\n\nThe conference venue is located at Edinburgh Futures Institute at the University of Edinburgh. For more details on campus location and visitor information\, please see the University’s maps and visiting pages.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/interdisciplinary-learning-and-teaching-conference-2026/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Conference
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/webp:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/cropped-image002-6.webp
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260417T093000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260417T170000
DTSTAMP:20260318T105248Z
CREATED:20260318T105138Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260318T105248Z
UID:10000348-1776418200-1776445200@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Future Voices: An interdisciplinary student symposium
DESCRIPTION:A one-day showcase of interdisciplinary student projects\, featuring talks\, exhibitions & networking at Edinburgh Futures Institute. \n\n\n\nIncludes\, breakfast (available from 9.30am for a 10am start) and lunch. Breaks throughout the day and a social gathering in the evening. See the full programme below. \n\n\n\nJoin us for the first annual Interdisciplinary Symposium\, a one-day event celebrating the creativity\, innovation and impact of EFI undergraduate and postgraduate students. Discover presentations\, films\, installations and digital projects from the Interdisciplinary Futures programme and related electives\, as well as the postgraduate programmes at EFI\, and connect with students\, staff and conference delegates in a vibrant\, collaborative setting. \n\n\n\nProgrammes\n\n\n\n\n\n9:30am – 10amBreakfast / arrival10amWelcome10:05 – 10:45amKeynote: Ida Kemp10:45am – 11:45amSession 1: Making Futures: Education\, sustainability\, belonging11:45am – 12pmBreak12pm – 1pmSession 2: Making Exhibition: Art\, performance\, video1pm – 2pmLunch2pm – 3pmSession 3: Making Information: Data\, AI\, systems3pm – 3:15pm3pm – 3.15pm: Break3:15pm – 4:15pmSession 4: Making Value: Narrative\, mobility\, identity4:15pm – 4:45pmClosing plenary
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/future-voices-an-interdisciplinary-student-symposium/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Conference
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Student-symposium-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260420T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260420T170000
DTSTAMP:20260407T093520Z
CREATED:20260407T093517Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260407T093520Z
UID:10000352-1776693600-1776704400@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:The National Security and Defence Documents Dataset
DESCRIPTION:The National Security and Defence Documents Dataset: A Hands-On Introduction for Researchers and Practitioners \n\n\n\nHow do states talk about security — and has that changed? This half-day workshop offers researchers and practitioners a first hands-on encounter with the National Security and Defence Documents Dataset (NSDDD): a unique resource spanning 118 countries and four decades of national security strategies\, defence reviews\, and strategic documents. \n\n\n\nParticipants will explore the dataset using purpose-built semantic search and text analysis tools\, discovering what computational approaches can reveal about patterns in strategic language\, threat framing\, and geopolitical alignment — including the wave of new documents published in 2025. No prior technical experience is required: the session is designed to open up the dataset’s possibilities for scholars and policy professionals with substantive expertise in security and strategic studies. \n\n\n\nBy the end of the session\, participants will understand what the dataset contains and how it was built\, have direct experience using the search interface to pursue their own research questions\, and be positioned to contribute to a collaborative discussion about the most promising directions for future research. \n\n\n\nAgenda\n\n\n\n14:00-15:00Introduction to the dataset by Prof. Andrew Neal15:00-16:00 Hands-on learning with the dataset tools\, with in-person support16:00-17:00Participant findings from the hands-on session\, Q&A\, discussion\, future directions
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/the-national-security-and-defence-documents-dataset/
LOCATION:Room 1.52\, Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF
CATEGORIES:Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Andrew-Neale-6_Olivia-Jenkins.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260423T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260423T200000
DTSTAMP:20260422T131734Z
CREATED:20260422T125252Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T131734Z
UID:10000354-1776963600-1776974400@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:People\, Planet\, Progress: How to Take Action this Earth Day\n\n\n\nCelebrate Earth Day this year with Venture Café Edinburgh and People Planet Pint! From a wine tasting that walks participants through how climate change is affecting the flavour of wines\, to drafting a hands-on decarbonisation action plans\, this will be a jam-packed event that both explores the challenges of the climate emergency\, and highlights solutions on the horizon.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260429T150000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260429T170000
DTSTAMP:20260309T155731Z
CREATED:20260309T155728Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260309T155731Z
UID:10000345-1777474800-1777482000@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:CDS Seminar Series: Sophie Bishop
DESCRIPTION:Overview \n\n\n\n‘Influencer Creep: How Optimization\, Authenticity and Self-Branding Transform Creative Culture’ \n\n\n\nSophie Bishop’s book ‘Influencer Creep: How Optimization\, Authenticity and Self-Branding Transform Creative Culture’ (University of California Press) draws from in-depth ethnography and interviews with influencers and professional artists. Bishop argues that looking to the shifts within influencer culture can help us understand contemporary changes to labour conditions\, compensation and representation within creative industries. Taking seriously the motivations that drive more and more people into the contest for online visibility\, Influencer Creep documents a creative workforce nervously conforming to the monopoly power of social media platforms—and occasionally resisting it. Early praise for the book includes “those in the art world will find plenty to chew on” (Publishers Weekly) and “both a page turner and thorough academic study” (Professor Thomas Poell\, UVA). \n\n\n\nBio \n\n\n\nSophie Bishop is an expert in influencer culture and an Associate Professor at the University of Leeds in Media and Communications who has been researching the social and cultural implications of the influencer industry for a decade. Sophie\, has advised policy makers in UK Parliament and the European Union on influencer culture and has written for academic journals New Media & Society\, Social Media + Society and Media\, Culture & Society and has been interviewed in Paper\, Real Life\, Financial Times\, BBC and The Atlantic. Sophie lives in Manchester\, England with her husband\, daughter\, and two cats. Influencer Creep is her first book.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/cds-seminar-series-sophie-bishop/
LOCATION:Room 1.55\, Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Talk/Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Sophie-Bishop-talk_Heather-McCartney.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260429T163000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260429T180000
DTSTAMP:20260409T124742Z
CREATED:20260317T115554Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260409T124742Z
UID:10000347-1777480200-1777485600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:What Patrick Geddes did in India: a few steps too far?
DESCRIPTION:This talk will consider the time that Geddes spent as the first Professor of Sociology at the University of Bombay. He produced a series of town plans\, met a kindred spirit in Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore\, and then left. What was his impact on colonial India? \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies\n\n\n\n\n\nProfessor Roger Jeffrey\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRoger Jeffrey is Professor Emeritus of Sociology of South Asia\, University of Edinburgh. His academic publications focused on public health and health policy\, especially maternal and reproductive health and access to medicines\, as well as secondary schooling. Since 2015 he has been researching the ‘footprint’ of India in the city of Edinburgh\, and the lives of women who qualified as doctors in the UK between 1877 and 1916. He edited India in Edinburgh\, (Delhi and London\, 2019); a further volume\, edited with Friederike Voigt\, Perceptions of Empire: Edinburgh’s Engagement with India\, was published in India in February 2026. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProfessor Liz McFall\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProfessor Liz McFall is Director of the Data Civics Observatory at Edinburgh Futures Institute and Personal Chair in the Sociology of Markets. She is an interdisciplinary sociologist with research interests that cross the social studies of insurance\, cultural economy and market studies. Her recent research explores historical\, spatial and infrastructural connections between institutional investment\, urban governance and everyday social life. This informs the Data Civics programme which draws inspiration from Patrick Geddes in its emphasis on using digital and experimental ethnographic methods to investigate the social\, political\, cultural and economic dimensions of civic planning\, governance and placemaking.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/what-patrick-geddes-did-in-india-a-few-steps-too-far/
LOCATION:Room 2.55\, Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF
CATEGORIES:Talk/Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/29-April-Roger-Jeffery-1920x1080-1.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260430T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260430T200000
DTSTAMP:20260422T131749Z
CREATED:20260422T130448Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T131749Z
UID:10000356-1777568400-1777579200@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:The Intelligent Body: Exploring Programmable Immunity and the Future of Sustained Resilience\n\n\n\nModern medicine remains largely reactive\, relying on external interventions to address pathological states after they have already manifested. The Intelligent Body explores a paradigm shift: the transition from biology as a fixed\, immutable blueprint to biology as a programmable\, responsive platform. \n\n\n\nThe goal of this event is to move the conversation beyond “health” toward resilience by design. We’ll discuss the engineering challenges\, ethical considerations of resident genetic circuits\, and how Scottish innovation can advance the idea of a body that manages its own defence.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering-2/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260505T130000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260505T140000
DTSTAMP:20260323T121206Z
CREATED:20260323T121204Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260323T121206Z
UID:10000349-1777986000-1777989600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:The Digital Backlash in Education: Panic\, Politics\, or Pedagogy?
DESCRIPTION:In recent years\, debates about digital technologies in education have shifted from what could be described as a digital hype to a digital backlash. Digital tools are increasingly framed as threats to learning\, cognition\, and the well-being of children and young people\, and nations worldwide have started to implement more restrictive digitalization policies\, such as banning smartphones from the classroom. This presentation explores recurring patterns in the arguments underpinning this shift\, across time and national settings\, and how similar narratives of harm and calls for scientific ‘evidence’ have resulted in different national policy responses. It discusses how this backlash emerged\, what forms of knowledge and expertise have shaped it\, and whether it can be used as a provocation to inform a more sustainable and pedagogically grounded relation to digital technologies in education. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biography\n\n\n\n\n\nIngrid Forsler\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nIngrid Forsler is an Associate Professor in Media and Communication Studies at Södertörn University\, Sweden. Her research concerns imaginaries and future visions of digital technologies in education\, in recent years focused mainly on the growing resistance against digital devices in schools. She is also interested in the postdigital\, material\, and infrastructural dimensions of contemporary learning environments.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/the-digital-backlash-in-education-panic-politics-or-pedagogy/
LOCATION:Online\, Edinburgh
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Ingrid-Forsler-for-EFI-newsletter_Giovanna-Pasquariell.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260507T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260507T200000
DTSTAMP:20260507T075214Z
CREATED:20260507T075128Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T075214Z
UID:10000358-1778173200-1778184000@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:To Be (the CEO) or Not to Be? That is the Founder’s Question\n\n\n\nIt’s one of the most significant crossroads in the spin-out journey: Can\, and should\, a researcher lead the company they created? On Thursday\, we’re moving past the polite surface talk for an open conversation about the CEO’s role in deep-tech spin-outs. Whether you’re a PI weighing up your future\, a PhD student with a prototype\, or a supporter of the next wave of technical talent\, come join the conversation. We’ll hear from founders who have taken both paths and explore how Scotland can ensure more world-class research makes a world-class impact.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering-3/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260514T090000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260514T170000
DTSTAMP:20260324T115816Z
CREATED:20260324T115814Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260324T115816Z
UID:10000350-1778749200-1778778000@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:CreativeTech Scotland Gathering 2026
DESCRIPTION:Join us on the 14th of May at CreativeTech Scotland Gathering 2026 for an exciting day of cutting edge creative tech talks and workshop. \n\n\n\nOur aim is to bring people together from across the creative and cultural sector in every discipline to meet\, connect\, share know-how\, be inspired by new innovations and be amazed by how we each use creative technology to deliver our services\, products and audience experiences. \n\n\n\nThe Programme will be added shortly but to give you a flavour of the day\, there will be a range of industry spotlights\, hands-on workshop\, and a showcase of creative tech demonstrations and lightning talks\, with a closing reception in partnership with Venture Café 5pm to 8pm. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies\n\n\n\n\n\nOpening Keynote: Jane Harris\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDirector of the University of the Arts London\, Fashion\, Textiles and Technology Institute (UAL\, FTTI) with over £25m investment to date\, Professor Harris was Director / PI of the Business of Fashion\, Textiles and Technology (BFTT\, £6m) one of nine Creative R&D Partnerships funded by the AHRC Creative Industries Clusters Programme (£80m\, CICP\, 2018-24) – and is Co-I on an EPSRC Digital Economy Network+ (2022-27) establishing a UK wide Virtual Production Network led by the University of York\, and led DREEm: Digital\, Regeneration and Experience Economy modelling (www.dreem.org.uk)\, funded by AHRC. \n\n\n\nProfessor Harris will talk about the UAL XR Research Lab in Textiles and Dress\, a specialist research facility\, which aims to advance research in the digital rendition of textiles and dress for integration into screen and real-time environments spanning wide ranging performance\, gaming\, cultural heritage\, and live experiences. This specialist research facility is part of the UAL Fashion\, Textiles and Technology Institute (UAL FTTI). Creating capacity for innovative\, transdisciplinary practice-led research in VP/XR textiles and dress\, partners include the Victoria and Albert Museum\, Royal Shakespeare Company\, Numerion Software and SONY. \n\n\n\nTo find out more visit arts.ac.uk \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nClosing Keynote: Trevor Jones\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nTrevor Jones is a Scottish-based artist and creative technologist whose work examines how blockchain and artificial intelligence are reshaping authorship and creative agency. He holds a Master of Fine Art from Edinburgh College of Art. \n\n\n\nHe first gained international recognition for his pioneering augmented reality interventions in national institutions and later became an early leader in blockchain-based art\, with landmark works such as Bitcoin Angel. His practice spans traditional painting\, digitally native systems\, and immersive\, interactive installations. \n\n\n\nJones’ work explores faith\, technology and the changing role of the artist as digital tools alter how art is made\, owned and experienced. Through hybrid physical and digital participatory projects\, he examines how authorship shifts when creative control is shared between artist\, audience and machine. \n\n\n\nTo find out more visit trevorjonesart.com
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/creativetech-scotland-gathering-2026/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Conference,Creative Industries
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/png:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/CTSG_EventBrite_banner_2160x1080_202349-2_Maddy-Burgoyne.png
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260514T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260514T200000
DTSTAMP:20260507T075626Z
CREATED:20260507T075624Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T075626Z
UID:10000359-1778778000-1778788800@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:After Party: Creative Tech Scotland Gathering
DESCRIPTION:To Be (the CEO) or Not to Be? That is the Founder’s Question\n\n\n\nVenture Cafe Edinburgh is partnering with CreativeTech Scotland Gathering to host a special reception and networking event after their annual event. Expect panels\, exhibitions\, and hands-on activities.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/after-party-creative-tech-scotland-gathering/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260520T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260520T190000
DTSTAMP:20260508T082436Z
CREATED:20260506T145605Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260508T082436Z
UID:10000357-1779296400-1779303600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Traveltech Meet Up
DESCRIPTION:We’re excited to announce our next TravelTech meetup on 20th May\, featuring an interactive session in collaboration with 80 Days. \n\n\n\n​Following the hugely popular session on Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) last year\, this session will explore how the AI search landscape has continued to evolve and what that means for travel and tourism businesses looking to stay visible. \n\n\n\n​From AI Overviews and search agents to the increasingly non-linear traveller journey\, we’ll cut through the noise and focus on what really matters. Expect practical\, actionable strategies to help you get found in the age of AI-driven search\, along with plenty of opportunity to ask questions and take part in the discussion. \n\n\n\n​Whether you joined us last time or are completely new to the topic\, this session is designed to give you clear insights you can apply straight away.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/traveltech-meet-up-5/
LOCATION:Room 2.55\, Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF
CATEGORIES:Mixer,Tourism & Festivals,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Traveltech-Meet-up-12_Maddy-Burgoyne.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260521T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260521T200000
DTSTAMP:20260507T080752Z
CREATED:20260507T080400Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T080752Z
UID:10000360-1779382800-1779393600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:From Research to Reality: The Future of AI in Scotland\n\n\n\nWhat happens when brilliant research meets the right support? \n\n\n\nFor researchers\, the path from lab to impact isn’t always clear. Future Worlds works with university researchers of all levels\, helping them explore what’s possible long before a company exists. This event\, in collaboration with Future Worlds\, is for anyone in Scotland working with AI\, whether it’s your core focus or a tool you’re using to push boundaries. \n\n\n\nFor this Thursday Gathering\, we’re bringing together researchers\, founders\, and ecosystem connectors for an evening built around inspiration and possibility. Expect lightning talks\, showcases\, and a welcoming space to ask: what if? \n\n\n\nWhether you’re a PhD student\, a postdoc\, or a professor – if you’re building something with AI and want to explore where it could lead\, come along and be part of the conversation.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering-4/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260527T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260527T130000
DTSTAMP:20260422T130102Z
CREATED:20260422T130032Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260422T130102Z
UID:10000355-1779876000-1779886800@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Bridging Communities: Creating the Change You Want to See in the World
DESCRIPTION:What does it really take to create meaningful change? \n\n\n\nJoin us for the first Bridging Communities event of 2026\, hosted by The Melting Pot in collaboration with the Edinburgh Futures Institute\, as we explore what it means to turn bold ideas into real-world action. \n\n\n\nThis event is for people who want to make a difference in their organisations\, communities and wider society. We know that meaningful change rarely happens by accident. It takes imagination\, persistence\, collaboration and the courage to try something new. It’s felt across all sectors and shapes and sizes of organisations. \n\n\n\nThrough the stories of two inspiring speakers\, we’ll hear firsthand how new initiatives have been created that have gone on to influence Scottish society\, from changing the world of grant making to reshaping thinking and practice in the public sector. These are stories of creating something truly new\, navigating uncertainty and building momentum for change in a sustainable way. \n\n\n\nAfter each speaker\, there will be time to reflect on what you’ve heard and connect it with your own context. This period of individual reflection will allow you to questions like: what change do you want to see\, what stands in the way\, and what practical steps could help move your ideas forward? \n\n\n\nWhether you’re leading change inside an organisation\, supporting communities\, developing new ideas\, or simply looking for inspiration and connection\, this event is designed to help you think bigger\, act more deliberately\, and learn with others who care about creating a better future. \n\n\n\nWhat to expect\n\n\n\n\nLight refreshments on arrival\n\n\n\nTwo inspiring speakers sharing their experience of creating meaningful change\n\n\n\nFacilitated reflection and conversation after each speaker\n\n\n\nNetworking with people from across sectors who are working to make a positive difference\n\n\n\nA warm and welcoming event — whether you love networking or usually avoid it\, you’ll leave with fresh perspectives and new connections\n\n\n\n\nWho’s it for?\n\n\n\nThis event is open to all sectors\, inviting as many different perspectives in the room as possible. Whether you work in the public\, private or third sector or are part of a community initiative or social enterprise\, Bridging Communities is designed to help you step outside your usual circles\, connect with others and spark new possibilities for action. \n\n\n\nWhat We Need From You:\n\n\n\n\nTo reflect on what new initiatives have inspired you in the past \n\n\n\nTo consider what new concepts get you excited in 2026\n\n\n\nTo bring one belief that you feel accelerates change \n\n\n\n\nMeet Our Speakers\n\n\n\nTwo speakers will share their experiences of creating truly new initiatives that have changed the worlds of grant making and the public sector. \n\n\n\n\nLeah Black\, Co-director of Regenerative Futures Fund \n\n\n\nCatherine Rose\, Co-Director of Scottish Policy & Research Exchange\n\n\n\nAdam Underwood\, Business Development Lead at St Columba’s Hospice\n\n\n\n\nMore speaker details to be announced soon. \n\n\n\nTickets\n\n\n\nHosted in collaboration with Edinburgh Futures Institute\, this event is free and open to all. \n\n\n\nHowever if you are able we would welcome a donation to help The Melting Pot cover their costs to run the event (this includes marketing\, staff time and event facilitation).
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/bridging-communities-creating-the-change-you-want-to-see-in-the-world/
LOCATION:Room 2.55\, Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF
CATEGORIES:Talk/Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/Melting-Pot.jpeg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260528T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260528T200000
DTSTAMP:20260507T080827Z
CREATED:20260507T080618Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260507T080827Z
UID:10000361-1779987600-1779998400@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:Funding That Fits: A Night for Female Founders\, Funders & Investors\n\n\n\nEvery business needs the right support to grow\, but female-led businesses often face a narrower view of what that support looks like. Equity investment is a powerful route\, but it’s not the only option. From crowdfunding to IP-backed lending\, many businesses thrive on a mix of funding sources\, yet these options often lack visibility\, leaving founders unsure what’s available or right for their stage and sector. \n\n\n\nThis special Thursday Gathering\, in partnership with Pathways Forward and Scottish EDGE\, is designed to make connections that matter and focus on practical actions\, not just another diagnosis of the problem. \n\n\n\nWho is this for?\n\n\n\n\nFounders looking for the right kind of finance at the right time.\n\n\n\nInvestors and funders who are serious about backing women-led businesses.\n\n\n\nAnyone who wants to shift from talking about the issues to making progress.\n\n\n\n\nWhat to expect?\n\n\n\nYou’ll leave with a clear view of what different funders and supporters are looking for\, along with actionable takeaways on the funding mix that could work for you. \n\n\n\nCome ready to ask questions\, make connections\, and leave with a clearer sense of your next step.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering-5/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260602T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260602T191500
DTSTAMP:20260625T095655Z
CREATED:20260409T134034Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T095655Z
UID:10000353-1780423200-1780427700@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Beth Simone Noveck: Civic University – Democracy\, AI\, and the Public Imagination
DESCRIPTION:Join Beth Simone Noveck in conversation with Oliver Escobar for a timely exploration of the civic role of the university in an age of democratic uncertainty and rapid technological change. This event will examine how universities can act as democratic institutions – harnessing AI not just as a tool for innovation\, but to strengthen participation\, trust\, and public problem-solving. At a moment when democracy feels increasingly fragile\, what responsibilities do universities hold as civic actors embedded in society? And how can they help design and deploy technologies that serve the public good rather than concentrate power? This conversation invites us to reimagine the university not only as a site of knowledge\, but as a vital partner in renewing democratic life. \n\n\n\nPart of the Future University programme\, this event looks beyond immediate sector challenges to ask what kind of institutions we need for the future – and how universities can rise to meet that moment. \n\n\n\nImage credit: Elise Racine & The Bigger Picture / https://betterimagesofai.org / https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies\n\n\n\n\n\nBeth Simone Noveck\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nBeth Simone Noveck is a professor and director of the Burnes Center for Social Change at Northeastern University. She leads The Governance Lab and its InnovateUS initiative. Former U.S. deputy chief technology officer and the first state chief AI strategist\, she founded AI for Impact\, which builds democratic AI with communities. She is the author of Solving Public Problems: A Practical Guide to Fix Our Government and Change Our World and writes on AI and democracy at rebootdemocracy.ai. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChair: Oliver Escobar\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProfessor Oliver Escobar is the Chair of Public Policy and Democratic Innovation at the University of Edinburgh. He works on participatory and deliberative democracy\, with a focus on public participation\, policy work\, the commons\, political inequalities\, and the governance of the future. Oliver combines research and practice to develop social and democratic innovations across various policy and community contexts. He was Academic Lead on Democratic Innovation at Edinburgh Futures Institute (2019-2023)\, and Co-director of CRITIQUE  (2021-2023). Read more about Oliver: https://www.sps.ed.ac.uk/staff/oliver-escobar \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n \n\n\nRegister now
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/beth-simone-noveck-civic-university-democracy-ai-and-the-public-imagination/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, Level 0 Event Space\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Future University
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/2-June-Beth-Noveck.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260606T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260606T170000
DTSTAMP:20260601T134319Z
CREATED:20260601T134001Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260601T134319Z
UID:10000363-1780740000-1780765200@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:University of Edinburgh at the Meadows Festival
DESCRIPTION:Pop into our stall in the Community Area and meet staff and students from Edinburgh Futures Institute and members of the university’s Edinburgh Local team. Find out how we support local communities and discover some of our research with fun hands-on activities.  \n\n\n\nActivities are free\, open to all and available on a drop-in basis \n\n\n\nAbout us\n\n\n\nThe Culture & Community Team at the Edinburgh Futures Institute\, University of Edinburgh provides creative activities\, events and programmes for the public to learn\, discover and be inspired by our work on society\, data and future challenges.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/university-of-edinburgh-at-the-meadows-festival/
LOCATION:The Meadows\, Melville Drive\, Edinburgh\, EH9 1JU
CATEGORIES:Meadows Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SRS_Meadows_080625_AndrewPerry_34-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260607T110000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260607T170000
DTSTAMP:20260601T134239Z
CREATED:20260601T134115Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260601T134239Z
UID:10000364-1780830000-1780851600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:University of Edinburgh at the Meadows Festival
DESCRIPTION:Pop into our stall in the Community Area and meet staff and students from Edinburgh Futures Institute and members of the university’s Edinburgh Local team. Find out how we support local communities and discover some of our research with fun hands-on activities.  \n\n\n\nActivities are free\, open to all and available on a drop-in basis \n\n\n\nAbout us\n\n\n\nThe Culture & Community Team at the Edinburgh Futures Institute\, University of Edinburgh provides creative activities\, events and programmes for the public to learn\, discover and be inspired by our work on society\, data and future challenges.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/university-of-edinburgh-at-the-meadows-festival-2/
LOCATION:The Meadows\, Melville Drive\, Edinburgh\, EH9 1JU
CATEGORIES:Meadows Festival
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/SRS_Meadows_080625_AndrewPerry_34-scaled.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260611T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260611T120000
DTSTAMP:20260520T144049Z
CREATED:20260520T143947Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260520T144049Z
UID:10000362-1781172000-1781179200@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Centre for Investing Innovation Prominent Scholars Lecture with Jacob Choi: A Portfolio of AI Agents
DESCRIPTION:The Centre for Investing Innovation (CII)\, a research centre based at Edinburgh Futures Institute\, invites you to this upcoming Prominent Scholars Lecture with Jacob Choi\, co-founder and CEO of LinqAlpha. \n\n\n\nThe event is open to the public\, university students\, researchers\, and professionals working across financial services\, fintech\, Artificial Intelligence\, Machine Learning\, and data. \n\n\n\nChoi’s talk\, “A Portfolio of AI Agents: From Asset Specialists to Cross-Asset Intelligence in Institutional Investment Research\,” looks at a major change happening in how large investment organisations do research. \n\n\n\nInstead of relying on slow\, manual processes spread across different tools and teams\, more firms are starting to use AI to pull information together and analyse it quickly. The shift is moving from AI as something that simply helps analysts\, to groups of AI “agents” that can work alongside them—finding relevant material\, questioning assumptions\, and summarising key insights across different markets. \n\n\n\nBased on several years of work with major global investors\, Choi will share what he’s learned from actually building and using these systems. He won’t present them as perfect solutions\, but as real-world signs that this new approach is developing quickly—even faster than the academic or industry theory needed to fully explain it.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/a-portfolio-of-ai-agents-from-asset-specialists-to-cross-asset-intelligence-in-institutional-investment-research/
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/Centre-for-Investing-Innovation-Prominent-Scholars-Lecture-Series-200-x-100-px-1880-x-940-px-5.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260611T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260611T200000
DTSTAMP:20260604T105853Z
CREATED:20260604T105849Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T105853Z
UID:10000365-1781197200-1781208000@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:The Science Behind Strong Connections\n\n\n\nVenture Cafe have teamed up with Converge to celebrate the next generation of Scottish entrepreneurs! Converge’s Kickstart programme helps students\, researchers and recent graduates from across Scotland’s universities dip their toes into entrepreneurship. It’s where people learn the basics\, test whether their idea has legs\, and decide if this path is for them. \n\n\n\nOn June 11th\, we’re bringing this year’s cohort together with the wider Venture Café Edinburgh community\, because building a good network takes time\, and the earlier you start\, the better. Whether you’re just starting out or have been around the block\, this is a chance to make connections that will matter at every stage of the journey. We’ll also hear from experienced founders and ecosystem builders on the science behind strong connections and how your networks and relationships are what help open doors\, challenge your thinking\, and support you when things get hard. Come along\, meet the cohort\, and help us welcome the next wave of Scottish academic entrepreneurs into the community.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering-6/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260615T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260615T190000
DTSTAMP:20260610T122144Z
CREATED:20260610T122142Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260610T122144Z
UID:10000368-1781542800-1781550000@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Traveltech Meet Up
DESCRIPTION:​From Screen to Destination: Building the Data Infrastructure for Screen Tourism \n\n\n\n​Film and television have become some of the most powerful drivers of travel demand\, influencing nine out of ten travel decisions. From iconic filming locations to destinations propelled into the spotlight by a hit series\, screen tourism is booming. Yet despite its growing impact\, the sector still relies heavily on anecdotes rather than data. \n\n\n\n​As demand continues to rise\, there is a clear opportunity for travel technology and AI to help build the infrastructure needed to better understand\, measure\, and manage screen tourism. \n\n\n\n​Join us for an interactive discussion exploring the untapped potential at the intersection of travel technology\, AI\, and screen tourism.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/traveltech-meet-up-6/
LOCATION:Room 2.55\, Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF
CATEGORIES:Mixer,Tourism & Festivals,Workshop
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/Traveltech-Meet-up-15_Maddy-Burgoyne.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260618T200000
DTSTAMP:20260604T112238Z
CREATED:20260604T112236Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T112238Z
UID:10000366-1781802000-1781812800@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:Future-Proofing the Plate\n\n\n\nJoin us on Sustainable Gastronomy Day to celebrate the future of food! We know that our food system needs to change. The question isn’t whether we innovate\, but what that innovation looks like\, from lab to field to kitchen. For this Thursday Gathering\, we’re bringing together researchers\, founders\, culinary creatives\, and food lovers for an evening focused on real solutions. Across the night\, we’ll explore new approaches to growing\, cooking\, and sharing food that can help build a more sustainable\, secure\, and resilient future.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering-7/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260625T170000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260625T200000
DTSTAMP:20260604T141155Z
CREATED:20260604T141152Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260604T141155Z
UID:10000367-1782406800-1782417600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Venture Café Edinburgh Thursday Gathering
DESCRIPTION:Founders Meetup Edinburgh x Venture Café\n\n\n\nWe’re teaming up with Founders Meetup Edinburgh for a special event on June 25th at Venture Café Edinburgh! \n\n\n\nWe’ll bring their signature format\, an intimate interview with a successful entrepreneur\, and infuse it with Venture Café’s signature magic: real connections\, unexpected conversations and a buzzing atmosphere where innovators connect. \n\n\n\nDuring the night\, you’ll hear from Poonam Gupta OBE\, CEO & Founder of PG Paper Company who will share her journey scaling a global business. \n\n\n\nWhether you come for the story or the people\, you’ll leave with fresh ideas and new contacts.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/venture-cafe-edinburgh-thursday-gathering-8/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Venture Cafe Edinburgh Thursday Gatherings
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/169-VCE-Photo.jpg
END:VEVENT
BEGIN:VEVENT
DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T100000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T113000
DTSTAMP:20260714T150530Z
CREATED:20260625T115259Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260714T150530Z
UID:10000369-1789639200-1789644600@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:The Future of Research in an Age of AI
DESCRIPTION:Artificial intelligence is transforming how knowledge is produced\, analysed\, and shared across every discipline. From scientific discovery and creative practice to the humanities and social sciences\, new tools are reshaping the research process and raising fundamental questions about expertise\, evidence\, and the future of scholarship. How might AI change what researchers do\, how research is conducted\, and what universities contribute to society? This panel will explore the opportunities\, challenges\, and responsibilities facing research institutions as they navigate a new era of knowledge creation. \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies\n\n\n\n\n\nDevi Sridhar\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nDevi Sridhar is a writer\, broadcaster and world-leading expert in public health and wellbeing. She is Professor and Chair of Global Public Health at the University of Edinburgh and has advised the WHO\, UNICEF\, UNESCO and the Scottish\, UK and German governments. Devi appears regularly on ITV and Channel 4 News\, has a bi-weekly column in the Guardian\, and a certified Level 3 Personal Trainer. Her first popular book\, Preventable\, was a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week and a Sunday Times bestseller. Her latest book How Not to Die (Too Soon)’ was a Financial Times Book of the Year in 2025.   \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChristopher Smith\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProfessor Christopher Smith is the Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)\, UKRI International Champion and Creative Industries Responsible owner UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).  He has been involved across his career in culture\, heritage and the arts in Scotland\, Italy and globally.  He has been Professor of Ancient History at the University of St Andrews since 2002\, and was also Vice-Principal (2007-2009)\, before being seconded as Director of the British School at Rome\, the UK’s leading humanities and creative arts research institute overseas\, from 2009 to 2017.  In 2025 he was appointed as the Chair of the Board of the National Library of Scotland (NLS). He is the author or editor of over 20 books from textual editions to museum studies.  He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a Member of the Academia Europaea.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Rovatsos\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMichael Rovatsos is Dean of Research and Innovation at the College of Science and Engineering and Professor of Artificial Intelligence at the School of Informatics. He has previously held key leadership roles at the University as Director of The Bayes Centre\, Deputy Vice Principal for AI\, and institutional lead on AI adoption. He currently serves on the Scottish Government’s Tech Council\, the Board of The Data Lab and acts as academic University liaison at the Alan Turing Institute. He has over 25 years of experience in AI research\, where he develops to support collaboration between human and/or artificial agents. He has published over 100 scientific articles on various topics in AI\, and has been involved in research and innovation projects that have received over £20 million of external funding. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChair: Marion Thain\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nMarion Thain comes to Edinburgh Futures Institute from her role as Professor of Culture and Technology at King’s College London\, where she was Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities for 6 years. While at King’s she founded and led the Digital Futures Institute\, which grew out of her Centre for Attention Studies. She began her career as a Junior Research Fellow at Cambridge University\, and worked in English departments at Russell Group universities before moving to New York University as a professor of Arts and Literature (in English and the school of the interdisciplinary global liberal arts) and Director of Digital Humanities. She returned to the UK in 2018. Marion is interested particularly in the relationship between culture and technology (considering ‘technology’ in the broadest sense)\, and in formations of disciplinarity and interdisciplinarity. Details can be found at https://www.marionthain.org 
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/the-future-of-research-in-an-age-of-ai/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, Level 0 Event Space\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Future University,Talk/Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17-Sept-The-Future-of-Research-in-an-Age-of-AI.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T140000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T153000
DTSTAMP:20260702T092130Z
CREATED:20260625T115413Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260702T092130Z
UID:10000370-1789653600-1789659000@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Teaching\, Learning\, and the AI University
DESCRIPTION:Artificial intelligence is accelerating change across higher education\, challenging established assumptions about teaching\, assessment\, expertise\, and the value of a university education. As new models of learning emerge\, what should the university of the future look like? Who will shape it\, who will benefit from it\, and what role should universities play in preparing people for a rapidly changing world? This panel will explore how institutions can respond to technological transformation while preserving their educational mission and public purpose.  \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies\n\n\n\n\n\nRose Luckin\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRose Luckin is Professor Emerita at University College London and Founder and CEO of Educate Ventures Research (EVR). An internationally recognised expert on artificial intelligence and education\, she has more than 30 years of experience researching how technology can support teaching and learning. Rose advises governments\, policymakers\, and industry on the ethical and effective use of AI in education and is a leading voice on the future of learning in an age of rapid technological change. She is co-founder of the Institute for Ethical AI in Education and the author of several influential books\, including Machine Learning and Human Intelligence: The Future of Education for the 21st Century and AI for Schoolteachers.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJanja Komljenovic\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJanja Komljenovic is a Senior Lecturer in Education Futures at the University of Edinburgh. Her research focuses on the political economy of higher education and the digitalisation\, datafication\, and platformisation of universities. Her approach intersects economic sociology\, science and technology studies\, and higher education research. She has published internationally on higher education policy\, higher education markets\, and educational technology. Janja acts as a consultant on various international higher education policy projects\, serves as an evaluator for national quality assurance agencies\, and is a member of committees within international organisations.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAndrew Maynard\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nAndrew Maynard is a scientist\, professor\, and author at Arizona State University\, where he directs the Future of Being Human initiative. His work explores the nature of advanced technology transitions from a transdisciplinary perspective\, and spans conceptual understanding of the shifting dynamic between technology\, society and the future\, to what it means to flourish in a technologically-transformed world. While his work addresses many facets of emerging technologies\, he is increasingly focused on both the challenges and opportunities emerging around frontier AI modes; especially where they challenge established ideas around learning\, education\, meaning-making and human identity. Andrew has worked with organizations from the OECD and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research\, to the World Economic Forum; has given testimony to congressional committees on tech innovation; is the author of the books Films from the Future and Future Rising\, and co-author with Jeffrey Abbott of AI and the Art of Being Human. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChair: Sian Bayne\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nSian Bayne is Professor of Digital Education at the University of Edinburgh. She directs the Centre for Research in Digital Education where her research is currently focused on higher education futures and on interdisciplinary and critical approaches to researching digital education.  
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/teaching-learning-and-the-ai-university/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, Level 0 Event Space\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Future University,Talk/Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17-Sept-Teaching-Learning-and-the-AI-University.jpg
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DTSTART;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T180000
DTEND;TZID=Europe/London:20260917T193000
DTSTAMP:20260625T115517Z
CREATED:20260625T115514Z
LAST-MODIFIED:20260625T115517Z
UID:10000371-1789668000-1789673400@efi.ed.ac.uk
SUMMARY:Universities and the Future of Truth: AI\, Free Speech\, and Power
DESCRIPTION:At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping how information is produced\, distributed\, and consumed\, questions of truth\, trust\, and authority have become increasingly urgent. What happens when AI systems mediate public debate\, generate knowledge\, and influence what we see\, believe\, and share? How should universities respond to a world of contested expertise\, information abundance\, and growing distrust in institutions? Bringing together perspectives on technology\, democracy\, public discourse\, and digital rights\, this discussion will explore the role of universities in defending open inquiry\, fostering critical thinking\, and sustaining the conditions for informed public life.  \n\n\n\nSpeaker Biographies\n\n\n\n\n\nRumman Chowdhury\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nRumman Chowdhury\, PhD\, is a globally recognized expert in responsible AI\, governance\, and algorithmic accountability. She is the CEO and founder of Humane Intelligence public benefit corporation\, and the co-founder of Humane Intelligence\, a nonprofit advancing community-driven AI auditing and evaluation. Appointed as the U.S. Science Envoy for Artificial Intelligence\, she engages in global AI governance efforts with a focus on emerging markets. Previously\, she led AI ethics teams at Twitter and Accenture\, pioneering enterprise-level AI risk mitigation tools. Rumman is also a Responsible AI Fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Klein Center and a trusted advisor to international organisations on AI policy and ethics.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJillian C. York\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJillian C. York is a writer and activist whose work examines the impact of technology on our societal and cultural values. Based in London\, she is the Director for International Freedom of Expression at the Electronic Frontier Foundation\, a fellow at the Center for Internet & Human Rights at the European University Viadrina\, a visiting professor at the College of Europe Natolin\, and the author of Silicon Values: The Future of Free Speech Under Surveillance Capitalism (Verso 2021).  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJeffrey W. Howard\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nJeffrey W. Howard is professor of political philosophy and public policy at University College London\, where he is director of the Digital Speech Lab. He is co-editor of the journal Political Philosophy.  \n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nChair: Shannon Vallor\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nProfessor Shannon Vallor FRSE serves as Co-Director of the Centre for Technomoral Futures at Edinburgh Futures Institute\, and holds the Baillie Gifford Chair in the Ethics of Data and Artificial Intelligence in the University of Edinburgh’s Department of Philosophy. Professor Vallor joined the Futures Institute in 2020 following a career in the United States as a leader in the ethics of emerging technologies\, including a post as a visiting AI Ethicist at Google from 2018-2020. She is the author of The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim Our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking (Oxford University Press\, 2024) and Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting (Oxford University Press\, 2016). She serves as advisor to government and industry bodies on responsible AI and data ethics. She is also Principal Investigator and Co-Director (with Professor Ewa Luger) of the UKRI research programme BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides)\, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
URL:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/event/universities-and-the-future-of-truth-ai-free-speech-and-power/
LOCATION:Edinburgh Futures Institute\, Level 0 Event Space\, 1 Lauriston Place\, Edinburgh\, EH3 9EF\, United Kingdom
CATEGORIES:Future University,Talk/Discussion
ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://efi.ed.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/17-Sept-Universities-and-the-Future-of-Truth_-AI-Free-Speech-and-Power.jpg
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