Lancaster University's winter series of Public Lectures kicks off on Wednesday, 8 October, with a thought-provoking talk from writer and speaker Professor Stefan Collini.

Titled 'The Humanities: Past, Present - and Future?', the lecture will explore the shifting role of the humanities in universities and society and what role they might play in the future.

Professor Stefan Collini will take an historical view of how the categories of ‘Arts’ and ‘Sciences’ have evolved since the nineteenth century.

He will also explore how the humanities might be understood in more grounded and inclusive terms, recognising the enduring importance of deepening human understanding, while reflecting on how these disciplines may evolve within the universities of the future.

The event is free and open to everyone. So, whether you are curious about the value of subjects such as history, literature, or philosophy, enjoy lively discussion, or just fancy an interesting evening out, the event is open to all.

The Lecture will be held at the Management School on the University campus. Doors open at 6pm and the talk runs from 6.30pm to 8pm. Find out more and register for tickets.

Stefan Collini is Professor Emeritus of Intellectual History and English Literature at Cambridge University, and a Fellow of the British Academy.  He is the author of, among other books, Public Moralists (1991), Matthew Arnold: a Critical Portrait (1994), English Pasts: Essays in History and Culture (1999), Absent Minds: Intellectuals in Britain (2006), Common Reading: Critics, Historians, Publics (2008), Common Writing: Literary Culture and Public Debate (2016), and The Nostalgic Imagination: History in English Criticism (2019). His latest book is Literature and Learning: A History of English Studies in Britain (2025).  

He is also a frequent contributor to The London Review of Books, The Times Literary Supplement, The Guardian, The Nation, and other publications.  In addition, he has contributed to international debates about higher education, principally through his 2012 book What Are Universities For? and its sequel Speaking of Universities (2017).