Posted on Life As We Live It, Gresham College & Other Education Interests

Magna Charta Universitatum

This week King’s College London hosted the Anniversary of the Magna Charta Universitatum (MCU), a celebration and exploration of the fundamental values of being a university. Over 200 universities have gathered to discuss ‘What are universities for? Higher education principles, values and responsibilities in a fragmented world’. Over three days, participants engaged in keynote addresses, panel discussions, and interactive sessions exploring the evolving role of universities amidst global challenges. KCL President Shitij Kapur and Professor Liviu Matei explain, “Affirming shared values will help academic freedom weather the storm”.

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Posted on Life As We Live It, The City of London & Broad Street Ward, Gresham College & Other Education Interests

Of Merchants & Men – A Freewheeling Flaneuring Podcast With TimeLine London

My dear friend Dr Geoff Browell and his team, Tam McDonald, Christopher Winn, and Mark Mason, had the courage to ask me to hold forth on an eclectic and personal view of London’s history. Here is the resulting 53 minutes of sauntering sagacity, peripatetic pomposity, or perhaps freewheeling flaneuring.

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Posted on The City of London & Broad Street Ward

Pepys Day 2025: London’s Most Delightfully Diary-Obsessed Celebration Returns

[An edited version of this article appeared as “Pepys Day: Raise A Toast To London’s Best Diarist” in City AM on 2 September 2025]

Friday, 5 September 2025, marks the second annual Pepys Day in London.  If you missed last year’s inaugural celebration, you’ll want to grab your quill and parchment (or smartphone) to register immediately. Samuel Pepys and his diaries of the Great Fire are to London as James Joyce and Bloomsday are to Dublin.

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Posted on Life As We Live It

On The Road Again

Since the beginning of the year I’ve already spent five weeks abroad, three visiting family in the US and two in Asia, leading me to wonder if being Lord Mayor isn’t such a tough roadshow. Lots of fun, and just sharing a few links to Korea and China if you want to skim a bit of what I was up to:

Xi’an – Professor Michael Mainelli was Appointed as Visiting Scholar at NWU and Delivers Academic Lecture-Northwest University

Seoul – https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10451919, https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-

Incheon – https://www.incheon.go.kr/en/EN020401/3005067

Guangzhou – https://www.gduf.edu.cn/info/1037/13401.htm

Shenzhen – https://en.cdi.org.cn/

Korean government leaders including Mayor Oh of Seoul