Symposia

The UK Alexander von Humboldt Association organises an Annual Research Symposium where Humboldtians present their research in an interdisciplinary forum. The symposium is supported by the Humboldt Foundation in Germany.

The location of the symposium alternates between academic institutions and is also regularly hosted by the German Ambassador at the Germany Embassy in London.

Additional meetings or events may be held from time to time.

Upcoming meeting

The Annual Research Symposium 2026

Academic Host: Prof Timothy Devinney
Host Institution: University of Manchester
Date: 11th of September 2026

The programme and link to registration will be posted in due course.

Past meetings

The Annual Research Symposium 2025

The symposium was held on 19 September 2025 and kindly hosted by the German Ambassador to the United Kingdom at the German Embassy in London.

The Mark Warner Lecture was delivered by former Association President Prof James Wilton-Ely (Imperial College, London) on “Carbon monoxide – friend or foe?”

The Brian Ketterer Lecture was delivered by Association President Prof Robert Vilain (St Hugh’s College, Oxford) on “Charlie Chaplin and the European Avant-Garde” at the last meeting of his term as Association President.

Host: German Ambassador
Host Institution: German Embassy
Date: 19 September 2025
Organisers: Dr Shannon A. Bonke and Prof Peg Katritzky
Details here: Annual Meeting 2025

The Annual Research Symposium 2024

The symposium was held on 13 September 2024 and kindly hosted by Prof Timothy Devinney (University of Manchester) at King’s Business School, King’s College London.

The Mark Warner Lecture was delivered by Prof Gennady Mishuris (Aberystwyth University) on “Exploring the Distance Between Mathematics and Technical Progress: Insights from Personal Endeavours”.

The Brian Ketterer Lecture was delivered by Prof Elton Barker (The Open University) on “Placing literature: modern tools, ancient examples”

Academic Host: Prof Timothy Devinney
Host Institution: King’s College London
Date: 13 September 2024
Organisers: Dr Shannon A. Bonke and Prof Peg Katritzky
Details here: Annual Meeting 2024

The Annual Research Symposium 2023

The symposium was held on 15 September 2023 and kindly hosted by Association President Prof Robert Vilain at St Hugh’s College Oxford.

The Mark Warner Lecture was delivered by Prof Timothy Devinney (University of Manchester) on “Ethical Vanities: Why Individuals Do Not Act According to Their Professed Beliefs”.

The Brian Ketterer Lecture was delivered by Prof Fraser A. Armstrong (University of Oxford) on “Electrocatalysis by nanoconfined enzyme cascades – a new multidisciplinary field”.

Academic Host: Prof Robert Vilain
Host Institution: St Hugh’s College Oxford
Date: 15 September 2023
Organisers: Dr Shannon A. Bonke and Prof Peg Katritzky
Details here: Annual Meeting 2023.

The Annual Research Symposium 2022

The symposium was hosted on 16 September 2022 by Prof Feng Ryan Wang in the Ramsay Lecture Theatre at University College London.

The inaugural Mark Warner Lecture was delivered by his long-time colleague and Isaac Physics co-founder Dr Lisa Jardine-Wright (University of Cambridge) on “Encouraging the next generation of physics researchers: Not only inspiration but empowerment”

The Brian Ketterer Lecture was delivered by Prof Helen Gleeson (University of Leeds) on “Stretching the limits”

Academic Host: Prof Feng Ryan Wang
Host Institution: University College London
Date: 16 September 2022
Details here: Annual Meeting 2022

The Annual Research Symposium 2021

The symposium was hosted online on 17 September 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Brian Ketterer Lecture was delivered by Prof Nicole Boivin (Director, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History) on “How can the past help us to shape a better future?”.

Academic Host: Prof James Wilton-Ely
Host Institution: Online
Date: 17 September 2021
Details here: Annual Meeting 2021