Balancing humility and conviction is the art of disagreeing well...

Dr Michael Spence, UCL President & Provost, at UCL East (Sep 2023)

Dr Michael Spence, UCL President & Provost

Read more in Times Higher Education
The one skill that the next generation needs more than ever
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The one skill that the next generation needs more than ever

Is the art of having an honest argument dying? Leaning into friction isn't just about winning a debate, it’s the essential intercultural bridge we need to find common ground in a fractured world.

How disagreement became the ultimate workplace power move
Group of students sitting on UCL Student Centre stairs

How disagreement became the ultimate workplace power move

Think dissent is a workplace "red flag"? What if true innovation lives in the space between competing ideas, and learning to navigate that tension is the only way to future-proof your career?

Bridging the Divide: Why the art of civil discourse is essential for global stability
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Bridging the Divide: Why the art of civil discourse is essential for global stability

Find out why UCL’s Disagreeing Well programme is encouraging us all to embrace civil debate as the key to solving some of our biggest challenges.

Disagreeing Well: 5 research-backed skills for open dialogue and conflict resolution
Young people having a discussion

Disagreeing Well: 5 research-backed skills for open dialogue and conflict resolution

UCL’s Disagreeing Well programme promotes respectful dialogue, helping people listen, engage, and challenge ideas without hostility – here’s how...

Watch An introduction to Disagreeing Well on YouTube.
NEW! The Bridge Podcast
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NEW! The Bridge Podcast

The Bridge: a Disagreeing Well Podcast from UCL and Students' Union UCL which tackles the hotly debated issues of our time and provides practical tools to bridge the divide between conflicting views.

NEW! Online learning resource
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NEW! Online learning resource

Explore our thought-provoking online resource - self-guided and designed for anyone interested in improving how we engage with differing opinions in both personal and professional settings.

Navigate to Disagreeing Well skills video series
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Disagreeing Well skills video series

This skills series is written and hosted by Mia Forbes Pirie, international conflict mediator, coach and UCL alumna. It covers what it means to disagree well, including useful tips and advice.

Navigate to Event recordings
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Event recordings

View recordings of past events under our Disagreeing Well campaign.

Navigate to Additional resources
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Additional resources

Whether you prefer books, lectures, TED Talks, or podcasts, these resources aim to guide you in fostering constructive conversations and finding common ground in the face of disagreement.

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Disagreeing Well news

A powerful night of Disagreeing Well
A powerful night of Disagreeing Well

A powerful night of Disagreeing Well

Our latest Disagreeing Well event, 'Is politics corrupting religion?', showed just how powerful thoughtful disagreement can be.

08 Jul 2026

Opinion: Why students need to learn the art of disagreeing well
Opinion: Why students need to learn the art of disagreeing well

Opinion: Why students need to learn the art of disagreeing well

Writing for The Hindu, UCL President & Provost Dr Michael Spence makes the case for disagreement as something to engage with productively, helping prepare individuals to participate thoughtfully in a world defined by difference, complexity and rapid change.

24 Jun 2026

Reckoning with Empire requires more than remembering
Reckoning with Empire requires more than remembering

Reckoning with Empire requires more than remembering

Solomiia Vavryshchuk, Second-Year Bachelor of Laws Student, UCL Faculty of Laws shares her reflections of attending the UCL Disagreeing Well event: What does reckoning with the British imperial past involve in 2026?

26 May 2026