Upcoming events
Expand your mind with the Institute of Advanced Studies.
Each year the Institute hosts events by distinguished visiting and local scholars, artists, writers and public intellectuals. These events contribute to our goal of sharing research, new ideas and encouraging discussion and debate within the broader community.
Public Lectures
March
24 March 2026
THE OUTER AND INNER UNIVERSE: COSMOS, CONSCIOUSNESS AND THE LIMITS OF REALITY
A public lecture by Bernard Carr, Professor of Mathematics and Astronomy, University of London, followed by a dialogue with Venerable Ajahn Brahm exploring the blending boundaries of classical physics, consciousness, mind and spirituality.
Join us for a special public lecture exploring both the outer universe of black holes, cosmology, and the inner universe of mind, consciousness and meaning. Drawing on a lifetime of work at the frontiers of physics, Professor Carr will examine whether our current scientific picture of reality is complete — or whether it may need to expand to better account for consciousness itself. The lecture will be followed by a special dialogue with Venerable Ajahn Brahm on science, spirituality and the deeper questions of human experience.
When: 24 March 2026, 5pm-7pm
Venue: Woolnough Lecture Theatre, Geology Building, UWA
This public lecture is part of the Black Swan Summit Australia and is presented by the UWA Data Institute and UWA Institute of Advanced Studies.
Postgraduate Masterclasses
Past lectures
Many of our events are recorded. See our Past lectures page for more information and links to these recordings.
25th Anniversary Panel
The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge - Revisiting Abraham Flexner for the 21st Century
To celebrate 25 years of the Institute of Advanced Studies at UWA, we hosted a panel discussion on the value of enquiry for its own sake. Moderated by Natasha Mitchell of ABC Radio National’s Big Ideas program, this panel discussion revisited the ideas raised by Abraham Flexner in his 1939 Harpers essay, ‘The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge'.
Speakers: Oron Catts, Director, UWA Institute of Advanced Studies, since July 2024; Jessyca Hutchens, Curator, Berndt Museum of Anthropology and Terri-ann White, Director, Upswell & founding Director, UWA Institute of Advanced Studies, 2000-2012.
This discussion was broadcast under the title: 'What are universities for today? The usefulness of "useless" knowledge' on Wed 26 Nov 2025 at 2:00pm Source: ABC Radio National Program Big Ideas.