The late Professor James R Flynn is widely recognised for making one of the most significant psychological discoveries of the late 20th century, The Flynn effect. Image background digitally extended.
A biennial lecture has been established in memory of one of the University of Otago's academic icons, Professor James Robert Flynn. The lectures will be given by prominent academics who work on themes that were important in Professor Flynn's own research.
The invited speaker for the first memorial lecture is Professor David Schlosberg, Director of the Sydney Environment Institute and Professor of Environmental Politics at the University of Sydney.
“It's a great honour to be asked to give this lecture and a huge responsibility to be the first. I did not know Professor Flynn personally, but certainly knew of his work,” says Professor Schlosberg.
Professor David Scholsberg's lecture will cover climate justice, a fitting tribute to Professor Flynn and one of his final works, a treatise on climate change.
In this lecture, titled “Turbulence and climate justice: Disruption, Displacement and Crisis”, Professor Schlosberg asks how can we understand the increase in climate disruptions and converging crises as examples of environmental and climate injustice?
Professor Schlosberg says his talk will have three parts. The first addresses the ways we think about environmental and climate crises, and the importance of turbulence and disruption.
The second addresses how such turbulence poses challenges for our thinking about environmental justice.
In the third part, in the spirit of intellectual engagement that Professor Flynn was known for, he will apply those two ideas to critique one of Professor Flynn's proposals for a response to climate change – geo-engineering.
“It's a bit of a risk to challenge Flynn's thinking in this inaugural lecture in his honour, but I genuinely think he would appreciate it!”
“Professor Flynn had immense intellectual generosity and curiosity, and I know that he engaged respectfully with those who challenged his thinking. That's a crucial model for a public intellectual like Flynn, and I hope to bring a bit of that to my talk,” says Professor Schlosberg.
Professor Flynn (28 April 1934–11 December 2020), Fellow of the Royal Society of New Zealand was the Foundation Professor of Political Studies at Otago in 1967. The American-born New Zealand moral philosopher and intelligence researcher was renowned for his challenging approach to research and teaching.
He is noted for his publications about the continued cohort-after-cohort increase of IQ scores throughout the world, which is now referred to as the Flynn effect.
He became joint Emeritus Professor in the Politics programme and Department of Psychology at the University of Otago and remained an extremely active lecturer and researcher in both disciplines. In addition to his academic work, he championed social democratic politics throughout his life.
The subject for this inaugural lecture is also a fitting tribute to Professor Flynn, as one of his final works was a treatise on climate change.
Members of the public are warmly invited to this special memorial event.
- Wednesday, 19 July 2023, 5:30 to 7pm.
- Archway 4 Lecture Theatre, Archway Building, corner Union Street East and Leith Walk, Dunedin
Read more on the event site.