An essential part of the DIRDI calendar, regular lunches and dinners are open to members and fellows alike.

The Inspiration:

Much as Ancient Greek symposia or Roman convivia were seen as fora for intellectual discussions, 17^th-century Parisian salons functioned as spaces for shaping thought and culture in society, and prehistoric campfire gatherings were utilised as a means to swap stories and knowledge over communal meals, so too are DIRDI dinners designed to cater for that essential human need of community-building and knowledge exchange.

This is supported by the academic literature too. Ronald Burt’s “Structural Holes and Good Ideas” argues that “People who stand near the holes in a social structure are at higher risk of having good ideas”. Likewise, one of the most influential sociology papers ever written, Mark Granovetter’s “The Strength of Weak Ties” in 1973 presents the argument that it is those interactions with people from outside our primary circles that often generate the most influential ideas. Identifying the danger of operating solely within disciplinary “siloes” stymieing ideation is a core driver behind DIRDI hosting such Dinners in the spirit of discovery.

Since 2024, we have begun hosting such events outside of Durham to reflect our Fellowship’s increasingly national disposition. We have taken these to Oxford, Cambridge and London, and anticipate that this will continue to grow further.

Our dinners are fully complimentary and attract broad and varied groups of attendees. We welcome those at all stages of their careers from different institutions whether they are talented undergraduates or some of the most esteemed senior academics in the country. We also welcome attendees from a number of institutions beyond academia but who take an interest in our Vision and Mission, including from Industry and Government. Fellows contribute to lively and convivial discussions about their scientific research, but also about ways in which we can develop and support initiatives within each of our Aims.

At each event, we invite a handful of attendees to speak to the room about their work, be it in academia or science more broadly. This forms the inspirational basis for discussion between fellows and has previously led to new research collaborations being formed across disciplines and institutions. A selection of articles on our dinners and some of the talks presented by fellows can be found on our News page.