INVITATION ONLY
We are delighted to announce James Manyika, Senior Vice-President, Google & Alphabet, and President for Research, Labs, Technology and Society, as this year's Hinton Lecturer. James leads efforts to drive forward the most ambitious innovations in AI, computing, and science across Google, Google DeepMind, and Alphabet, with a focus on their potential to positively impact people and society on a broad scale.
James Manyika will deliver his talk and take part in a live Q&A, chaired by Academy President Sir John Lazar CBE FREng.
After the lecture, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy a drinks reception to interact with other attendees, before joining a private dinner with our keynote speaker and a limited number of special guests.
Programme*
|
Time |
Action |
| 6.00pm | Registration and refreshments |
| 6.30pm |
Welcome and introduction Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President, Royal Academy of Engineering |
| 6.35pm | Hinton Lecture 2025 James Manyika, Senior Vice-President, Google & Alphabet |
| 7.00pm | Q&A session with audience |
| 7.28pm |
Closing remarks Sir John Lazar CBE FREng, President, Royal Academy of Engineering |
| 7.30pm | Drinks reception |
| 8.00pm | Private dinner |
| 9.45pm | End of Dinner |
*programme subject to change
Photography and filming notice
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Venue and accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Events team more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made. Contact details: [email protected].
Further information about accessibility at Prince Philip House can be found at: https://raeng.org.uk/about-us/accessibility.
Diversity monitoring form
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James Manyika
James focuses on advancing Google, Google DeepMind and Alphabet’s most ambitious innovations in AI, Computing and Science and on their potential for broad beneficial impact on people and society. He also leads Google Research, Google Labs, Learning & Sustainability, and Technology & Society.
He was Vice Chair of the US National AI Advisory Committee and Co-Chair of the UN Secretary-General’s AI Advisory Body, Vice Chair of the Global Development Council at the White House and member US Secretary of State’s Foreign Affairs Policy Board.
He’s a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, a Distinguished Fellow of Stanford’s AI Institute, and in Ethics in AI at Oxford. A Rhodes Scholar, James has DPhil, MSc and MA from Oxford in AI and robotics, mathematics, and computer science, a BSc in electrical engineering from the University of Zimbabwe.
Sir John Lazar CBE FREng
Sir John is a software engineer and entrepreneur with experience of building and managing successful global businesses. He is Chair of the Raspberry Pi Foundation, which aims to help young people realise their full potential through the power of computing and digital technologies. He is also co-founder, General Partner, and a Limited Partner at Enza Capital, which backs founders and teams using technology to solve large and meaningful problems across Africa. He sits on the boards of multiple African technology companies and previously served as the Chair of What3words. He was awarded a CBE for services to engineering in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list in 2016 and was knighted for services to engineering and technology in the His Majesty The King’s New Year Honours List 2025. Sir John was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2011 and chaired the Academy’s Enterprise Committee, which supports startups and scaleups across the UK and globally through the Enterprise Hub. He has also been a member of the Academy’s Education and Skills Committee and played an active role in developing the programme of study for England’s school Computer Science curriculum. Sir John has also been a judge and mentor for the Academy’s Africa Prize for Engineering Innovation, which trains and backs early-stage African engineering companies. He has spent many years working on tech-related non-profit initiatives in Africa, especially building “digital blacksmiths” and maker labs. He has been an active angel investor and technology start-up mentor in the UK and Africa, with more than 40 individual pre-seed/seed investments. He graduated from Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar with an MSc in Computation and a DPhil in History, following an undergraduate degree in Computer Science at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Sir John was elected as President of the Royal Academy of Engineering at its 48th AGM in 2024.