Imagine an education that prepares us not just for work, but for life.

The Angus Millar Lecture 2026: What is Education Really For?

Monday, 9 November 2026

6:00-7:00pm

The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and online via YouTube

Does our education system still meet the challenges of today?

Education is back at the centre of public debate. As governments rethink how we prepare people for work, citizenship and life, this year's Angus Millar Lecture asks a bigger question: what is education really for?

Join us for an evening exploring one of Europe's most distinctive educational models: the Danish Folk High School movement.

Our keynote speaker, HC Nielsen, Principal of Roskilde Festival Folk High School, will share how a different approach to learning can nurture creativity, confidence, curiosity and democratic participation - not simply in preparation for working life, but as part of living a rich and engaged life.

For more than 150 years, Folk High Schools have offered an alternative vision of education. Rather than focusing primarily on exams or formal qualifications, they bring people together to explore ideas, discover their strengths and learn through dialogue, shared experience and curiosity. Creativity and community are not extras; they are at the heart of the learning experience.

As conversations about education reform gather pace across the UK, and at a time when technology is transforming work and learning, these ideas feel more relevant than ever. How do we prepare people not only for employment, but for active citizenship in an increasingly complex and polarised world? And in a world where AI can provide information instantly, what kinds of learning become even more important - judgement, curiosity, collaboration, belonging and the ability to think for ourselves?

Following the keynote, HC Nielsen will be joined by Roddy Millar, Director of the Scottish Leadership Institute, for an in-conversation discussion exploring what the Folk High School model can teach us about education, democracy, community and the future of learning.

Whether you're an educator, policymaker, student, Royal Society of Arts Fellow or simply curious about new approaches to education, this evening will offer fresh perspectives on how creativity, community and lifelong learning can help us reimagine education for the common good.

The lecture will take place at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh and will also be livestreamed on YouTube. Guests attending in person are warmly invited to join us afterwards for a drinks reception in the Library.

More about HC Nielsen

Hans Christian Nielsen has been principal at Roskilde Festival Folk High School since 2020. Before that, he was Head of HR and Organisation at Roskilde Festival. Hans Christian has a master's degree in Political Science from Copenhagen University, and an executive MBA in Technology and Innovation from Denmark's Technical University.

About the Angus Millar Lecture

The Angus Millar Lecture is one of the flagship events in the Royal Society of Arts Scotland calendar and is made possible through the generosity and vision of Angus Millar FRSA, whose legacy continues to bring people together around ideas that challenge us to think differently about society.

Description supplied by the event organiser.