Chris Brown is Professor in Education at Durham University’s School of Education. His own interest in networks began with a chance encounter and a leftfield conversation at the age of five, which resulted in a life-changing difference: the idea that after school, there was a thing called ‘university’. In addition to his lived experience in this area, Chris’ research activity is also focused on driving forward understanding as to how networks can be used to improve people’s life chances, as well as close the outcomes gaps that exist between the richest and poorest communities (and particularly focuses on this subject in his new book ‘The Amazing Power of Networks’, published by John Catt). Chris’ work has been recognized from its innovative nature. For example, in 2018 he received a Siftung Mercator Foundation Senior Fellowship, one of only six awarded annually.