The tremendous Trio of Head Master lectures this term
The Head Master’s Lecture series is a tradition at Lancing that has stood the test of time. With a richness of our varied connections together with OLs and parents, it is not surprising that there is a strong list of future speakers to call upon and topical subjects to hear about. There is an impressive list of former speakers, and this last term has seen a formidable trio of experts ready and willing to share their varied insights and experiences. Speakers come to share supper with a group of students before the lecture and one will give a formal vote of thanks at the end of the evening.
The Head Master’s Lecture series brings exceptional thinkers, leaders and practitioners to Lancing to engage students with ideas that shape the contemporary world. Drawing on expertise from academia, global policy, science, the arts and industry, the series broadens horizons and models lives of curiosity, service and intellectual courage. Through these encounters, students are challenged to think deeply, connect ideas across disciplines, and see how education can lead to lives of purpose, enquiry and responsibility. This term we have heard from:
Professor Chris Howe (May 2026) - Genes, Medieval Manuscripts, Persian Carpets and Folklore: what they all really have in common.
‘Professor Christopher Howe captivated Lancing students with his intriguing development of this subject. His lecture showed how different disciplines can be brought together to develop new ideas, using both scientific tools and evidence from the humanities. Above all, Professor Howe showed us the magnificence of science: you never know what you are looking for until you find it. As he showed, in all of these very different fields, from Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales to variations on the Red Riding Hood tradition, there are signs of the tree-branching evolutionary model of development, and genetic techniques can be used to help solve long-debated questions of precedence. Professor Howe was also hugely generous in answering questions not just about his research but about Cambridge, where he is Professor of Biochemistry and President of Corpus Christi College, giving us a real boost in our own academic ambitions. Above all, as an aspiring medic and scientist, his lecture emphasised to me how through scientific research we have in our hands the possibility of an accumulation of vital breakthroughs, critical to human progress.’
Fahad – Lower Sixth Student and President of the Medics Society
Head Master’s Lecture – Professor Christopher Howe | WATCH IN FULL
Dr Wendy Harrison (June 2026) – Animal Health, Human Health, and Global Policy: A Career at the Intersection
‘Dr Wendy Harrison certainly delivered everything that was promised and more. It was a privilege to welcome and speak with Dr Harrison before the lecture and then attend her talk. Despite her extraordinary achievements as CEO of Unlimit Health, Honorary Professor at the Royal Veterinary College and Co-President of the Royal Society of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine she was remarkably generous with her time and hugely engaging and approachable. Her lecture, Animal Health, Human Health and Global Policy: A Career at the Intersection, was exceptionally informative and captivating. Learning about drug development and neglected tropical diseases was fascinating, but what made the evening truly memorable was hearing her personal experiences and her commitment to improving the lives of some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. As I said in my vote of thanks on the day we are taught that life is valuable and sacred, and throughout our lives we develop our own understanding of what that truly means. Dr Harrison added a significant new dimension to that understanding, reminding us that using our knowledge and talents in service of others may be one of the greatest expressions of the value of human life’.
Fahad – Lower Sixth Student and President of the Medics Society
Head Master’s Lecture – Dr Wendy Harrison | WATCH IN FULL
Sam Odia (OL Head’s 1975-1978) (June 2026) – Housing the Poor in Nigeria
‘Sam Odia deeply inspired students and staff alike in his lecture on his work developing affordable housing in Nigeria through the Millard Fuller Foundation. Under his tenure as CEO the foundation has been awarded the highly coveted Most Affordable Home Prize for four consecutive years and has constructed well over 1000 affordable homes. These buildings use simple designs to ensure their accessibility to economically disadvantaged and under-resourced populations. We were left in awe of the profound humanitarian impact of his career and the legacy he has left behind: through his faith driven leadership, his work has generated a wealth of job opportunities and targeted a population often sidelined by the architectural profession. The Millard Fuller Foundation has helped lift several generations of families affected by poverty into better living conditions, reminding the audience of how much power we all hold to do good in the world, a value deeply important to all within our school community. Mr Odia was enormously kind in answering a myriad of questions about his inspiration, future ambitions, the logistics of his work and the immense impact it is making on so many lives. We were honoured to have him back at Lancing, accompanied by his brother and son, themselves all OLs, and we felt hugely empowered by his fantastic and highly compelling talk.’
Kika – Lower Sixth Student
Head Master’s Lecture – Sam Odia OL – Housing the Poor in Nigeria | WATCH IN FULL