We invite you to join us for the London launch of the Innovative Food Systems Teaching and Learning (IFSTAL) programme on Thursday 22^nd October at 5:15pm at the Royal Veterinary College, Camden. To register, please click here.

IFSTAL is a collaborative, interdisciplinary, cross-university food systems training programme for postgraduate students, linking with the workplace to improve future human, animal and environmental health.

This event will offer you an introduction to IFSTAL, the concepts and the food system challenges it is aiming to address, as well as an opportunity to meet people interested in this topic from across the spectrum of academia, industry, government and civil society. Dr John Ingram, IFSTAL programme leader, will be giving a lecture from Oxford that will be live beamed to our collaborating institutions in London, Warwick and Reading. After the lecture, there will be a panel-led discussion and opportunity to ask questions, then meet other colleagues studying and working on food-related topics during our networking drinks reception.

The programme for the evening is as follows:

5pm Registration and lecture theatre opens

5:15pm Welcome from the Chair, Dr Nick Brown

5:20pm Inaugural lecture from Dr John Ingram (live streamed from Oxford):  “Food Systems: communities, complexities and challenges”

6pm  Welcome from Prof. David Church, Vice-Principal of RVC

Panel of members from LCIRAH and City University London: Dr Deborah Johnston, Dr Suneetha Kadiyala, Prof. Tim Lang and Prof. Jonathan Rushton. Introduction to each institution, discussion about disciplinary approaches and work on food systems issues. Questions about the IFSTAL programme.

Closing words from Prof. Jeff Waage, Director of LCIRAH & LIDC

6:30pm Drinks and nibbles reception, combined networking event with LIDC, display and announcement of the winning “Food Systems” photos (see details below).

There will be simultaneous launches happening across the country in IFSTAL’s partner institutions: Oxford University, Reading University and Warwick University. In London, this event will be hosted jointly by LCIRAH (LSHTM, RVC, SOAS) along with City University London, at the Royal Veterinary College, Camden.

To register, please go to our Eventbrite page here.

As part of the event, we invite you to submit a photograph (your own) that represents food systems to you, with a short description (maximum 50 words) to accompany. The photos will be displayed during the reception/networking, and there will be a cash prize for the best. A selection will also be displayed in an exhibition in the LIDC building. To submit, please email your photo/image and description to ifstal-lcirah@rvc.ac.uk by end of day Monday 19^th. This is open to all attendees, and all students and staff (attending or not) at the London institutions (City Uni. London, RVC, LSHTM, SOAS).

Other upcoming IFSTAL events are:

• 5th November, 5:15pm : What is systems thinking and how might we use it to confront the ‘wicked problem(s) of food?’. Lecture given by Dr Harley Pope from Reading University followed by a local event

Location: 5th November: City University, Northampton Square

• 19th November, 5:15pm : Who or what is involved in the food system and what are they doing? Lecture given by Dr Barbara Häsler from the Royal Veterinary College and LCIRAH, followed by a local event

Location: 19th November: London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street

• 3rd December, 5:15pm : Explorations in Food System Outcomes: food security, the environment and economy. Lecture given by Dr Rosemary Collier from Warwick University, followed by a local event.

Location: City University, Northampton Square

Any queries, please contact ifstal-lcirah@rvc.ac.uk or ifstal-city@city.ac.uk