The Ideas Exchange

On Monday 17^thDecember, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, partnered with The Exchange to host ‘The Ideas Exchange’. The event consisted of a series of ten quick-fire lectures from a range of its top academics, covering a range of topics.

The Ideas Exchange provided the ten quick-fire lectures in two hours, with each talk being only around eight minutes long. Professor John Brewer introduced the event, where he discussed the lectures about to take place, explaining that The Ideas Exchange is “a chance to gain more information and more ideas.

Amy Price, Programme Director of Physical and Sport Education kicked off the lectures, with a discussion surrounding digital video game design, and how this design could be applied to both sports coaching and teaching in general. After, Yiannis Mavrommatis, Programme Director of Nutrition and Genetics introduced the audience to the most rapidly evolving aspect of science; Genetics.

Michael Ayres, Programme Director of the Chelsea FC Foundation Coaching Degree discussed the first steps of exploring the meaning of true understanding in sports coaching and physical education. Professor Merlin Stone then spoke and reviewed the difference the modern giants of digital marketing have made to our lives.

Further, Dr Phil Price, Programme Director of Strength and Conditioning talked about how to ‘find your genius’, and how to learn effectively whilst completing your university studies.  Dr Jon Hackett, Programme Director of Film and Communications looked at the rise of mobile communications and its importance in everyday life, specifically different types of media and the platforms they are now available on.

Professor Annalise Gordon, Interim Director of the Institute of Education then provided the audience with an uplifting lecture on the importance of resilience and the art of bouncing back in style during adversity, particularly in the teaching profession. In relation to teaching, Jonathan Gibbs Programme Director of Creative and Professional Writing then shared the secret of teaching writing, and learning how to write books by studying them.

In the final section of the Ideas Exchange, Dr Kim Salmons introduced a ‘taste’ of literature, and the idea that food can be linked to much of civilization through literature. Professor John Brewer, Pro-Vice Chancellor, changed the subject with his talk on anti-doping in the sports industry, and how science has led to the creation of anti-doping procedures.

To conclude the lectures, Professor Phillip Booth engaged the audience with a discussion on equality and inequality in the world, and how, contrary to popular belief, our world is changing for the better in many ways. Phillip draws on concepts such as moralisation and ethical reasoning to better explain this.