On Tuesday 30th June, Year 12 students at CRGS came together for our annual EPR Conference, an event that has become a real highlight of the sixth form calendar. The conference is designed to encourage students to grapple with the big ethical, philosophical and religious questions that shape our world, providing an opportunity to think beyond examination specifications and engage with a diverse range of perspectives.
We were once again privileged to welcome an outstanding line-up of guest speakers from universities, charities, faith communities and other organisations across the country. Highlights from this year’s programme included: My Accidental Life – the story of a Holocaust Survivor; Can science tell us how the world ought to be? What is decolonialisation? What is power and who has it? What is the spiritual authority of women in Hinduism and Islam? Please see the full programme below to appreciate the breadth and depth of the topics explored.
It was particularly rewarding to receive such positive feedback from our guest speakers. One commented, “It’s so great that you run this event and get the students thinking about the wider world. I tell lots of people about this event.” Workshops ranged from practical ethical decision-making in Ethics in Medicine to discussions on Humanism and the Israel/Palestine conflict, while university-style lectures invited students to consider topics such as misinformation surrounding climate change and pacifism within religious traditions.
The conference concluded with our popular plenary panel, where students posed thoughtful and challenging questions to the speakers. Discussions covered issues including feminism, capitalism, technology and the role of religion in Britain today, with students listening carefully to differing viewpoints and engaging respectfully with contrasting opinions. It was a fitting conclusion to a day that celebrated curiosity, dialogue and the confidence to tackle difficult questions.
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