Posted on: 12 December 2016
Lloyd’s Register Foundation and the Royal Institution to work together in recognition of more than two centuries of shared heritage and a commitment to inspiring young people with the wonders and applications of science.
The Foundation and the Royal Institution (Ri), have come together to launch a year-long programme of innovative and creative public engagement activities inspired by the world-famous CHRISTMAS LECTURES. Thanks to the Foundation’s generosity, the Ri’s 2016 CHRISTMAS LECTURES will reach millions of young people, their families and their teachers from across the UK and beyond.
The 2016 CHRISTMAS LECTURES series ‘Supercharged: Fuelling the Future’, will explore one of humankind’s biggest challenges: how to generate and store energy. It will be presented by Saiful Islam, Professor of Materials Chemistry at the University of Bath.
Professor Richard Clegg, Chief Executive of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation said: “The Lloyd’s Register Foundation is proud to be a major supporter of the Royal Institution’s CHRISTMAS LECTURES. This year’s series is on the subject of energy which is also dear to the heart of the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. As a charity, we share complementary aims with the Ri to connect people with the world of science and inspiring the next generation. We’re also a global charity so looking forward to continuing to work with Ri afterwards on taking the lectures abroad and maximising their impact internationally.”
This year’s series will also celebrate an incredible anniversary for the CHRISTMAS LECTURES as it marks 80 years of television history since they were first broadcast on the BBC in 1936, making the CHRISTMAS LECTURES the world’s oldest science series.
Shared history
The shared history between the two charities stretches back to the founding of the Royal Institution in 1799. John Julius Angerstein was the first known Chairman of the Society for the Registry of Shipping (the precursor to Lloyd’s Register) between 1790–1797, and in 1799 he became one of 58 founding proprietors of the Royal Institution.
Gail Cardew, Professor of Science, Culture and Society at the Royal Institution, said: “We are delighted that the Lloyd’s Register Foundation have chosen to partner with us as our major supporter for the 2016 CHRISTMAS LECTURES. Our organisations share a rich heritage: the very first televised lecture by GI Taylor FRS was on shipping and I’ve been amazed to hear that so many people with connections to Lloyd’s Register over the last two centuries were also members of the Ri. More importantly, both organisations share a commitment to inspiring young people about science as well as ensuring the applications of science are used responsibly and safely for the benefit of society. I look forward to seeing what we can achieve together through the 2016 CHRISTMAS LECTURES.”
The 2016 CHRISTMAS LECTURES programme supported by the Lloyd’s Register Foundation and a wider community of supporters, will involve three live shows in the Ri’s iconic lecture theatre, a UK television broadcast and will make the Lectures available to an international audience through the Ri Channel and social media activities. The partnership will support thousands of teachers and students up and down the country through education initiatives including the launch of a touring live show for schools and continuing professional development sessions for teachers inspired by the lectures, an online engagement project called ‘I’m a Scientist, Get Me Out of Here’ and free online teaching resources to help teachers bring the magic of the lectures into the classroom.
