Chester University widens its online offer to the public with The Kitchen Sessions.

Having successfully moved its teaching online, the University of Chester has now gone one step further – offering live online teaching sessions to future students and members of the public – in a series called The Kitchen Sessions.

From academics’ kitchen tables and make-shift studies, the University’s lecturers will be going live from May 12 in a series of 15-minute YouTube tutorials – in a mission to bring their knowledge and expertise into homes across the country.

The lectures begin with ‘The Power of False Confessions’ by Dr Glenys Holt, Lecturer in Psychology, who will be offering an introduction to one of the most intriguing topics in forensic psychology and asking why are such confessions so compelling that jurors find them difficult to ignore, even when the confession does not match the crime?

Other lectures include such a variety of topics as: what the world would be like without advertising; Christian views of the afterlife; hidden narratives in medieval art; what it takes to break a marathon world record; and the fall of the Berlin Wall. Topical lectures include: ‘The long term let down of Environmental Law and its link with COVID-19, with Ash Murphy, Lecturer in Law; and ‘Tourism 2020: all change please’, with Dr Maeve Marmion, Head of Department, Experience Economy.

In keeping with the series’ title, most will come from lecturers’ kitchens, but, for practical reasons, some will be in other spaces – like Manda Thompson, Senior Lecturer in Art Therapy, who will be demonstrating from her studio how she encourages people to look imaginatively at images. Manda will be sharing a case where both parent and child used story to talk about feelings of belonging, threat and protection to understand the other’s fears and hopes better. 

Adam Bodger, Deputy Director of Marketing, Recruitment and Admissions at the University of Chester, said: “We’ve been extremely proud of the way our students and lecturers have adapted to online teaching – so much so that we thought we could take this further. Our main aim is to reach those who are studying for A-levels – to offer them a deeper insight into their chosen subject and a taste for university-style teaching – all from the comfort of their own home. But one look at the schedule will show you that there should be something of interest to anyone, and we would welcome all to register – the more the merrier!”

A full schedule of lectures can be found at: www.chester.ac.uk/kitchen-sessions - where you can also register. Participants will also receive a reminder before they start.