Conference highlights topical global issues

One hundred and fifty Kent school pupils learnt about climate change and other topical global issues at a Sixth Form Geography Conference at Canterbury Christ Church University on Wednesday 19th October.

The event was run by the University’s Department of Geographical and Life Sciences – a department whose Human and Social Geography programme achieved the highest score of any English university in the 2007 National Student Satisfaction Survey.

The conference was attended by pupils from Barton Court Grammar School; Simon Langton Grammar School; Chatham House Grammar School; Westlands School; Canterbury College; St Andselm’s School; Ursuline College; and Sandwich Technology School.

The pupils attended a series of lectures which explored topical issues in geography. These included: ‘geographies of conflicts in the news’; ‘meteorology of climate change’; ‘geographical information systems in action’; geographies of globalisation’; and ‘Africa and energy security’.

Head of the University’s Department of Geographical and Life Sciences, Professor Peter Vujakovic, said: “The conference was a great success in highlighting the continuing relevance of geography as a discipline dealing with important contemporary themes, with lectures focusing on the environment and other topical global issues.  This conference also gave the sixth formers a taste of university life and promoted higher education to those who may not have previously considered it as an option.”