The 2017 Chancellor’s Lecture will be delivered by eminent speaker Nicholas Negroponte. In the 21st century access to the internet is inextricably linked to a proper, thorough education. Therefore, in Nicholas Negroponte’s opinion the internet is, or should be considered, a human right:
"And Internet access is such a fundamental part of learning that by extension it is almost certainly a human right and within a very short period of time it will be particularly because of those who don’t have schools, those who have to do their learning on their own. And for them Internet access is access to other people. It’s not so much the knowledge. It’s not the Wikipedia but it’s the connection to others, particularly kids to other kids – peer to peer learning. So yes, Internet access will be a human right. At the moment it’s edging up to it and probably not everybody agrees but they will shortly."

Nicholas Negroponte is a world-renowned technology visionary with the keenest understanding of technology and its impact on business and society. He is founder and Chairman Emeritus of the MIT Media Lab and is the driving force behind One Laptop per Child (OLPC), a non-profit that seeks to provide children around the world with new opportunities to explore, experiment and express themselves via computers.

He was the first investor in Wired Magazine and contributed to a monthly column throughout the 1990’s before writing a bestselling book ‘Being Digital’ which has been translated into over twenty languages. He is also a regular TED speaker.
Mr Negroponte is visiting the University at the invitation of the Chancellor, Lord Salisbury.