Dr Azeem Ibrahim OBE will address Humanists UK Convention 2025 with his lecture, ‘Authoritarian century: omens of a post-liberal future’. The Convention is scheduled to take place from 13–15 June 2025 at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield.
Tickets for Humanists UK Convention 2025 are on sale now – and running low.
Azeem holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and has completed fellowships at Oxford, Harvard, and Yale. His current roles as Research Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, US Army War College, and Senior Director at the Newlines Institute for Strategy and Policy in Washington, DC, underscore his significant influence in strategic and policy discourse.
Azeem’s 2022 book, Authoritarian Century: Omens of a Post-Liberal Future, provides a rigorous examination of the factors contributing to the rise of authoritarianism worldwide. In it, he argues that a decline in public confidence in liberal institutions is a key factor, rooted in economic instability and policy shortcomings. By dissecting the historical and present-day dynamics that fuel this trend, his work offers crucial insights for understanding and counteracting threats to liberal democratic values.
Humanists UK Chief Executive Andrew Copson said:
‘Dr Ibrahim brings a wealth of knowledge and a critical perspective on the forces quickly reshaping our world in unknowable and concerning ways. I know his analysis of the challenges faced by liberal democracy will be invaluable to Convention attendees – and will no doubt lead to some fierce and thoughtful discussion beyond the session itself.’
Humanists UK Convention 2025 will bring together humanists from across the country for a weekend of science, politics, culture, and comedy. The event will be held at the Octagon Centre in Sheffield from 13–15 June 2025. Dr Azeem Ibrahim joins a diverse line-up of speakers, including physicist Dr Helen Czerski; journalist Ian Dunt; author of Money, Lies, and God, Katherine Stewart; tech entrepreneur Sara Wahedi; happiness economist Professor Lord Richard Layard; anthropologist and author of The Evolutionary Origins of the Modern World, Professor Harvey Whitehouse; historian and editor of The Free Speech Wars, Dr Charlotte Lydia Riley; philosopher and author of What Is Humanism For?, Professor Richard Norman; folklorist and cultural anthropologist Deborah Hyde; AI, Faith & Civil Society Commissioner Professor Kate Devlin; and many more.
Humanists UK Convention 2025 | Sheffield
13 June 2025, 19:00
The Octagon Centre, Clarkston Street, Sheffield, S10 2TQ
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For further comment or information, media should contact Humanists UK Director of Public Affairs and Policy Richy Thompson at press@humanists.uk or phone 0203 675 0959.
Humanists UK is the national charity working on behalf of non-religious people. Powered by over 130,000 members and supporters, we advance free thinking and promote humanism to create a tolerant society where rational thinking and kindness prevail. We provide ceremonies, pastoral care, education, and support services benefitting over a million people every year and our campaigns advance humanist thinking on ethical issues, human rights, and equal treatment for all.