Year 12 Conference 2026

Our expert lecturers will be giving talks on a range of philosophical topics. You will have the opportunity to meet with students in Warwick's Department of Philosophy and from other schools and colleges to talk about all things philosophical. There will also be an interactive Q&A about studying Philosophy at university.

Date & Time: Friday 27th March 2026, 9.00–15.30

Location: MS.02 (Ground Floor, Zeeman Building, a.k.a. Mathematics Department)Link opens in a new window

Philosophy Student Ambassadors will be stationed at the Coach ParkLink opens in a new window between 9.00 and 10.00 to guide you over to the venue. Please allow at least 15 minutes to walk from the coach park to the venue.

The conference is free to attend with lunch and refreshments provided. A limited number of bursaries are available to help cover the costs for schools that would otherwise face significant financial obstacles to attendance.

Places are limited and registration is essential. Please complete our online form.

If you have any questions, please email the organiser: David dot Bather dot Woods at warwick dot ac dot uk

Programme:

Time	Activity
9.00-10.00	Arrivals with Morning Refreshments
10.00–10.15	Welcome
10.15–11.00	Talk 1 (Title TBC)
11.00–11.15	Break
11.15–12.00	Talk 2 (Title TBC)
12.00–12.45	Lunch
12.45–13.30	Talk 3 (Title TBC)
13.30–13.45	Break
13.45–14.30	Talk 4 (Title TBC)
14.45–15.30	Q&A with Admissions Tutor and Student Ambassadors

Speaker bios:

Dr. Ellie Robson

I am currently a Teaching Fellow at the University of Warwick (2025-2028). Before that, I worked at Nottingham University, Oxford University, and King's College, London, mostly in teaching roles. I was the postdoctoral fellow for the British Society for the History of Philosophy 2024-5. I completed my PhD 2 years ago at Birkbeck, University of London (2019-2023). My research focuses on the ethics of Aristotle through the lens of under-appreciated figures in the history of 20th century philosophy. I have published works on Mary Midgley's and Susan Stebbing's ethics. My work is committed to expanding the canon particularly to include more women figures.

Professor Quassim Cassam

I'm a Professor in the Department of Philosophy at Warwick, a Fellow of the British Academy, and an Honorary Fellow of Keble College, Oxford. I was born in Mombasa, Kenya, and have lived in the UK since I was a teenager. I have published seven books on a range of subjects, including self-knowledge, perception, intellectual vices, extremism, and conspiracy theories. My current research is on extremism, the philosophy of terrorism, and the philosophy of general practice. I also write about the nature and purpose of philosophy.

Professor Fabienne Peter

I am a Professor of Philosophy at the University of Warwick, specialising in moral and political philosophy and in social epistemology, including political epistemology. Before coming to Warwick, I was a postdoc at Harvard University and then an assistant professor at the University of Basel. I have held visiting positions at the Research School of Social Sciences at ANU and the Murphy Institute at Tulane University. Building on my research in political philosophy on political legitimacy, democracy, and well-ordered political debate, I am involved in an impact-focused project on co-creational news media -- a model for the news media that aims to combine truth-seeking with enhanced public participation.

Dr. Oscar North-Concar

I am a Teaching Fellow in Warwick's Philosophy Department. My research focuses on metaethics, metaphysics, and the philosophy of language. In my PhD thesis, 'A Sensible Realism', I defended a version of moral realism built out of the work of David Wiggins as an attractive view for addressing contemporary metaethical challenges. I have taught a variety of topics in philosophy, including moral and political philosophy, ethics and metaethics, free will and determinism, formal logic, and the history of philosophy.

Dr. David Bather Woods

I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy. My research focuses on the 19th century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, especially his philosophical pessimism and his moral and political philosophy. I have taught a wide range of topics in philosophy, including the history of philosophy (esp. Schopenhauer and Nietzsche), philosophy of religion, ethics, aesthetics, and most recently the philosophy of evil. I have responsibilities for admissions, outreach, and widening participation in the Department of Philosophy.

Organiser: David Bather Woods (David dot Bather dot Woods at warwick dot ac dot uk)

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