Event

Sir Roger Jowell Memorial Lecture 2026

This annual event is organised in collaboration with City, University of London and the Social Research Association.

Event time:

10th September 2026 18:00 – 19:30
Event address:
Room FSQ511, 5th Floor Bayes Business School – 33 Finsbury Square London EC2A 1AG
Format:

hybrid

The Generation Myth: separating fact from fiction in the demographic debate

This year's lecture will be delivered by Professor Bobby Duffy, Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute at King's College London.

Duffy argues that we need to move beyond generational stereotypes and focus on more rigorous generational analysis. His book, Generations, draws on data from over 3 million interviews from countries across the world to help us understand the most divisive issues today, from climate change to cancel culture, and reassures that there is no coming generational war. He argues that, instead, our issue is separation, and our focus should be on building connections between generations, and embedding longer-term thinking.

The lecture will be chaired by Lovisa Moller Vallgarda, Director of Innovation and Analytics at NatCen.

Lovisa has over a decade of experience in designing and delivering quantitative research to inform and influence policy. Lovisa’s work spans across a wide range of policy areas, including health, social care, gender, market regulation, ESG, quality of government, and human rights. Lovisa is passionate about ensuring that recent breakthroughs in data science are used to make lives better.

Speaker

Bobby Duffy

Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute at King's College London.

Bobby Duffy is Professor of Public Policy and Director of the Policy Institute. He is a trustee of British Future, a Senior Fellow of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy, University of Toronto, and Chair of the Advisory Board for the Centre for Collaboration in Community Connectedness (C4). He was previously chair of the Campaign for Social Science and member of the Executive of the Academy of Social Sciences from 2019-2025 as well as Global Director of the Ipsos Social Research Institute. He has also been seconded to the UK Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, and was a fellow at the Centre for Analysis of Social Exclusion at LSE. His first book, The Perils of Perception – Why we’re wrong about nearly everything, was published by Atlantic books in 12 countries, drawing on a set of global studies on how people misperceive key social realities. His latest book, Generations – Does when you’re born shape who you are?, came out in 2021 and challenges myths and stereotypes around generational trends, seeking a greater understanding around generational challenges and intergenerational connection.

Chair

Lovisa Moller Vallgarda

Director of Innovation and Analytics National Centre for Social Research

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Lovisa is the Director of Innovation and Analytics at NatCen. She has over a decade of experience in designing and delivering quantitative research to inform and influence policy. Lovisa’s work spans across a wide range of policy areas, including health, social care, gender, market regulation, ESG, quality of government, and human rights. Lovisa is passionate about ensuring that recent breakthroughs in data science are used to make lives better.
Before NatCen, Lovisa was Head of Analysis at Engage Britain, where she set up the analytical function focused on public opinion research, deliberation and co-design. Prior to this, Lovisa was the lead advisor on business and human rights for ActionAid International, delivered high-profile analysis of the IMF’s track-record on gender and carried out statistical modelling of the Royal National Lifeboat Institute’s (RNLI’s) UK-wide rescue operations.