Issues Facing Our World
In times of uncertainty, knowledge can help us understand what’s going on around us. City Lit’s range of History, Politics and Science courses explore a number of contemporary issues facing the world right now. A few of the questions we’re currently asking are:
- Can history help us navigate modern issues and crises?
- How can we safeguard democracies around the world including our own?
- Are there other ways of organising our economy?
- What is the impact of climate change on our lives?
Taught by experts in their field, our courses give you the opportunity to explore current affairs, historical issues, and global challenges. Join us as we discuss, debate, and dissect the answers.
- Global politics for beginners: a short introductionCourse start date: Sat 10 Oct 2026 (and 1 other date)
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Maisa EdwardsThis one-day introductory course on Global Politics for Beginners is designed to provide participants with a foundational understanding of key political concepts, global power dynamics, and contemporary international issues.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Integrating philosophy and ethics in a capitalist world
Course start date: Sun 11 Oct 2026Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vina TheodorakopoulouEmbark on a journey to explore the intricate interplay between philosophy, ethics and capitalism. Join our exploration into aligning values with the demands of a dynamic global economy. Explore how values and principles can harmonise with the demands of a global economy.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Boom, bust, and recovery: a global history of economic crisesCourse start date: Wed 14 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Ingrid Aguiar SchlindweinAn exploration of major economic crises from the 17th century to today-uncovering what causes them, how they reshape societies, and the lessons they leave behind.
Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00 - The legacies of the Troubles in Ireland and Northern Ireland today Course start date: Tue 20 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Stephen GossAn exploration of the sectarian violence that engulfed Northern Ireland, and how the conflict still shapes politics, memory, community relations, and identity across both Ireland and Northern Ireland today.
Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Road to Antalya: Global Climate Solutions at COP31Course start date: Wed 21 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anita PunwaniWill COP 31 address theunprecedentedthreats that climate change posesto society and the environment, or do we need more ambitious global solutions?
Full fee £49.00 Senior fee £49.00 Concession £32.00 - Political leadership in modern UK politicsCourse start date: Thu 22 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ian McGarvieExplore the history of key general elections in recent British history, including Thatcher’s 1979 victory, the rise of New Labour, and the success and downfall of the Conservatives in the 21st century. Discover how the outcome of elections is shaped by party leadership, communications, policy, the media, and more.
Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £111.00 Concession £90.00 - Debt in the global political economy Course start date: Tue 27 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Caglar EzikogluExplore the intricacies of debt within the global political economy, examining its impacts, mechanisms, and socio-economic consequences.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00 - The philosophy of race Course start date: Wed 28 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Ovett NwosimiriThis course explores the philosophical foundations of race, engaging with historical and contemporary debates on racial identity, racism, and justice. Students will critically examine race as a social construct and its ethical, political, and epistemological implications.Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Economic literacy: answers to the big questionsCourse start date: Thu 29 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Vina TheodorakopoulouAn accessible introduction to the key ideas that shape how economies work. Explore major economic questions, real world cases and practical tools to better understand the forces influencing everyday life, society and public debate.
Full fee £189.00 Senior fee £151.00 Concession £123.00 - Corruption and colonialism: how the past affects the present Course start date: Sat 31 Oct 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Tariq HassanIn large parts of the Global South, corruption is rampant but that was not always the case. By upending local values and customs and forcibly replacing indigenous institutions with Westerns structures, colonialism introduced systemic corruption on a grand scale that continues to this day.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Peacebuilding and Post-Conflict SocietiesCourse start date: Wed 4 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Maisa EdwardsThis four-week course explores peacebuilding in post-conflict societies, examining key concepts, case studies, and practical tools to understand how diverse actors rebuild and sustain peace after violent conflict.
Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00 - Historical memory in Ukraine Course start date: Sat 7 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Olivia DurandExplore how Ukraine’s past is remembered and contested. This study day examines key historical events and symbols—including the Cossacks, the Holodomor Famine, and Chernobyl—and how memory shapes Ukrainian identity, politics, and global narratives in the 21st century.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Historical memory in Russia Course start date: Sat 14 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Keeley Street
Tutors: Olivia DurandLearn how Russia’s past is remembered, contested, and rewritten in the present day. This study day explores Soviet and imperial legacies, historical narratives, and how memory is instrumentalised to shape national identity, politics, and contemporary conflicts.Full fee £79.00 Senior fee £63.00 Concession £51.00 - Economic paradigms: are there alternatives to capitalism? Course start date: Wed 18 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Caglar EzikogluExplore diverse economic theories beyond capitalism in economic paradigms with regards to the alternatives of capitalism and broaden your understanding of global economic systems.Full fee £139.00 Senior fee £139.00 Concession £90.00 - Modern Slavery in ContextCourse start date: Wed 18 Nov 2026
Location on this date: Online
Tutors: Anita PunwaniThis course explores slavery in an historic and modern context as well as international efforts to eradicate this unethical practice in the Global South as well as the Global North.
Full fee £89.00 Senior fee £89.00 Concession £58.00
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