SPEAKER SERIES
The club regularly invites guests to give talks on their respective specialties both in-person and online. These talks are open to the public and are a part of the Club’s philosophy of ‘Learn, Earn, Return’; allowing both non-members and members to gain insights from experts in a range of fields. Tickets for these events are advertised on our social media platforms.
Alex O’Connor - in conversation with Prof Andrew Torrance and Dr. T.J. Lang from St Andrews
Does the Bible mean something it hasn’t historically?
Alex O'Connor, formally known online as Cosmic Skeptic, is a British philosopher, public speaker, and creator of the youtube channel and podcast Within Reason.
He graduated in Philosophy and Theology from St John's College, Oxford. Since he first spoke for the Carnegie Club in 2024, he has continued engaging with prominent thinkers and expanding his audience, with his YouTube channel surpassing 80 million views. His work focuses on topics including atheism, ethics, free speech, and monarchy abolitionism.
Alex's Within Reason podcast features in-depth conversations with scholars and public intellectuals, exploring philosophical and theological issues. He has also appeared on television programs such as Piers Morgan Uncensored, BBC Sunday Morning Live, and Channel 4 News.
Dr. Faiza Shaheen
Inequality, politics and change
Dr Faiza Shaheen is an economist, author, and social justice advocate with a career spanning academia, policy, and politics.
She holds a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and a PhD in Economics from the University of Manchester. Faiza has led research at organisations including the Centre for Labour and Social Studies (CLASS), Save the Children UK, and the New Economics Foundation.
She is currently Visiting Professor at the LSE’s International Inequalities Institute and Executive Director of Tax Justice UK. Her book Know Your Place (2023) explores inequality and social mobility in Britain. Faiza has also advised governments on inclusive policy and stood twice for Parliament in her home constituency of Chingford & Woodford Green.
Kathryn Porter - U.S. Consul General in Edinburgh
Transatlantic Cooperation: Promoting Peace & Democracy in Ukraine
Kathryn Porter assumed office as U.S. Consul General in Edinburgh in August 2024, bringing with her a wealth of diplomatic and operational expertise. Prior to her current assignment, she served in Washington, D.C. as Senior Operations Management Officer at the State Department Operations Center, the 24‑hour crisis management and communication hub for the U.S. Secretary of State.
Over the course of a distinguished diplomatic career, Porter has undertaken consular and management roles in multiple overseas postings, including U.S. Consulates in Kraków, Toronto, Johannesburg, Tijuana, and a tenure as Consul at the U.S. Embassy in Moscow.
Porter earned her M.P.A. from the University of Alabama at Birmingham and holds a B.A. from the University of Montevallo.
Dr. David Starkey CBE
History & Our Present Discontents: From Henry VIII’s break with Rome to Brexit and beyond
Dr Starkey read history at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge (BA, PhD) and was a Fellow there before embarking on an academic career, including lecturing at the London School of Economics from 1972 to 1998. He was appointed CBE in 2007 for services to history and held fellowships of the Royal Historical Society (1984) and the Society of Antiquaries of London (1994).
Dr Starkey is also known for his television documentaries including Monarchy (2004–07), an account of England’s monarchs from Anglo‑Saxon rule to modern times, and The Churchills (2012), tracing the lives of Winston Churchill and his ancestor John Churchill.
His scholarship focuses on Tudor England, particularly the reigns of Henry VIII and Elizabeth I, works such as Henry: Mind of a Tyrant and The Six Wives of Henry VIII have brought Tudor history to wide audiences.
Professor Peter Adamson - Professor of Philosophy at KCL and LMU
Philosophy and Ethics of Animals in the Islamic World
Peter Adamson is Professor of Late Ancient and Arabic Philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich and also holds a position in ancient and medieval philosophy at King’s College London. He specialises in the history of philosophy, with particular focus on late antiquity and the Islamic world.
Prof Adamson is the creator and host of History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps, a long-running podcast and book series that explores philosophical traditions from around the world. The project, which has received widespread acclaim, presents thinkers from ancient Greece to medieval India, the Islamic world, and beyond.
He is the author or editor of numerous academic books and articles, and his work has been recognised with honours including the Schelling Prize and the Philip Leverhulme Prize. In addition to his academic research, Prof Adamson is committed to public engagement and the global dissemination of philosophical thought.
Dr. Frank Quinault
Andrew Carnegie - Rector of St Andrews University: his life and legacy
Dr Quinault arrived at St Andrews in 1972 as a Lecturer in Psychology and held a wide range of senior roles prior to his retirement in 2007, including Assistant Principal for External Affairs, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Hebdomadar, overseeing student welfare and discipline. He also chaired the board of the Students’ Association for six years.
His contributions beyond the university include serving as Chairman of the Byre Theatre, President of both the St Andrews Burns Club and the Rotary Club of St Andrews, and as Treasurer of the Kate Kennedy Trust.
Ryan Bernsten
Listening to America
A communications strategist, Bernsten has contributed to major political movements, including working on Hillary Clinton’s electoral campaign trail. He currently serves as Senior Managing Editor for the creative team at The Trevor Project, a leading organisation dedicated to ending suicide among LGBTQ youth.
Driven by a commitment to hear and amplify diverse voices, Bernsten undertook an ambitious journey across all 50 states during the pivotal 2016 election year. Through conversations with mayors, governors, community leaders, and everyday voters from across the political spectrum, he sought to uncover the narratives that define and connect the American experience. His critically acclaimed book, 50 States of Mind: A Journey to Rediscover American Democracy, draws on this experience and has been featured by NPR, Talking Politics, and Condé Nast Traveler.
HRH Prince Khalid bin Bandar Al Saud - Saudi Ambassador to the UK
Saudi Arabia Today
His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Bandar al-Saud is the current Saudi ambassador to the UK and previously held the post of Saudi ambassador to Germany from 2017-2019. He has also had an accomplished career in the private sector, currently acting as chairman of Byblos Real Estate Development Company and executive chairman of Dayim Holdings.
HRH holds a degree from Pembroke College, University of Oxford, where he studied Oriental Studies. He went on to become a commissioned officer from Sandhurst Military Academy and a post-graduate from Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy.
Zoe Cohen
Climate Destruction, Societal Collapse and Distributive Action
Zoe Cohen is a climate activist and former spokesperson for Just Stop Oil. Alongside her tenure with Just Stop Oil during which she spoke on Sky News and other platforms, Cohen was a committed activist with Extinction Rebellion and Insulate Britain, lending her voice to urgent climate action. She has also worked in large organisations: as an experienced Executive Director with nine years at Board level in the NHS; latterly on the Board of a £1 Billion turnover organisation; and with many corporate and public sector organisations as a professional Coach.
Cohen holds a BA in Human Sciences from the University of Oxford.
Alex O’Connor
Skepticism and Meaning in the 21st Century
Alex O’Connor is a Philosophy and Theology graduate form St John’s College, University of Oxford, and has since then grown his presence from an online commentator to that of a bona fide public intellectual, having conversed with the likes of Slavoj Žižek, Richard Dawkins, and Peter Singer.
He is the host of the Within Reason podcast and his YouTube channel has over 80 million views.
Hassan Elmasry - MBA
THE EVOLUTION OF CIVIC RIGHTS: PRACTICAL INSIGHTS FROM THE FORMER BOARD CHAIR OF HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
Hassan Elmasry joined Human Rights Watch’s London Committee in 2004, where he also sat on the Middle East and North Africa Advisory Committee. Hassan was on the organisation’s board of directors from 2007 and served as the board’s co-chair from 2013-2019. He continues to support and advise on several human rights organisations around the world.
Hassan holds a BA in Economics and an MBA in Finance from the University of Chicago. He has over 30 years of investment experience managing equity portfolios and institutional clients. Hassan is the co-founder of Independent Franchise Partners, LLP, a London based asset management company, where he is currently the non-exec chair and advisor to partners. Previously, he was managing director at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. Hassan also teaches an investment workshop at the London Business School’s Investment Management Club and is currently writing a book about investing.
Michael Keating - FBA FRSE FAcSS
The Fractured Union: State and Nature in the UK
Professor Michael Keating FBA FRSE FAcSS, the General Secretary of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the founding Director of the Centre on Constitutional Change in Edinburgh, joined us to discuss the question of state and nation within the United Kingdom.
Professor Keating has worked on various aspects of public policy-making in Scotland and abroad, focusing on how to promote and galvanise the innovation of policy. He is also the author or editor of over thirty books on Scottish politics, European politics, nationalism and regionalism. As Director of the ESRC Centre on Constitutional Change, Professor Keating has given evidence to the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee.
Sir Anton Muscatelli - FRSA FRSE FAcCS
Covid-19 and Economic Recovery
Sir Anton Muscatelli FRSA FRSE FAcSS, the Principal of the University of Glasgow and one of the United Kingdom's top economists, joined us to discuss how Covid-19 will condition economic recovery in tandem with higher education.
Sir Anton chairs the Scottish Government’s Standing Council on Europe, a non-political group that provides expert advice to Scottish ministers on protecting Scotland’s relationship with the EU. He is also a member of the Scottish Government’s Council of Economic Advisers. Since September 2017, he has acted as Chair of the Russell Group of Universities.
Kate Holt
Capturing Humanity and Lack thereof in Conflict Zones
Nominated three times for the Amnesty Award for Humanitarian reporting, Kate Holt have worked extensively throughout Africa and Afghanistan for the last 15 years. Kate trained in the News and Current Affairs department of the BBC before becoming a photographer. She has extensive experience of telling stories from very challenging environments. Kate has taught a wide range of organisations how to take photographs, write stories and improve their communication skills from African Union soldiers on the frontline in Mogadishu, to children in South Sudan. On February 4th, Kate shared the insight she gained while capturing humanity and lack thereof in conflict zones.
Michael Lessac
Making Theatre, Constructing Reality: the Psychophysics of Hope
Michael Lessac, founder of the Global Arts Corps, joined us for a discussion on making theater and its relationship with healing, reconciliation, and peace, guiding the conversation through his experiences dealing with the consequences of conflict through art.
Michael Lessac founded the Global Arts Corps, a diverse group of interdisciplinary theater artists, in order to bring together performers from opposite sides of a conflict or divide and create a space for the sharing of stories with the ultimate goal of fostering empathy, reconciliation, and healing from the wounds of the past. The group has worked in South Africa with the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, in Northern Ireland, and in Cambodia and has performed its productions in conflict zones around the world.
Nadereh Chamlou
From invisibility to prominence – why gender equality matters now more than ever
Nadereh Chamlou is an International Development Advisor. She was formerly a Senior Advisor at the World Bank. During her three-decade career with the World Bank Group, she held technical, coordination, managerial, and advisory functions in diverse economic and financial fields and in several regions. Among others, she coordinated for a decade the World Bank’s Gender agenda in the Middle East and North Africa.
She has authored several seminal works and currently serves on the boards of NGOs supporting women’s empowerment, entrepreneurship and start-ups, and academia. She went to Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service and Graduate School for Economics. She was the recipient of The International Alliance for Women’s 2015 “Making a Difference” Global Award.
Lord Jonathan Evans
National Security: Where are we Now?
Joining MI5 in 1980, Lord Evans began working in counter-espionage, then shifted his focus to domestic and international counter terrorism. Ten days before the 9/11 attacks in the United States, Lord Evans was appointed as Director of International Counter Terrorism. Following this role, he became Deputy Director General to Dame Eliza Manningham-Butler in 2005 before assuming his final posting as the Director General.
Retiring from the Service in 2013, Lord Evans has since been appointed Knight Commander of the Order of Bath (KCB) and become a Cross Bench life peer after personal nomination of the Prime Minister.
Lord Evans has unparalleled insight into the current national security climate both domestically and internationally. Deeply involved with the Security Service during the Irish Troubles, 9/11 attacks and rise of digital espionage, Lord Evans has a unique perspective on the challenges national security continues to face today.
Sir Danny Alexander
On Development Banking, Sustainable Development and Recovery Following Covid-19
Sir Danny Alexander, VP and Corporate Secretary of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, former Secretary to the Treasure and British MP (LD Inverness, Nairn, Badenoch and Strathspey), joined us from Beijing to discuss the role of multilateral development banks in the global economic governance of sustainable development and the role that these institutions will play in the recovery effort following Covid-19. He discussed time spent in British politics and third parties.
James D. Jameson
Entrepreneurship, Geopolitics and ‘How to Live a Good Life’
Mr James D Jameson, Global Entrepreneur, and businessman, joined us from California to discuss his long career building companies in developing and former communist countries, the future challenges and opportunities of our increasingly interdependent world economy, and how to live a "good life". Mr Jameson spoke about his time as an Assistant Secretary of Trade for the US government under President George H.W Bush.