Birkbeck festival explores global challenges through social sciences
Talks, workshops and film screenings brought critical social issues into the spotlight.
Birkbeck’s Social Sciences Festival 2025, held from 3 to 12 June, brought together scholars, students, and the public to explore pressing social issues through a series of talks, panels, workshops, and book launches. The festival celebrated the diverse and impactful research taking place across the School of Social Sciences.
Highlights included:
On 3 June, the festival opened with a powerful seminar and book launch on Black Feminist Theory, Intersectionality and Collaboration: The Global Challenge to Decolonising Higher Education, where Professor Heidi Safia Mirza and contributing authors shared personal narratives and academic reflections on decolonising higher education.
4 June, a panel on How do we Champion Aid, Reparations and Social Justice in a New World? featured experts from Oxford and Birkbeck discussing the future of international aid and Reparations amidst rising global conservatism.
5 June saw the Food Politics: Belonging, Identity, and Sustainability roundtable explore themes of belonging, sustainability, and identity through food - highlighting the political and emotional dimensions of urban foodscapes.
On 6 June, Coexistence: workshopping positive visions for humans and wildlife invited participants to envision alternative futures for humans and wildlife, using group discussion and creative methods to address ecological coexistence.
On 9 June, Shadows of Her, a novel by student Nouzha Mabrouk, was introduced through readings and reflections on trauma, survival, and identity. The same evening, Birkbeck’s Institute for Crime and and Justice Policy Research (ICPR) and Revolving Doors premiered the short film What Do You Think? They also held a panel discussion on Co-produced Research in the Criminal Justice System: Questions, Challenges and Opportunities.
10 June saw Queer Cinema for Palestine 2025 – No Pride in Genocide screen a series of international films that examined solidarity, queer resistance, and the intersections of struggle and creativity.
On 11 June, a workshop on Extractivism and research impact: how to build authentic collaborations with non-academic/community partners addressed ethical collaboration with community partners, while Professor Caroline Shenaz Hossein delivered an inspiring talk on Black Women’s Solidarity Economies and the power of collective organising.
The festival closed on 12 June with a discussion on Carceral Diagonalism, unpacking how both left and right-wing movements employ punitive politics in anti-gender mobilisations.
Professor Matthew Davies, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences remarked:
"This festival showcased the bold, critical scholarship that defines Birkbeck. The combination of public engagement and intellectual exchange was powerful in demonstrating the impact that the Social Sciences can have."
To explore all the recordings, visit the Social Sciences Festival webpage.