Inaugural lecture by Deljana Iossifova, Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies

Professor Deljana Iossifova

On Wednesday 28 February, the School of Environment, Education and Development and guests celebrated the appointment to professorship of Deljana Iossifova, Professor of Architecture and Urban Studies

The popular event took place in the Cordingley Lecture Theatre at The University of Manchester and was chaired by Professor Martin Evans, Head of School.  The University welcomed Diana Mitlin, Professor of Global Urbanism to introduce Professor Deljana Iossifova, and distinguished scholar Professor Michael Keith from the University of Oxford to deliver the vote of thanks. 

Lecture abstract

I reflect on efforts to reconcile contradiction in research on entanglement as a metaphor for interconnectedness and interdependence across presumed borders and scales. 

Borders and boundaries are conventional constructs often used to demarcate spaces of difference, both geographically and metaphorically. Entanglement suggests a state of interconnectedness and interdependence, blurring the lines that typically define such spaces. In this talk, I use the metaphor of entanglement to work through my interest in the messy relationships between objects, bodies, people, practices, lifeforms, events, and processes as they unfold across spatial and temporal scales. I briefly reflect on efforts to reconcile ontological, epistemological, and methodological contradictions in my research and close in asking: what’s architecture got to do with it?

Watch the recording

Watch Professor Iossifova's inaugural lecture ‘Entanglement and contradiction’

The evening also celebrated the appointment to professorship of Steven Courtney, Professor of Sociology of Education Leadership, who delivered his inaugural lecture ‘Towards a new methodology for critical leadership and policy scholarship’. 

Following the lectures, guests were given the opportunity to ask questions, before celebrating at a drinks reception.