SASiety 
Save the Date for SASiety’s first Academic Event this Year!
We are kicking off our Academic Events with our first full day symposium celebrating International Women’s Day. And we could not have timed it any better. 110 years ago, International Women’s Day had its first celebration and 100 years ago, they set the date for the annual celebrations as the 8th of March. In short, 2021 marks over a century of fighting for women’s rights, challenging misconceptions and making a difference.
In 2021, the two main themes of this year’s International Women’s Day are “Women in leadership: Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world” and “#ChooseToChallenge”. Certainly, this is what we value at the School of Advanced Study. Elaine Walters, Deputy Chief Executive of SAS, is looking forward to celebrating this important day. She said: “International Women’s Day is about celebrating and increasing the visibility of women’s achievements; Inspiring success; Challenging views; Breaking conventions and being United in support. The School of Advanced Study, University of London is proud to support these principles and the work of our research student association SASiety and its symposium to be held on March 8th.”
Fighting for the Future, Remembering the Past
The UN’s official theme declares that we want to achieve an equal future in a Covid-19 world. So why not take a closer look at our own history to improve the future? What have SAS’s and UoL’s roles been in pathing the way for women to access positions in leadership? Elaine Walters told us that “in 1868 nine women were admitted to the University of London to enroll for a ‘special examination’ course – the first time in Britain that women had gained access to university education. This modest event was an immensely significant moment for the University, for women and for society as a whole.” SASiety wants to honour this past and that’s why we decided on hosting a symposium on this important day.
Elaine Walters went on to say that “SAS is proud of the men and women who work for it, the students who share their journey with us and the thousands who visit us every year. In the spirit of those 9 pioneers and mirroring the significance of IWD, come see what it’s all about. Join us for our symposium.”
About the Symposium
SASiety’s very own Academic Events Manager Natalia Fantetti has worked tirelessly to create a symposium that celebrates the contributions of women to arts, academics and society. While we would have loved to host this event in person, by March we will probably all still be glued to our desks at home. But we choose to see the positive in this: We can connect internationally with the whole SAS family!
At this point, we do not want to give away too much about the programme and our key speakers. For now, here is the general structure of the day: we will host three panels with a mixture of academics and artists across the day and an “in conversation” event in the evening. So, come along to listen in on people from different universities across different disciplines who challenge views, make forgotten voices heard and discuss the future of feminism. Keep checking the blog for more announcements and make sure to follow us on social media so you won’t miss anything!
Starting on the 1st of February, we will be releasing our panellists for this year’s International Women’s Day Symposium. Make sure to get your tickets here.