Rewley House Lecture Series

Free public lectures open to all

The Rewley House Lecture Series is an opportunity to experience the extraordinarily diverse research interests of academics from across and beyond the Department, and to participate in multidisciplinary debate.

Lectures are free and open to all.

Trinity term 2024 lecture: Professor Nazila Ghanea

Navigating the Tightrope of a UN Independent Mandate

Tuesday 28 May 2024, 4.30pm (16:30 BST)

The United Nations human rights work is upheld through the efforts of various independent experts, whose pro bono services seek to underscore the impartiality and independence of its human rights oversight. 

This lecture from Professor Nazila Ghanea explains the role of these experts and examines the balance to be struck in their work, including between independence and relevance, impartiality and robust reporting. 

About the speaker

Nazila Ghanea is Professor of International Human Rights Law and Director of the MSc in International Human Rights Law at the University of Oxford (Department for Continuing Education from 2007-2022 and since in the Faculty of Law). Prior to that, she was Senior Lecturer at the University of London, graduate teaching assistant at Keele University and a lecturer in the People’s Republic of China.

Though her nearly 30-year career has been rooted in academia, her academic work has regularly contributed to multilateral practice in international human rights law. Since August 2022 she has served as UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, which is an appointment made by the UN Human Rights Council. 

Find out more about Professor Nazila Ghanea.

Past lectures

A repression of things past: reflections on the memory of pandemics in the wake of covid

A repression of things past: reflections on the memory of pandemics in the wake of covid

Join Dr Nicholas E. Bonneau for this free hybrid lecture, part of the Rewley House Lecture Series.

Data Science and Identifying COVID-19 Risk Factors

Data Science and Identifying COVID-19 Risk Factors

Join Dr Daniel Wilson as he explores the role that data science has played in the COVID-19 pandemic response. Free lecture, part of the Rewley House Lecture Series.

Evidence-Based Government

Evidence-Based Government

Join Dr Philip Davies as he explores what it means for governments to be ‘evidence-based’ and for political decision makers to be ‘following the science’.

The Creativity Code

The Creativity Code

Prof Marcus du Sautoy asks 'Will a computer ever compose a symphony, write a prize-winning novel, or paint a masterpiece?'

Power-posing politicians, human pheromones, and other psychological myths

Power-posing politicians, human pheromones, and other psychological myths

Using his research in to human pheromones as an example, Tristram Wyatt will discuss how and why popular myths are created and how efforts have been made to address the ‘reproducibility crisis’.

Resilience planning for sudden shock events: exploring ‘emotional equilibrium’ responses in Japan