Light bulbs hanging from the ceiling, the far right one lit up.

ARU Ideas


Get a taste of our teaching and research, engage with our live discussions and find out what it's like to study on a Humanities and Social Sciences course at ARU, with our ARU Ideas media hub.

Keep up to date with our latest posts on Twitter @ARUaboutideas

60 Second Seminars

Get a taste for our teaching with these short lectures.

History, Philosophy and Social Sciences

Person placing a bottle of alcopop on a table, near to a bottle of beer Watch Rachel's 60 second seminar

Pints replaced by alcopops

Course Leader Dr Rachel Ryder explains how, following the emergence of rave in the 1980s, traditional pubs had to adapt to attract young drinkers, creating a whole new drinking culture.

Mike Wilby Experience Philosophy at ARU

Artificial Intelligence and Philosophy

Dr Mike Wilby, Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at ARU, explains the philosophical underpinnings of artificial intelligence in this 60 Second Seminar.

Colleen Moore How straightforward is the representation of knife crime?

The problem of knife crime

Colleen Moore tells us what hides behind the headlines.

Sean Lang Learn more about the partition of India

Why they had to partition India

A 60 second seminar from Dr Sean Lang, Senior Lecturer in History at ARU

Lucy Bland Learn more about the 1960s

Sex and the 60s

Was there a sexual revolution in the 1960s? Yes… and no, says Prof Lucy Bland.

Cover of Charlie Chaplin's autobiography Learn more about Charlie Chaplin

Charlie Chaplin and the Nazis

A 60 second seminar from Dr Richard Carr, Senior Lecturer in History and Politics at ARU

A historical image of London's West End Learn more about the West End

Pleasure district of London

A revolution in entertainment and retail: from Prof Rohan McWilliam.

English Language and Literature

Cassie Gorman in front of bookshelves Find out more about seventeenth-century literature

Going to the Moon 400 years ago

Voyages to other worlds in 17th Century literature by Dr Cassie Gorman.

Bettina Beinhoff in a library, addressing the camera Find out more about accents

Accents

A 60 second seminar from Dr Bettina Beinhoff, Senior Lecturer in Applied Linguistics and English Language at ARU

Tory Young addressing the camera Watch Tory Young's 60 Second Seminar

You-niversal Love

Designer and second-person narration from Dr Tory Young.

Vahid Parvaresh in a library, addressing the cameria Learn about imprecision in human communication

Vague Language

A 60 second seminar from Dr Vahid Parvaresh, Lecturer in Linguistics.

Eugene Giddens in front of bookshelves Find out more about Shakespeare

Wherefore Art Thou Romeo?

One famous line, two things you may not realise, from Professor Eugene Giddens.

Podcasts, blogs and listicles

Illustration of statue of naked man
Interactive Fiction Blog

Dr Jon Stone

Jon considers the medium of interactive fiction: what it is, how to write it, and its potential future.

Read Jon's blog
Cassie Gorman standing in a study with shelves behind her
English Literature Podcast

Dr Cassie Gorman

BA English LIterature Course Leader Cassie talk about her project to unearth manuscripts by 17th-century women writers, and how studying English Literature helped her gain confidence to voice new ideas.

Listen now
Lauren Tabbinor sat on Red sofa within ARU Cambridge campus building
Criminology Podcast

Lauren Tabbinor

BA Criminology alumni Lauren on how the degree enhanced her empathy, and how the friends and connections she made drew her back to Cambridge.

Listen now
Jon Stone in the library
English & Writing Podcast

Dr Jon Stone

Lecturer and publisher Jon talks about poetry in the digital age and the importance of communities for creative writing.

Listen now
Natasha Doe
Politics Podcast

Natasha Doe

BA Politics alumnus Natasha Doe talks about how she landed her dream job shortly after graduating, how Derry Girls got her interested in Irish politics and how university helped her come to terms with her hearing impairment.

Listen now
Professor Lucy Bland
History podcast

Professor Lucy Bland

Professor of Social and Cultural History Lucy Bland talks about her research into race relations in the 1930s, and her award-winning book 'Britain’s Brown Babies'.

Listen now
The Heron logo and "ARU" over the entrance to a campus building
Sociology podcast

Black Sisterhoods

Student Asanté and family in conversation

Listen to Black Sisterhood
Students walking through the central courtyard on our Cambridge campus
Sociology podcast

#MeToo and Fandom

Student Charlotte Parker and Course Leader Rachel Ryder in conversation.

Listen to #MeToo and Fandom
Postgraduate student Sarah reading a book in the ARU library
Philosophy listicle

Women with ideas that really changed the world

Compiled by Alison Ainley, Associate Professor in Philosophy.

Read about women whose ideas changed the world
Students at a graduation ceremony wearing robes and mortar boards
Philosophy listicle

30 Philosophy graduates who did ok

Compiled by Alison Ainley, Associate Professor in Philosophy.

Read about successful Philosophy graduates
Students in a lecture theatre in ARU's Science Centre
Philosophy listicle

8 ideas that changed the world

Compiled by Alison Ainley, Associate Professor in Philosophy.

Read about world-changing ideas

Rohan's Rebels

Professor of Modern British History Rohan McWilliam takes us on a short lecture tour of his top 10 rebels from history.

Rohan's Rebels

Photo of Mahatma Gandhi amongst a crowd of journalists Watch Rohan's Rebels: Mahatma Gandhi

Mahatma Gandhi

Find out more about one of history's most unlikely revolutionaries.

Illustrated map of medieval Nottinghamshire Watch Rohan's Rebels: Robin Hood

Robin Hood

Find out more about one of history's most symbolic revolutionaries.

Photo of Rosa Parks Watch Rohan's Rebels: Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks

Find out more about one of history's most important revolutionaries.

Illustration of William Cuffay Watch Rohan's Rebels: William Cuffay

William Cuffay

Find out more about one of history's most determined revolutionaries.

Portrait of Galileo Galilei Watch Rohan's Rebels: Galileo Galilei

Galileo Galilei

Find out more about one of history's most original revolutionaries.

Illustration of Toussaint L'Ouverture on horseback Watch Rohan's Rebels: Toussaint L'Ouverture

Toussaint L'Ouverture

Find out more about one of history's most iconic revolutionaries.

Statue of William Wallace Watch Rohan's Rebels: William Wallace

William Wallace

Find out more about one of history's most forward-looking revolutionaries.

Illustration of Captain Swing with fire and smoke in the background Watch Rohan's Rebels: Captain Swing

Captain Swing

Find out more about one of history's most inspirational revolutionaries.

A photo of Margaret Thatcher in a book Watch Rohan's Rebels: Margaret Thatcher

Margaret Thatcher

Find out more about one of history's most controversial revolutionaries.

Painting of Martin Luther nailing up 95 theses to the Castle Church, Wittenberg Watch Rohan's Rebels: Martin Luther

Martin Luther

Find out more about one of history's most transformative revolutionaries.

To find out more about student life at ARU, email [email protected], visit our course pages or attend one of our Open Days.