What is “Sustainable Eating”? Do we eat only to fill our stomachs? What are “Food Miles”? Why does eating beef lead to more carbon emissions than eating chicken?

The above questions were all discussed in a recent public lecture about food security, delivered by Professor May Tan-Mullins, Vice Provost of UNNC and Professor in International Relations. This lecture kicked-off the Life-long Learning Project 2020-2021.

The Life-long Learning Project is a UNNC programme initiated by the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (FHSS) in 2017. Developed over three years, the project aims to share knowledge and let people in society return to the college campus and enjoy public lectures.

According to Teresa Wang, the initiator of the programme, a total of 125 lectures in Life-long Learning Project have been given over the past few years, covering topics such as Brexit, behavioural economics, payment for knowledge, arts and drama. The Project has offered opportunities for relearning to more than one hundred “guest students” from all walks of life. Teresa noted that those who meet the attendance requirements would obtain a certificate of completion.

The Life-long Learning Project 2020-2021 is mainly online due to the impact of COVID-19. However, online “attendees” for the first lecture had great passion and active interactions such as sending comments, distributing gifts, asking questions and engaging in a heated discussion.

In the lecture, Professor Tan-Mullins explored the challenges and possible solutions that would ensure food security for all and discussed how a global community could support “sustainable eating” practices to reduce human impact on the environment.

“There are actually no absolute answers to many questions. This is why humanities and social sciences attract us. We encourage and instruct everyone in communities to explore this field and find their own answers,” said Professor Tan-Mullins during the livestream.

Zhiqi Fang, a former student of the Life-long Learning Project, said, "the principal lesson from this project is that I can think from a multi-dimensional perspective, which reduces my prejudice, increases my empathy, and lets me stay curious about the unknown in the world".

The 2020-2021 Life-long Learning Project has invited many renowned scholars to discuss topics such as sustainable development, public diplomacy, international education and language studies.

Those who are interested may watch the lecture videos or register for future lectures via the corresponding QR codes below.