Explore Leeds and York

While your with us explore Leeds

Discover Leeds’ vibrant food scene, historic pubs, unique shopping arcades, and free cultural spots all near the Conference Centre.

A Local Guide to the Best Spots Around the Conference Centre

Leeds is known as the “foodie capital of the North” and it’s also great for shopping and pubs. For a quality cup of coffee nearest to the Conference Centre, head to Stage Espresso Bar (corner of Great George Street and Oxford Row), or 200 Degrees Coffee (Bond Street) For a sweet treat,

For evening drinks – there are loads of choices! Not far from the conference center is Northen Market and Nation of Shop Keepers. A little further are some nice places along the canal where you’ll find The Lock, Fazenda, and Water Lane Boat House – these are well worth the extra walk if the weather is nice enough to sit outside

While your with us explore York

Explore York Minster, The Shambles, museums, and more — from Viking history to classic afternoon tea and evensong.

Iconic Cathedrals, Viking Legends, Tea, Trains, Markets, and Magic

The no.1 must-see is York Minster. Dating back to the 7th century it is among the world’s most magnificent cathedrals. If you would like to take a 1-hour guided tour of the cathedral, we will arrange a group booking – but you will have to pay an additional fee.

The JORVIK Viking Centre is a world-class museum boasting live actors, rides, and real-life archeological sites. This museum explores the 200 years that Vikings settled in York.

York is the home of the U.K.’s National Railway Museum, where you can see and climb onboard to a wide range of both the world’s more famous steam engines and the groundbreaking bullet trains. We will also be eating here for our Conference Dinner on Tuesday evening.

ESSSAT Prizes for Studies in Science and Theology 2026

In connection with ECST XXI (2026, in Leeds, U.K.), two ESSSAT prizes are open for
competition between early career scholars working in Europe.

A candidate for the Research or Student Prize must be nominated by a senior faculty member of a university or similar institution of higher education in Europe. ESSSAT membership is not required. The work must be based on research done in Europe (with allowance for a period of research elsewhere of at most one year) and have been accepted for academic credit, presented or published in 2022-2024. It may be in any major European language. It need not have been published. The prizes will be presented at the Twentieth European Conference on Science and Theology (ECST XX), in Split, Croatia, 28 August – 1 September 2024. The prize winners are required to attend the conference. Their conference fees will be covered.

Iconic Cathedrals, Viking Legends, Tea, Trains, Markets, and Magic

The ESSSAT Research Prize (of 2500 €) will be awarded for an outstanding original contribution at book length, e.g. a doctoral thesis, submitted to the ESSSAT Prize Officer by 31 January 2026

The ESSSAT Student Prize (of 1500 €) will be awarded for an essay of 10,000 words maximum, written in an academic context at undergraduate or postgraduate level, submitted to the ESSSAT Prize Officer by 31 January 2026

The works, whose topic may address any aspect of the interface between religion/theology and the natural sciences (or social/human sciences), should exemplify the aims of ESSSAT to advance open and critical communication between the disciplines of theology, religious studies

and science, to promote their cross-fertilization, and to work on the solution of interdisciplinary problems. The prize-winning contributions should be outstanding reflections bearing on the relationship between religion, theology and the sciences in contemporary culture. The submissions will be evaluated based on their originality, quality, and relevance