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Frank(lin) Views: Gay Huey Evan, CBE

 

Frank(lin) Views podcast features thought leaders across disciplines on themes associated with Benjamin Franklin – the great diplomat, writer, inventor, scientist and more – including leadership, the purpose of history, modern day publishing, and diplomacy.

Gay Huey Evans CBE sits down with Founding Director of Benjamin Franklin House, Dr Márcia Balisciano, to discuss her long career in finance and her thoughts on Benjamin Franklin and leadership.

Gay is Chairman of the London Metal Exchange and also serves on the Boards of Standard Chartered, ConocoPhillips, IHS Markit and HM Treasury. She is a Trustee of Benjamin Franklin House, Sr Advisor to Chatham House and is a member of the US Council on Foreign Relations and the IUKFP (Indian UK Financial Partnership).

Since taking up her role as Chairman of the LME, Gay has supported and steered a number of key initiatives – from the major technology infrastructure rebuild, to the diversity and inclusion agenda and sustainability initiatives.

Gay has worked within the finance and commodity industry for the past 30 years, as both an established market practitioner and regulator, giving her deep expertise across commerce, risk, governance, policy and regulation in capital markets. Awarded a CBE in 2021 for services to the economy and philanthropy, and an OBE in 2016 for services to financial services and diversity, Gay is a passionate advocate for ensuring markets build trust through accessibility and transparency and for increased diversity in business.

Gay has previously served on the Boards of Itau BBA International, the Financial Reporting Council, Aviva and the London Stock Exchange and held executive roles with Barclays Capital, Citi, the Financial Services Authority and Bankers Trust.

Funding for Frank(lin) Views has generously been provided by the United States Government

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Science on Stage 2021

 

Science on Stage, held in partnership with The Royal Institution, illuminates the National Curriculum through a variety of activities which demonstrate how the work of Franklin and scientists at the Ri arose from a spirit of awe and curiosity about the world in which they lived. The content is appropriate for upper Key Stage 2 children with the focus on a range of learning styles to enable all children to benefit from the experience.

You can watch a recording of Science on Stage 2021 below. This year’s event took place virtually on 26 May:

We took our annual Science on Stage event online for the first time in 2021. Our presentations and live demonstrations reached 3368 live participants. 3305 students joined from 60 schools across the country and from a British School in Spain: Holy Trinity Pewley Down School, Guildford; Mosaic Jewish Primary School, Wandsworth; Oxford Gardens Primary School, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea;  Awliscombe C of E Primary School, Honiton; Fairfield Primary School, Croydon; Marian Vian Primary School, Bromley; Heathland School, Harrow; Jubilee Primary School and Children’s Centre, Lambeth; Crocketts Community Primary School, Smethwick, Loughborough Primary School, Lambeth; Herbert Morrison Primary School, Lambeth; Embley, Hampshire; Acorn Academy, Exeter; Belmont Primary School, Hounslow; Falkland Primary School, Berkshire; St Jude’s Primary School, Lambeth; Castlecombe Primary School, Bromley; Y Bont Faen Primary School, Cowbridge; Hallfield Primary School, Westminster; Albert Primary School, Penarth; Orchard Primary School, Lambeth; Normanhurst School, Chingford; Archbishop Summer CofE Primary School, Lambeth; Catmose Primary School, Oakham; The Norwood School, Lambeth; St Giles CofE Primary School, Walsall; St Stephen’s CofE Primary School, Lambeth; Payhembury CofE Primary School; Honiton; St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; Christchurch Streatham CofE Primary School, Lambeth; Butlers Court School, Beaconsfield; Ashmole Primary School, Lambeth; St Saviour’s CofE Primary School, Lambeth; St Barnabas’ CE Primary School, Westminster; St Cuthbert’s RC Primary School, Cardiff; St Augustine’s Priory, Ealing; Sherfield School, Hook; Smallwood Primary School, Wandsworth; St Nicholas CE Junior School, Newbury; Soho Parish Primary School, Westminster; Squirrels Heath Junior School, Havering; Burdett-Couts & Townsend Federation Primary School, Westminster; St Joseph’s, Croyden; Clapham Manor Primary School & Nursery; Lambeth, Mandeville Primary School, Hackney; Vauxhall Primary School, Lambeth; English Martyrs’ Catholic Primary School, Reading; St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School, Westminster; Holy Trinity CofE Primary School, Lambeth; St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School, Hackney; Baden Powell Primary School, Cardiff; Ton Pentre Junior School, Pentre; Shiphay Learning Academy, Torquay; The Priory Primary School, Tadley; Marshwood Academy, Axminster; Fairlawn Primary School, Lewisham; ; Gospel Oak Primary & Nursery School, Camden; Gwauncelyn Primary School, Pontypridd; Morton CE Primary School, Bourne; Oakfield Preparatory School, Lambeth. 63 home educated students also joined us from all over the UK: London, Norfolk, Bletchley, Sherfield on Loddon, Reading, Eastleigh, Corsham, Failsworth, Potters Bar, Hermitage, Rickmansworth, Southampton, Northampton, Meldreth, Llandysul, Swindon, Basingtoke, Rooks Bridge, Stevenage, Cambridge, Cardiff, Stanford le Hope, Bradford, New Bradwell.

Feedback has been incredibly positive:

Thank you for the brilliant workshop. We learned a lot and have been looking more into Benjamin Franklin since the session. We’re very interested in music, so delved a bit deeper into his instrument.

Thank you, children love the WOW factor moments!

The children really enjoyed the event. They particularly liked the explosions and the stories behind the science. Thank you.

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Mary Robinson receives Benjamin Franklin House Medal for Leadership

 

Former President of Ireland, stateswoman and campaigner Mary Robinson has received the Benjamin Franklin House Medal for Leadership in a virtual ceremony on Wednesday 7 July. The award recognises extraordinary individuals following in Franklin’s footsteps who exemplify a commitment to justice, cross-cultural understanding, tolerance and humanity.

Robinson was the first woman President of Ireland from 1990 to 1997 and UN High Commissioner for Human Rights from 1997 to 2002. Her many roles now include Adjunct Professor for Climate Justice in Trinity College Dublin and Chair of The Elders.

Robinson received the award in recognition of her many achievements, over several decades, particularly on gender equality, human rights and climate change.

Watch the full ceremony below:

Previously the Award has been given to:

  • Michael Bloomberg, former Mayor of New York and Founder of Bloomberg LP (2014).
  • John Kerry, then Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions (2016).
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Frank(lin) Views Podcast: Irina Bokova

Frank(lin) Views podcast features thought leaders across disciplines on themes associated with Benjamin Franklin – the great diplomat, writer, inventor, scientist and more – including leadership, the purpose of history, modern day publishing, and diplomacy.

In Episode 3 of the Frank(lin) Views Podcast, we speak to Irina Bokova, former Director-General of UNESCO and current cultural diplomacy leader.

Irina Bokova began her career at the United Nations Department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria. She was elected twice Member of Parliament and served as First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Government’s first Secretary for European affairs.

Before being elected as Director General of UNESCO, from 2005 to 2009 Irina Bokova was Ambassador of Bulgaria to France, Monaco and UNESCO and Personal Representative of the President of the Republic of Bulgaria to the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.

As Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova was actively engaged in the UN efforts to adopt Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, including quality education for all, gender equality, the protection of the world’s cultural heritage. She actively promotes dialogue among cultures and mutual respect against violent extremism and terrorism.

She was particularly active in defence of cultural heritage in conflict in Mali, Syria and Iraq and in denouncing extremists’ destruction of heritage as a tool of war. As a result, the UN Security Council adopted several landmark resolutions on the link between maintaining peace, security and the protection of cultural heritage.

Irina Bokova was on the Forbes List of the world’s most influential women for 2016. She has received state distinctions from more than 40 countries, and is Doctor honoris causa and /or Honorary degrees of leading universities across the world, among which King’s College, Durham University and University of Edinburgh, UK, University of Massachusetts, Boston, Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy, University of Geneva, Switzerland, Tongji University, Shanghai, China, and others.

Currently, she is a Member of the Strategic Committee of the Paris School of International Affairs /PSIA/ at SciencePo, France and lecturer on cultural diplomacy, visiting professor at the University of Geneva, Switzerland, Honorary Dean of the Humanitas College and honorary professor of Peace Studies, of Kyung-Hee University, Seoul, Member of the Concordia Leadership Council, New York, Member of the Board of “Ban Ki Moon Centre for Global Citizens, among others.

Funding for Frank(lin) Views has generously been provided by the United States Government

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Frank(lin) Views Podcast: YS Chi

Frank(lin) Views podcast features thought leaders across disciplines on themes associated with Benjamin Franklin – the great diplomat, writer, inventor, scientist and more – including leadership, the purpose of history, modern day publishing, and diplomacy.

In Episode 2 of the Frank(lin) Views Podcast, we speak to Youngsuk “YS” Chi. YS Chi is an international business leader and a global thought leader in the publishing, education and information solutions industries.

In his primary role as Director of Corporate Affairs and Asia Strategy for RELX, he is responsible for government affairs, corporate communications, and corporate responsibility for RELX. As non-executive Chairman of Elsevier, he works directly with governments, Elsevier customers, and in industry associations worldwide.

YS recently served as Chairman of the Association of American Publishers and has also concluded 4 years of service as the President of the International Publishers Association. He has also served on dozens of charitable, educational and industry boards, including Princeton University, South Federal State University, the Korean American Community Foundation and McCarter Theatre.

Funding for Frank(lin) Views has generously been provided by the United States Government

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Frank(lin) Views: David Rubenstein

Frank(lin) Views podcast features thought leaders across disciplines on themes associated with Benjamin Franklin – the great diplomat, writer, inventor, scientist and more – including leadership, the purpose of history, modern day publishing, and diplomacy.

In Episode 1, we speak with the Franklinesque David Rubenstein, co-founder and co-chair of Carlyle, a global private equity firm. He is a leader in ‘patriotic philanthropy,’ and has made transformative gifts for the restoration or repair of the Washington Monument, Monticello, Montpelier, Mount Vernon, Arlington House, Iwo Jima Memorial, the Kennedy Center, the Smithsonian, the National Archives, the National Zoo, the Library of Congress, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. He is also the host of The David Rubenstein Show: Peer-to-Peer Conversations on Bloomberg TV and PBS and the author of The American Story: Conversations with Master Historians, a book published by Simon & Schuster in October 2019 and How to Lead: Wisdom from the World’s Greatest CEOs, Founders, and Game Changers, a book published by Simon & Schuster in September 2020.

Funding for Frank(lin) Views has generously been provided by the United States Government

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Congratulations to our 2020 Literary Prize Winners!

Benjamin Franklin is one of history’s great figures. While he made lasting contributions in many fields, his first passion was writing. He believed in the power of the written word as the bedrock of a democratic society, to inform, and stimulate debate.

Each year a question or quote exploring Franklin’s relevance in our time is open for interpretation in 1000-1500 words. The competition is exclusively for young writers, aged 18-25, with a first prize of £750, and a second prize of £500.

The Benjamin Franklin House Literary Prize is endowed by Benjamin Franklin House Chairman John Studzinski, a leading executive and philanthropist.

The quote for the 2020 Literary Prize was: ‘‘Glass, China, and Reputation, are easily crack’d, and never well mended” Poor Richard’s Almanack, 1750. We accepted both fiction and non-fiction entries from aspiring young writers.

Our first-place winner was Saudamini Sigdel, a student in International Relations at the University of Westminster, London. Read Saudamini’s fiction entry here.

Our second-place winner was Matthew Fitzgerald, a student in English Language and Literature at the Open University. Read Matthew’s non-fiction entry, here.

Thank you to all who participated, the standard of submissions was extremely high! Check our Literary Prize page in March 2021 to find the quotation for this year’s competition and further details of how to apply.