Award-winning journalist, author and podcaster Mishal Husain will explore themes of history, heritage, headlines and geopolitical transformation when she delivers the 2026 Sussex Asia Centre lecture.

Mishal Husain will deliver the 2026 Sussex Asia Centre Annual Lecture on 'History, Heritage and Headlines: How Journeys into the Past Link to Today’s Geopolitical Shifts'.

Speaking at the Jubillee Lecture Theatre on the campus of the University of Sussex, Mishal will reflect on how, amidst a professional life immersed in international news, she recently discovered unexpected elements of her ancestry, from Central Asia to the British Empire in India and the United States. The picture that emerged brought together multiple migrations, influences and impulses connected to histories of trade routes and geopolitics and enabled her to think about her family story in a new way. In this lecture and discussion, Mishal will explore the people and places that shaped this understanding of family life spanning regions and continents, and connect her reflections to the power shifts of today.