Upgrade Masterclass: Public Speaking with Style

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Time: 6.00pm - 7.00pm
Price: free

Booking for this event has closed. Please contact alumni@kingston.ac.uk for further assistance.

Whether it's in the boardroom, classroom, courtroom or on stage, public speaking is a key skill in many careers. Join Kingston alumni and academics from law, drama, business and education to learn new and diverse techniques to enhance your public speaking skills. Our expert panel will share tips and advice on different aspects of public speaking such as managing nerves, voice projection, engaging your audience, presenting complex ideas and how to adapt for in-person and online settings.

Meet the Panel

Maryan Hassan (LLB International Law, 2014) is a LLM Candidate at Harvard Law School, a Frank Knox Fellow and an award-winning former diplomat. Her previous roles include Chief Negotiator to the WTO for the Federal Government of Somalia and Chief Legal Advisor to the Prime Minister. Maryan is a member of numerous arbitral institutions, including ICSID, and is the youngest woman panel member in the institution's history. She is an Obama Foundation Leader for Africa - recognised by President Obama for her contribution to the state-building and legal reform efforts in Somalia. Maryan is mother to Sofia, age 3.

Dr Alex McSweeney is an actor, playwright, director and a Senior Lecturer in Drama at Kingston University. Alex has an extensive range of on stage, television and film credits, including Steven Berkoff's productions of Oedipus at the Liverpool Playhouse, Endeavour, Call the Midwife, Primeval 3, Silent Witness, EastEnders and Hellboy ll.

Dr Pauline Parker (DBA, 2015 and MBA, 2003) is Associate Professor and Director of MBA and Executive Education at Kingston University. Pauline has a background as an entrepreneur, consultant and senior manager in a large corporation, and experience of managing global portfolios from £200k up to £75m in annual revenues.

James Pearce (BA Primary Teaching with Mathematics, 2013) has worked at Thames Ditton Primary School for eight years with roles as a Class Teacher and Head of Year. James is also a volunteer Radio Presenter and Head of Social Media at Brooklands Radio with experience in live presentation, preparing show content and interviewing guests. His passion for media has led him to work at the Olympic Games in London 2012, Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 - which started by answering a poster at Penrhyn Road campus.

For further information about this event:

Contact: Kingston University Alumni
Email: alumni@kingston.ac.uk