Events
Higher Education and Hope in Times of Uncertainties
Join a hybrid public lecture and discussion exploring how higher education can foster hope and social mobility for marginalised communities, drawing on research from India and wider debates on education for progressive futures.
This event is a collaboration between the Summer of Research and the Sussex School for Progressive Futures within the strategic theme Human Flourishing.
Wednesday 24 June 2026, 3–5.30pm
Register here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/higher-education-and-hope-in-times-of-uncertainties-tickets-1988395918719?aff=oddtdtcreator
Event description
The Centre for International Education is delighted to host Dr Anagha Tambe, Director of the Women’s Studies Centre at Savitribai Phule Pune University, for its inaugural lecture on Education for Progressive Futures.
Higher education is often positioned as a site of opportunity, mobility and hope, particularly in times of social, economic and political uncertainty. Drawing on insights from an action‑research study in India, this lecture explores how young people from historically marginalised communities engage with higher education as they seek to challenge intergenerational inequalities shaped by caste, class and parental occupation.
Focusing on first‑generation students whose families are engaged in work considered “dirty” or stigmatised, Dr Tambe examines the tensions these students navigate between aspirations for social mobility and the desire for belonging. The lecture highlights how young people, families, communities and workers’ organisations mobilise higher education to imagine and build hopeful futures, linking struggles for ‘decent’ work with wider movements for democratic and sustainable education.
Format
The event will take the form of a hybrid public lecture, with in-person and online attendance available. Those who wish to attend the lecture online can register in advance via Zoom here: https://universityofsussex.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Si8KNtHZTnGuC8ZazwdFHg
The lecture will be delivered by Dr Anagha Tambe and followed by responses from an interdisciplinary panel, offering reflections on the themes of higher education, mobility and hope in times of uncertainty.
There will be an open Q&A session to invite questions and contributions from the audience. In-person participants will then take part in a facilitated workshop activity focused on rethinking higher education for progressive futures, creating space for discussion, reflection and exchange across roles and disciplines.
About the speaker
Dr Anagha Tambe is Director of the Women’s Studies Centre at Savitribai Phule Pune University, India. Her work focuses on higher education, social justice and labour, with particular attention to caste, intergenerational mobility and the experiences of historically marginalised communities. Drawing on action‑research and long‑term collaboration with workers’ organisations, her research explores how education becomes a site of hope, struggle and political change in times of uncertainty.
The event will be chaired by Professor Barbara Crossouard and Dr Gunjan Wadhwa, Centre for International Education.
The event will also feature an interdisciplinary panel offering international and cross‑sector perspectives on higher education, mobility and hope. The panel includes:
- Dr Noah W. Sobe, Chief of Section for Higher Education, UNESCO (Paris)
- Professor Geert de Neve, Head of School of Global Studies, University of Sussex
- Kamakshi Nari, Doctoral Researcher, Centre for International Education, University of Sussex
- Professor Máiréad Dunne, Institute of the Social Sciences, University College Cork
Target audience
Open to all with an interest in the future of higher education, including postgraduate taught students, postgraduate researchers, faculty and members of the wider community.
Summer of Research 2026
This event is part of the Summer of Research 2026, a two‑week festival of researcher‑led talks, workshops and events celebrating the breadth and impact of research at the University of Sussex. The festival brings together researchers, students and professional services colleagues to share ideas, build connections and explore opportunities for future collaboration.
Find out about and sign up for other exciting events here!