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Experts involved
During Grand Challenges Week, students hear from a range of leading academics and external experts, who use their specialist knowledge and experience to inspire and educate the students during the week. A wide variety of individuals, local, national and international organisations have taken part in Grand Challenges since its inception. This page has details of all themes that have run over the last four years.
External collaborators
All Challenges
- Fab Lab 2017, 2018, 2019
Social Inequality
- Winnie Li (American writer, producer and novelist) 2021
- Kimberley McIntosh (writer, researcher, Senior Policy and Research Officer at Child Poverty Action Group and columnist at Gal-Dem. Previous Senior Policy Officer at The Runnymede Trust) 2021
- Ashish Ghadiali (filmmaker, activist, member of the co-ordinating committee of the COP26 civil society coalition and a commissioning editor at Lawrence and Wishart Books, regular contributor to The Observer New Review) 2021
Fake News
- Lisa Harris (Director of Digital Learning) 2021
- Jason Reifler (Professor of Political Science) 2021
- Rachael Krishna (freelance journalist who has previously written for platforms such as BuzzFeed News, the Independent, the Guardian, Vice, The Debrief and fact-checking charity, FullFact) 2020
- Anna-Sophie Harling (previous Managing Director, Europe and Executive Vice President, Partnerships at NewsGuard, current Online Safety Principal at Ofcom) 2020
- Maria Kyriakidou (Senior Lecturer at the School of Journalism, Media and Culture, Cardiff University) 2020
- Bridget Sealey (Consultant, Sealey Associates, Honorary Research Fellow at Department of Politics, University of Exeter) 2020
Planetary Health
- David Pencheon (Founding Director of the Sustainable Development Unit for NHS England and Public Health England, Honorary Professor, Health and Sustainable Development at the University of Exeter) 2021
- Omnia El Omrani (COP27 President Envoy on Youth) 2022
Future Food
- Sam Briant-Evans 2021 (Farms Manager, Clinton Devon Estates)
Climate Change
- Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change 2017
- Oliver Morton (The Economist) 2018, 2019
- Exeter City Futures 2017
- Professor Helen Storey MBE (Award-winning British artist and designer) 2014
- Iain Stewart (Geologist) 2013
- Leo Hickman (Director of Carbon Brief) 2017, 2018, 2019
- John Hirst CBE (Former CEO, Met Office) 2013
- Doug McNeall (Met Office) 2017
- Dr Peter Stott (Met Office) 2017
- Felicity Liggins (Met Office) 2014
- Michael Saunby (Met Office) 2014
- Seth Honnor (Artstic Director, Kaleider) 2014
- Steve Dorling (Weatherquest and UEA) 2014
- Ed King (Climate Home News) 2013, 2014
Future Food (previously Food for Thought)
- Lucy Porter (Public Health England’s Behavioural Insights team) 2019
- Kai Tiedemann (Professor from the University of Rhein-Waal, Germany) 2019
- Shane Holland (Execeutive Chair of Slow Food UK)
- Alex Sacco Sikinitotis (Fitness instructor) 2019
- Emma Croft (Devon County Council) 2018
- Dr Tamsin Newlove-Delgado (Public Health Devon) 2018
- Andrew Butler (National Farmers Union) 2017
- Exeter VegShare 2017
- St Sidwell’s Community Centre 2017
- 10 Mile Community Feast 2017
- Real Food Store 2017
- Exeter Food Network 2017
- Tom Curtis (3Keel) 2016, 2018
- Exeter Soup 2016
- Mark Shepherd (Waitrose) 2016
- Ruby King (Public Health, Devon County Council) 2016
- Esther Papies (University of Glasgow) 2016
- Anne Marie Culhane (artist) 2016
- Harry Wild (digital marketing expert) 2016
- Eden Project 2016, 2017
- National Lobster Hatchery, Padstow 2016, 2017
- Royal Cornwall Show 2016, 2017
- David Rodda (Cornwall Development Company) 2014
Gender Inequality
- Dave Pickering (Writer and campaigner) 2018, 2019
- Megha Mohan (BBC Gender and Identity Correspondent)
- Stephanie Boland (Head of Digital at Prospect Magazine, and co-founder of The Second Source, an alternative network for women in media that aims to combat sexual harassment in the workplace)
- Rebecca Roberts-Hughes (Head of Policy for the Civil Aviation Authority) 2018
- Elizabeth Willsteed (Human rights barrister and specialist in equality law) 2018
- Gonzalo Maza (Oscar winner and Exeter PhD candidate in Film Studies) 2018
Global Security
- Tania Martin (Head of the National Counter Terroism Security Office) 2019
- Rob Wainwright (Director of Europol) 2016, 2017
- Joelle Jenny (Weatherhead Visiting Scholar at Harvard; formerly Deputy Head, Conflict Humanitarian and Security Affairs Department (CHASE) at the UK Department for International Development; former Director for Security Policy and Conflict Prevention at the European External Action Service) 2018
- Kevin Abraham (Director General of Army Reform and Honorary Colonel of the Tayforth Universities Training Crops) 2019
- Sir Jon Day (Former Chief of Joint Intelligence Committee) 2016, 2017, 2018
- David Bond (writing for policy expert) 2017, 2018
- Steve Tatham (Practitioner of Strategic Communication and Influence) 2017, 2018, 2019
- Dr Stephanie Blair (Scholar-practitioner who has worked with the UN and OSCE and other operations) 2016, 2017
- Jonathan Marcus (BBC Diplomatic Correspondant) 2016
- Lieutenant General James Rupert Everard CBE (Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff) 2014
- Steve Bowns (Technology Futures) 2014, 2017
- Professor Yuen Fong Khong (Professor in Political Science, Harvard) 2013
- Robert Fox (Defence correspondence Evening Standard) 2013
- Bob Ainsworth (Former Secretary of State for Defence) 2013
- Nick Harvey (Liberal Democrat Politican) 2013
- Nik Gowing (BBC journalist) 2013
Mental Health
- Jon White (Inspirational speaker) 2019
- University of the Third Age 2019
- Rachel Wylie (NHS South West Mental Health Lead ) 2019
- Sue Pike (Head of Devon Partnership NHS Trust) 2019
- Andy Bacon (NHS England lead for Armed Forces Mental Health and Healthcare) 2018
- Debbie Hicks (Reading Agency) 2018
- Ursula James (IAPT Programme Manager, NHS) 2017
- James Woollard (Senior Clinical Fellow in Mental Health, NHS) 2017
- Alastair Campbell (former Downing Street Press Secretary and Director of Communications and Strategy) 2014
- James Rhodes (Pianist) 2016
- Lived Experience Group 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018
- Tina Henry (Public Health, Devon County Council) 2016, 2017
- Gavin Thistlethwaite (NHS Commissioner) 2016
- Tim Francis (NHS Commissioner) 2016, 2017
- Mark Blackmore (Time to Change) 2014, 2016, 2017
- Samaritans 2016, 2017
- Mind 2014
- Pete’s Dragons 2016
- Workways 2016
- Rob Wynne (Magic Carpet Arts) 2014, 2016
- The Bridge Collective 2014, 2016
- Be Involved Devon 2014
- Men’s Health Forum 2014
- Recovery Devon 2014
- Jayne Hardy (Blurt it out) 2014
- University of Exeter Chaplaincy 2014
- Colin Bray (Service Development Manager, Devon Libraries) 2017
Ocean Plastic
- Ellen McArthur Foundation 2018
- Yui Kamakawa and Liz Lowe (Coca-Cola) 2018
- Neil Hembrow (BeachCare South West) 2018
Brexit
- Chris Huhne (an economist and former cabinet minister) 2017
- Eamon Butler (Director of the Adam Smith Institute) 2017
- Linda Middleton-Jones (business manager) 2017
- Beth Button (European Students’ Union) 2017
University of Exeter academics and other staff
Future Food (previously Food for Thought)
- Stefano Pascucci 2020, 2021
- Dr Natalia Lawrence (Psychology) 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020. 2021
- Dr Dan Bebber (Biosciences) 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
- Dr Hazel Mycroft (Psychology) 2018, 2019
- Giles Maling (Hospitality Operations Manager) 2019
- Professor Harry West (Anthropology) 2017
- Professor Henry Buller (Geography) 2016
- Professor Michael Winter (Politics) 2016, 2017
- Dr Alex Mesoudi (Biosciences) 2017
- Dr Tom Currie (Biosciences) 2016
- Dr Matt Witt (Environment and Sustainability Institute) 2014
- Professor Juliet Osborne (Environment and Sustainability Institute) 2014
- Dr Chris Laing (Biosciences) 2014
Fighting Fake News
- Laszlo Horvath (Politics) 2020, 2021
- Susan Banducci (Politics) 2020, 2021
Social Inequality
- Kate Hext (English) 2021
- Mohammad Akrami (Engineering) 2021
Climate & Environment Emergency
- Peter Cox (Mathematics) 2020, 2021
- Dave Hodgson (Biosciences) 2020, 2021
- Juliet Osborne (Biosciences) 2020
- Jim Haywood (Mathematics) 2021
- Sarah Chadburn (Mathematics) 2021
- Richard Cochrane (Renewable Energy) 2020, 2021
- Markus Mueller (Mathematics) 2020, 2021
Planetary Health
- Reza Zamani (Medicine) 2021
- Tim Taylor (Medicine) 2021
Loneliness and Mental Health
- Fred Cooper (History) 2020
Climate Change
- Professor Peter Cox (Mathematics) 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Professor Jim Haywood (Mathematics) 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Dr Hywel Williams (Computer Science) 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019
- Reza Zamani 2020
- Tim Taylor 2020
- Dr Diego Gomez (Engineering) 2016, 2017
- Professor Stewart Barr (Geography) 2017, 2018, 2019
- Dr Sarah Chadburn (Mathematics) 2018
- Dr Ricardo Safra De Campos (Geography) 2018
- Dr Anna Harper (Mathematics) 2017, 2019
- Dr Saffron O’Neil (Geography) 2014, 2017, 2019
- Professor Neil Adger (Geography) 2014
- Professor Richard Betts (Met Office and University of Exeter) 2013, 2014, 2016
- Dr Hugo Lambert (Mathematics) 2013, 2014
- Dr Tim Kurz (Psychology) 2013, 2014
Gender Inequality
- Dr Kate Hext (English) 2018, 2019
- Professor Linda Williams (Film Studies) 2018
- Dr Fiona Handyside (Film Studies) 2018
Global Security
- Lt Gen (Retired) Sir Paul Newton (Strategy and Security Institute) 2014, 2016, 2017, 2019
- Dr Martin Robson (Strategy and Security Institute) 2016, 2017, 2018
- Professor Patrick Porter (Strategy and Security Institute) 2016, 2017, 2018
- Professor Sir Steve Smith (Vice Chancellor) 2013
- Dr David Blagden (Strategy and Security Institute) 2016, 2017, 2018
- Dr Debra Ramsay (Film Studies) 2018, 2019
- Dr Kubo Macak (Law) 2017
- Dr Katharine Boyd (Sociology) 2016
- Dr Aurel Sari (Law) 2016, 2018, 2019
- Professor Martin Thomas (History) 2016
- Dr Klejda Mulaj (Politics) 2013
- Dr Danny Steed (Strategy and Security Institute) 2014
Mental Health
- Professor Paul Farrand (Psychology) 2017, 2018, 2019
- Sophie Brooks (Psychology) 2019
- Dr Zoe Symons (Psychology) 2018
- Faye Small (Psychology) 2017
- Mulitfaith Chaplaincy 2019
- Dr Melvyn Hillsdon (Sport and Health Sciences 2017, 2018
- Professor Mark Jackson (History) 2014, 2016
- Dr Ali Haggett (History) 2014, 2016
- Dr Johanna Harris (English) 2017
- Dr Heather O’Mahen (Psychology) 2016
- Professor Paul Dieppe (Medical School) 2014
- Professor Willem Kuyken (Psychology) 2014
Ocean Plastic
- Professor Peter Hopkinson (Circular Economy) 2018
- Michele Miller (Circular Economy) 2018
- Professor Brendan Godley (Biosciences) 2018
- Professor Tamara Galloway (Biosciences) 2018
Brexit
- Professor John Maloney (Economics) 2017
- Professor Kevin McMeeking (Accounting and Finance) 2017
- Dr Christina Dargenidou (Accounting and Finance) 2017
- Dr Sarah Cooper (Politics) 2017
FabLab
FabLab, a community resource found in the heart of Exeter City Library, equips students with the tools to produce more creative outputs. Students can have T-shirts printed, use 3D printers, laser cutters, digital embroiders, and a range of other exciting machines to make anything at all. In previous years, students have made the most of the equipment, with outputs including games, jigsaws, keyrings, a 'Brexit' cow and several groups making t-shirts as team branding.