Public Lectures and Events
Ethical issues arise in all subject areas and all areas of life, whether it’s the challenges of genetic engineering, climate change and sustainability or questions about how we teach history in Australia.
Newington Centre for Ethics
The Newington College Centre for Ethics is an open and free forum for students, teachers, parents and the wider community to engage in discussion of contemporary issues, beliefs and values. Started in 2009, the Centre has hosted a diverse and distinguished range of speakers representing academia, the arts, sport, journalism, politics, law and medicine.
Philosophy and Religious Studies(PRS) are popular subjects at Newington in both the Studies of Religion program for HSC and the Philosophy program for the IB Diploma. We open these opportunities for debate to students of others schools as well, to enable a broader sharing of ideas and perspectives.
The Centre provides another way to enrich the academic curriculum and prepare young minds for university study beyond school.
“We are looking closely at ‘why’ someone becomes a terrorist—justifying violence in your head as bravery, believing your anger should be channelled and accepting that religion can be violent.”
Past Speakers
| Dr Anne Aly | Counter-terrorism expert, Curtin University |
| Monica Attard | OAM,author and journalist |
| Associate Professor Rufus Black | Master of Ormond College, The University of Melbourne |
| Julian Burnside AO, QC | Barrister, Human Rights Advocate and Author |
| Professor John Keane, | Director of the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights, USYD |
| The Hon Michael Kirby AC, CMG | Jurist and academic, former Justice of the High, Court of Australia |
| The Reverend Tim Costello AO | CEO of World Vision Australia |
| Professor Jake Lynch | Director of the Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, USYD |
| Elizabeth Ann MacGregor OBE | Director of the Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney |
| Baroness Susan Greenfield CBE | Professor of Pharmacology, University of Oxford |
| Mark Scott AO | Managing Director of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Professor Peter Singer | Professor of Bioethics, Princeton University |
| Mark Tedeschi QC | NSW Senior Crown Prosecutor |
| Dr Peter Vardy | Philosopher and Educationalist, University of London |
| Professor Ian Hickie AM | Executive Director, Brain and Mind Research Institute, USYD |
| Associate Professor Lea Waters | Director of the Centre for Positive Psychology |
| Professor Ghil’ad Zuckermann | Chair of Linguistics and Endangered Languages |
| Dr Tanveer Ahmed | Psychiatrist and journalist |
| Dr Julian Baggini | Philosopher and author |
| Professor Philip Cam | Philosopher and educationalist, University of NSW |
P&F Parent Forums
The P&F Associations sponsors a number of talks and forums featuring special guests to help boys and their parents gain a better understanding of issues concerning adolescence, technology and health. These forums range of topic from the importance of sleep, to self-defence, digital citizenship and peer pressure.
Wellbeing Series
The Wellbeing Lecture Series aims to make easier some of the difficult but necessary conversations we have with teenagers. Our guest speakers are experts in their field and they will focus on students and your role as a parent when discussing these sensitive topics.
The series will cover a number of topics, aimed at helping parents address some of the difficult issues that face their children. These include:
- Mental Health
- Positive Psychology
- Pornography and Young People
- Alcohol, Drugs and Partying
- Technology and Sleep
- Young People and the Law
We recommend these events to both parents and students.
