UK Higher Education Institutions are invited to share Expressions of Interest to suggest experts, academics and speakers for the British Council’s GREAT Talks Series 2022-23 in India, presented as part of India/UK Together a Season of Culture.

The GREAT Campaign is the UK government’s initiative to promote the UK internationally as a GREAT place to visit, study and do business. The British Council India is a partner in the GREAT campaign and through it we are raising awareness and promoting the UK’s strengths in education.

India/UK Together Season of Culture 2022 will mark the deep connections and 75th anniversary of India’s independence with a landmark programme that strengthens the friendship and vibrant cultural bonds of both countries, while addressing shared global challenges.

GREAT Talks are a lecture series of celebrated UK professionals from diverse areas such as climate change, literature, environment, design and creative industries and it is organised and curated by the British Council across several cities in India. The speaker engages in conversation with local experts, academics and professionals to bring across a rounded perspective in partnerships across academia, research & innovation and mobility.

Who do the GREAT Talks engage?

• The Talks reach and engage students, young people, teachers, faculties, and researchers
• The Talks also seek participation from faculty and senior leadership at Indian higher education institutions to engage in discussions and conversations with UK experts and academics
• The Talks are designed to reach large communities of students and young people through digital media, live streaming and broadcasting.

The GREAT talks this year are designed in both face-to-face and virtual formats as per themes below. Please note the dates below are flexible though we would like to stick to the months suggested. We require speakers for the below though the overall programme has other activities.

Why participate?

This is an excellent opportunity for UK HEIs to influence and build their brand and network across large audiences in India across tier 1,2 and 3 cities, with professionals, young people, students, faculty, researchers and more. In the past GREAT lectures have engaged audiences 200 to1200, depending on the topic and the capacity of the venue.

• With the shift to the virtual format, participation has consistently been in the range of 500 to 1000 attendees per lecture, with further post-lecture engagement achieving an average of 250 video views. While the series primarily focusses on the audience in India, the lectures have been attaining a global reach through our digital platforms.
• In the physical format, audience sizes for the GREAT lectures have ranged from 150 to 200, depending on the topic and the capacity of the venue.
• The lectures are designed to inspire students and professionals on UK’s world class education system and research. The sessions will reach out to students across socio-economic sections of society and will engage them to think about and discuss global challenges. They will learn about the UK’s contribution in research and academia in these themes.