In 2010 the Royal Society acquired Chicheley Hall in Buckinghamshire with support from The Kavli Foundation. The building is named The Kavli Royal Society International Centre in recognition of the Royal Society’s gratitude to the Kavli Foundation.
Sir Peter Knight has been appointed as the first Principal of the Centre. The focus of the Centre is on strengthening both UK and international science, increasingly more important as issues around sustainability, climate change and energy require international thinking and co-operation in the quest to find global solutions.
The support of the Kavli Foundation was central to enabling the purchase of Chicheley Hall. In addition to the Kavli Foundation, the Royal Society would like to thank the following donors: David Harding on behalf of Winton Capital Management, The Garfield Weston Foundation, The Wolfson Foundation and other donors who wish to remain anonymous.
The Centre extends the scientific programme that is held at the Carlton House Terrace. The main elements of the Society’s scientific programme at the Kavli Royal Society International Centre are:
- Theo Murphy international scientific meetings: Two-day scientific meetings which bring together the international top scientists and engineers in a field with up to 90 participants. They are selected by the Hooke Committee through an open call for proposals, to ensure the highest scientific calibre.
- Discussion Meeting satellite meetings: Following on from Discussion Meetings at Carlton House Terrace, the scientific organisers often hold satellite meetings or workshops for the speakers and a selection of invited participants to allow more in-depth discussion of a particular aspect of the broader subject.
- Research Fellows International Scientific Meetings: These two-day international scientific seminars offer an attractive opportunity for the Society’s research appointees to run their own focused international scientific meetings. The seminars have up to 20 delegates.
National and international science policy activities, science education activities and training events also take place at the Centre.