University of Melbourne Events Calendar
Featured events
2026 Baxt Lecture: ‘Revolutionaries in Power: Lessons Learned from the US Antimonopoly Movement’
Mar
12
5:30pm - 7:00pm
Public Lecture
Please join us from 5.30pm for networking with drinks and light refreshments prior to the lecture commencement at 6.00pm.
Revolutionaries in Power: Lessons Learned from the US Antimonopoly Movement
Effectuating change often takes decades, if it happens at all. Political movements rarely succeed overnight. But the recent antimonopoly movement in the United States was an exception.
In just a few short years, it grew from a handful of civil-society researchers and academics to a group with powerful allies in Washington DC, holding the reins of three major federal agencies. It was, in some ways, a model for conceptualising and institutionalising prosocial policy. Yet it was not perfect, nor was its rapid ascent without drawbacks.
In this lecture, Professor John Newman will describe from first-hand experience the highlights, pitfalls, and lessons learned by serving as a revolutionary in power.
What makes cities liveable?
Mar
18
6:00pm - 9:30pm
Public Lecture
Join us for a panel discussion on how cities can balance the social and environmental needs of citizens to create thriving communities
The evening will begin with a guided tour of the Woody Meadow and Melbourne Arts Precinct Plant Trials – living research sites that showcase how urban planting can cool cities and support biodiversity – followed by a panel discussion, then refreshments.
Over half of the world’s population lives in cities – a figure set to rise to 70 per cent by 2050. However, urbanisation is reducing the quality of life for many. Cities can lack accessibility, sustainability, and a sense of belonging. What is it that makes a city truly livable? How do we create thriving, inclusive communities – now and into the future?
Join us for a panel discussion on how cities can balance the social and environmental needs of citizens to create thriving communities. Experts will discuss what Melbourne – one of the world’s most livable cities – can do better to improve accessibility and inclusivity and improve urban environments, and what we’ve been getting right to achieve our top 10 ranking.
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The Science at Melbourne Lecture series is the premier public event series from the Faculty of Science. The event program seeks to share our knowledge and love of science with the wider community, engaging them in current research and empowering them to ask questions and act for a better world. The series runs throughout the year covering scientific research, discoveries, and theories that play exciting or unexpected roles in shaping and advancing our society
