Global challenges today—from accelerating climate change and pandemics to transformative technologies—pose risks that unfold over decades or centuries and threaten the very foundations of our societies. In his public lecture, Professor Thomas Hale (University of Oxford) will draw on his new book 
Long Problems: Climate Change and the Challenge of Governing Across Time
 to explain why existential risks defy institutions designed for short-term crises and how reframing our politics around long-term cooperation can make these problems manageable.
Following Professor Hale’s presentation, Lord Martin Rees (Astronomer Royal, University of Cambridge), Professor Harriet Bulkeley (Durham University & Utrecht University), and Ms Pamla Gopaul (African Union Development Agency–NEPAD) will offer their reflections and perspectives on the lecture’s themes, highlighting the implications for science, policy, and international cooperation.
The event will conclude with a moderated discussion and audience Q&A, inviting participants from all backgrounds to engage with the urgent question: how can we rethink governance to safeguard our shared future? Dr Kennedy Mbeva (CSER, University of Cambridge) will moderate the session.
The event is co-organised by Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, the Centre for Climate Engagement and Hughes Hall.
Guest speaker
Thomas Hale
’s research explores how we can manage transnational problems effectively and fairly. He seeks to explain how political institutions evolve – or not – to face the challenges raised by globalisation and interdependence, with a particular emphasis on environmental, economic and health issues. He holds a PhD in Politics from Princeton University, a master's degree in Global Politics from the London School of Economics, and an AB in public policy from Princeton’s School of Public and International Affairs. A US national, Professor Hale has studied and worked in Argentina, China and Europe. His books include 
Long Problems
: 
Climate Change and the Challenge of Governing Across Time
 (Princeton 2024), 
Beyond Gridlock
 (Polity 2017), 
Between Interests and Law: The Politics of Transnational Commercial Disputes
 (Cambridge 2015), 
Transnational Climate Change Governance
 (Cambridge 2014), and 
Gridlock: Why Global Cooperation Is Failing when We Need It Most
 (Polity 2013). Professor Hale co-leads the 
Net Zero Tracker
 and the
 Climate Policy Hub
.
Panellists
Lord Martin Rees
 of Ludlow OM FRS is Britain’s Astronomer Royal and Professor Emeritus at the University of Cambridge, where he served as Plumian Professor of Astronomy and Experimental Philosophy, Director of the Institute of Astronomy, and Master of Trinity College. A former President of the Royal Society and crossbench life peer since 2005, his pioneering research spans galaxy formation, cosmic jets, black holes, gamma‑ray bursts, and speculative topics like the multiverse and extraterrestrial life. He co‑founded Cambridge’s Centre for the Study of Existential Risk to address long‑term global challenges—from climate sustainability and biodiversity loss to the governance of powerful new technologies.His books include 'Our Final Century'(2004), 'On the Future: Prospects for Humanity' (2020) and 'If Science is to Save Us' (2023)
Professor Harriet Bulkeley
 holds joint appointments as Professor in the Department of Geography, Durham University, and at the Copernicus Institute, Utrecht University. Her research is concerned with the process, practices and politics of environmental governance, and she has particular expertise in the areas of climate change, nature, energy and urban sustainability. She is known for her pioneering work on cities and climate change and has published 8 books, several edited collections and over 80 papers including 
An Urban Politics of Climate Change
 (Routledge 2015) and 
Accomplishing Climate Governance
 (CUP 2016). Harriet has an extensive record of international collaboration and currently convenes the Horizon Europe NATURESCAPES project (2023 – 2027) examining how nature-based solutions can contribute to biodiversity, climate change and social justice across urban regions globally. She has a long-standing association with Lund University, where in 2014 she was awarded the King Carl XVI Gustaf’s Professorship in Environmental Science and in 2024 given an Honorary Doctorate for her interdisciplinary work on climate change. Alongside her academic research, she works closely to enable the translation of research for policy and has provided expert advice and undertaken commissioned research for the UK and Dutch Governments, European Commission, Expertise France, NGOs, UN-Habitat, UN Regional Coordinators, the OECD and the World Bank. She currently serves on the Social Sciences Advisory Group for the UK’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. Harriet is a member of the Scientific Council of the European Research Council and a Fellow of the British Academy, American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and Academia Europea. In 2024, Harriet received an OBE in the Kings Birthday Honours List in recognition of her services to Geography and Environmental Governance.
Ms. Pamla Gopaul
  is the Head of the Africa Policy Bridge Tank Programme and leads the Economic Analysis and Foresight Unit at the African Union Development Agency-NEPAD. She oversees strategic planning and program implementation, aligning the organization's strategic plan with execution. Previously a Senior Policy Officer and Coordinator to the CEO, Ms. Gopaul also serves as a Policy Advisory Sub-Committee Member for Global Citizen and an associate of the Women in Finance Network. Her global roles include senior fellow at the South Asian Institute for Advanced Research & Development (SAIARD) and co-leader of the T20/G20 Taskforce sub-committee. She represents AUDA-NEPAD at the G20 Development Working Group and stewards the Global Alliance for Life Economy on Research and Innovation (GALERI) on the Life Economies study.
Professor S. M. Amadae
 is Director at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk, University of Cambridge, and a tenured political scientist at the University of Helsinki, where her research spans nuclear security, climate collective action, and AI’s risks to governance. S. M. is completing a book on “computational tyranny” and is author of Prisoners of Reason and Rationalizing Capitalist Democracy. A former professor at Central European University, Ohio State, and Swansea, and visiting scholar at LSE, New School, and Harvard, she has held a Berggruen Fellowship at Stanford and remains affiliated with MIT. Amadae co-led NATO’s Dynamic Democratic Support of Finnish Defense Policy poll following Russia’s Ukraine invasion and Finland’s NATO accession, and co-authored SIPRI’s study on AI, autonomy, and nuclear risk. Since 2021, she has directed Helsinki’s Global Politics and Communication MA, hosting high-profile events with Finland’s former president and EU parliamentarians and securing a US Embassy exchange with UNC Chapel Hill.
Please note there are tickets available for online or in person.
If you are unable to attend the lecture, please return your ticket before the event through Eventbrite.
This lecture is the first in a three-part series marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations (UN)
, which is co-convened by Professor Harro van Asselt, Dr Eldrid Herrington, and Dr Kennedy Mbeva.
Information Source: Centre for the Study of Existential Risk | eventbrite

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Time:	May 29, 2025 (UTC+1) ENDED
Location:	Homerton College, Fellows Auditorium

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