International Men's Day Event

Join us as we welcome you to the Adam Smith Business School to discuss men's mental health as part of an annual event. This is our 3rd year hosting this event which is held as part of International Men's Day.

International Men's Day is a global awareness day for many issues that men face, including parental alienation, abuse, homelessness, suicide, and violence and is celebrated annually.

Our panel will discuss men’s mental health and the importance of men being able to be emotionally open and vulnerable in addressing mental challenges. The panel will share their own experiences and answer questions from the audience and our host Stephen Fiddes, a Student Development & Wellbeing Adviser in the Adam Smith Business School. The event is free and open for all staff and students from the University to attend. The theme for this year is "Supporting Men and Boys".

Panel Biographies

Thomas Delaney (Guest Speaker) is a public speaker, researcher, and social entrepreneur whose work bridges lived experience, education, and community development. A graduate of the University of Glasgow’s BA (Hons) Community Development programme, his dissertation “Framing Addiction: Media Representations and its Impact on Societal Perceptions in Glasgow, Scotland (2019–2025)” critically explored how media narratives shape public attitudes and stigma surrounding substance use.
Building on this research, Thomas founded YouthWISE, a trauma-informed, lived-experience-led social enterprise delivering radical new drug education and resilience workshops for young people across Glasgow and Yorkshire. Through YouthWISE, he aims to empower youth through dialogue, critical thinking, and compassion-based approaches to wellbeing and recovery.Thomas has spoken at national conferences, schools, colleges, and universities. Plus multiple media platforms, gaining millions of views online, by sharing both his academic insights and personal journey to challenge stigma and promote connection. His work continues to highlight that change begins with conversation, and that healing is both a personal and collective process!

Dr Matt Offord is a Senior Lecturer in Experiential Leadership Education at Adam Smith Business School. Matt was shortlisted last year for two international teaching awards in recognition of his innovative approach to teaching. Additionally, Matt is a business simulation instructor using various simulations and educational escape rooms to bring management and leadership theory to life. Prior to becoming an academic, Matt spent 30 years as a naval officer. After several years as a submariner, Matt requalified as a Minewarfare and Clearance Diving Officer, essentially an underwater bomb disposal officer. During the 20 years he spent in this role, he led diving teams and served as the second-in-command of several mine clearance vessels. In a varied career, he also managed a major naval dockyard, led Navy training teams and ran UK wide counter terrorism operations. Suffering from severe sight loss after 2003 and later having a corneal transplant, Matt was forced to change tack, and studied for PhD in Leadership Studies whilst still in the Navy, through Durham University.

In 2016, Matt started a post-doc study of officer training in the Royal Navy, based at Oxford University. But at Adam Smith Business School, he discovered his love of teaching, completing a Post Graduate Certificate in Academic Practice, an MSc in Digital Education and is now studying for an EdD (Doctor of Education) at UCL on how to make leadership education authentic and active, inspired by Matt’s ADHD.

Paul Hunter Paul is a Senior Teaching Fellow and a lecturer in Human Resource Management and Organisational Behaviour in the Adam Smith Business School. Paul worked in management consulting for many years before transitioning to academia. He was recently awarded a PhD which explored perceptions of fairness during performance appraisal in high tech contexts.

Currently, Paul is exploring the challenges associated with mental health in higher education with a particular focus on men. Specifically, Paul is keen to investigate how men - both students and academics - deal with the pressures they face and what mechanisms are in place to allow men a safe environment to open up and talk about their struggles. This is especially important given the cultural narrative that men should “stay strong” and “just get on with it”.

Stephen Fiddes is a Student Development & Wellbeing Adviser in the Adam Smith Business School, and has been a Student Adviser in Higher Education for 12 years. In addition to his main role, he is also a Staff Engagement Lead, focusing on the area of staff wellbeing, and a trainee Cognitive Behavioural Therapist. In all of these roles, Stephen is motivated by helping others understand how their thoughts and actions impact on how they feel and can be changed to improve their wellbeing, and is passionate about helping students remove barriers to fulfilling their academic potential and to flourish.

Places are limited so please book your space now.

** Tea, coffee and canapes will be available **

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