Gresham College Public Lectures

by Trev M (subscribe)

Published January 10th 2011

It's possibly the only college in the world that has no regular students, never awards qualifications, and doesn't teach courses.

So what, you may well ask, is the point of Gresham College? Well, this unique institution of higher learning has been providing free public lectures for more than 400 years. Yes, free. In a country where the cost of student education is skyrocketing, this is already starting to sound very interesting.

The college was the brainchild of Sir Thomas Gresham (1519-1579), a London merchant and financier, whose wealth was put towards its creation following his death.

The professors, who each give six lectures a year over a period of three years, are specialists in fields such as astronomy, commerce, law and music, making the choice of subjects wide and varied. There are also occasional special lectures given by guest professors.

Most lectures take place at 1pm or 6pm, the latter being ideal for a bit of post-work brain stimulation. And anyway, if you happen to be working close to one of the venues, you could easily pop over during your lunch hour for something a bit different.

Locations for lectures include Gresham College's base at Barnard's Inn Hallin Holborn, though other places such as the Museum of London at the Barbican, and East Wintergarden at Canary Wharf are also used.

Visit the college's website and browse through the calendar of events to see what lectures you'd like to attend. The professors will be more than happy to have you come along, and of course, without your support, this unique and valuable opportunity would cease to exist.

Some lectures require advance booking, so be sure to check the website for details.

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