Last month, on 12 November, Vice Chancellor Sasha Roseneil came to the Faculty of Media, Arts and Humanities to discuss 'Human Flourishing', this year’s MAH Research Institute annual theme.

For this opening event of the theme, the VC began by reflecting on how Human Flourishing had come to play a prominent role in the Sussex 2035 strategic plan. It had been a key idea for her own research on the future of social care and the role of friendship, which had led back to Aristotle’s concept of eudaimonia.

There are certain necessary preconditions for humans to flourish, Aristotle argued, including good education, governance, and equality; wealth, health, and a full life; and the presence of friends and family. For Sussex, this notion offers a distinctive and capacious way to think about the student journey, critical rigour, citizenship and service, compassion, teamwork, and resilience. For Sasha, this is a rich idea for us to live with and debate over throughout the coming decade.  

Sasha’s reflections were then taken up in conversation with Cornel Sandvoss, MAH’s Executive Dean, and led into an audience Q&A that covered topics as diverse as the idea of the individual, Renaissance Humanism, class and the role of public speaking, place and storytelling, as well as the interconnection of Sussex 2035’s strategic themes and the new School of Progressive Futures.

It was a stimulating and fruitful event for all involved, and many of the ideas raised will feed into this year's 'Research Conversations’ event, our annual gathering of faculty and PGRs around shared areas of research interest, with the primary aim of encouraging connections, new ideas and collaborations. This year's event will take place on 26 February 2025 across Silverstone and will engage with conversations around 'Human Flourishing'. More details for this event will be announced soon.