Book talk: 'Science and Politics' - Sir Ian Boyd in conversation with Sir Charles Godfray and Dame Helen Ghosh

Forthcoming Event

Date
 13 February 2025, 5:00pm - 6:00pm
Registration Required

Location
 Oxford Martin School & Online
34 Broad Street (corner of Holywell and Catte Streets), Oxford, OX1 3BD

Science and politics ian boyd eventimage

Professor Sir Ian Boyd is a distinguished marine biologist who from 2012 to 2019 was Chief Scientific Advisor at Defra (Department of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) and is currently President of the Royal Society of Biology.

While at Defra he dealt with such tricky issues as bovine TB and badger culling, neonicotinoid insecticides and “forever” chemical pollutants. In his recent no-holds-barred book, Science and Politics, Ian describes some of the challenges in speaking truth to power and reflects on the uneasy marriage of science and politics. Importantly, he suggests positive and quite radical actions that might be taken to improve the way government incorporates the best science in decision maker. Ian will discuss his ideas with Sir Charles Godfray (OMS Director) and Dame Helen Ghosh (Master of Balliol and former Permanent Secretary at Defra) and take questions from the audience.

This event will be followed by a drinks reception and book sale/signing.

REGISTRATION


P108232 Ian Boyd

Professor Sir Ian Boyd
Professor in Biology, University of St Andrews

Professor Sir Ian Boyd is a marine and polar scientist who was Chief Scientific Adviser at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from September 2012 to August 2019. He is currently Professor in Biology at the University of St Andrews and the Chairman of the UK Research Integrity Office.

He previously served as the first Director of the Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, and as Director of the Sea Mammal Research Unit. Sir Ian is currently leading the move to sustainability at the University of St Andrews. He spent 14 years leading a research programme in Antarctica studying the structure and dynamics of energy flow in the Southern Ocean. He has received the Scientific Medal of the Zoological Society of London, the Bruce Medal for Polar Science and the Polar Medal.

Sir Ian was knighted in 2019 for services to science and economics in government.

Charles Godfray

Professor Sir Charles Godfray
Director, Oxford Martin School

Professor Sir Charles Godfray was appointed Director of the Oxford Martin School on 1 February 2018.

Professor Godfray is a population biologist with broad interests in the environmental sciences and has published in fundamental and applied areas of ecology, evolution and epidemiology. He is interested in how the global food system will need to change and adapt to the challenges facing humanity in the 21st century, and in particular in the concept of sustainable intensification, and the relationship between food production, ecosystem services and biodiversity. In 2017 he was knighted for services to scientific research and for scientific advice to government.

As well as leading the School, Professor Godfray is also a lead researcher of the Oxford Martin Programme on the Future of Food and the Oxford Martin Restatements project, a new approach to providing succinct summaries of scientific evidence around highly contentious topics.

Helen Ghosh

Dame Helen Ghosh
Master, Balliol College

Dame Helen Ghosh read Modern History at St Hugh’s College, before leaving Oxford to join the Civil Service, where she worked for 33 years in a variety of government departments, including the Department for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Cabinet Office, HM Revenue and Customs and the Department for Work and Pensions.

From 2005 to 2010, Helen was Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and from 2010, Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the Bath in the 2008 Birthday Honours. She left the Civil Service in 2012 to become Director General of the National Trust, and took up her role as Master of Balliol in April 2018.



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