Public Lecture Podcast

Originally recorded for the University of Bath Youtube channel, this podcast is the result of an exploratory study conducted by researchers working in education, policy studies, psychology and medical humanities across the universities of Bath, Bristol and Exeter, from 2022-23. This project was made possible through funding from the GW4 Alliance. In this podcast, the research team talk to young people, teachers and school leaders about what their schools are doing around mental health and their experiences of these initiatives. They share their analysis of government policies that say what it is schools should be doing, and share findings from the archives about historical perspectives on the role of schools in addressing mental health.

The research team: Dr Katie Howard, Lecturer, University of Exeter, Dr Rachel Wilder, Lecturer, University of Bath, Dr Naomi Warne, Research Fellow, University of Bristol, Dr Eleni Dimitrellou, Lecturer, University of Exeter, Dr Chris Sandal-Wilson, Lecturer, University of Exeter, Nai Lang, doctoral candidate, University of Bath and Lisa Wojahn, doctoral candidate, University of Exeter.

In this lecture, Dr Stephen Hall (Lecturer in Russian and Post-Soviet Politics at the University of Bath) joins us to talk about his new book "The Authoritarian International: Tracing How Authoritarian Regimes Learn in the Post-Soviet Space." He is joined by discussants Prof Gulnaz Sharafutdinova (Professor of Russian Politics and Acting Director of Russia Institute at King's College London) and Prof Thomas Ambrosio (Professor of Political Science at North Dakota State University).

This lecture was hosted by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) on 12 September 2023.

In this lecture, Dr Anna Killick discusses her book, Politicians and Economic Experts: The Limits of Technocracy, an in-depth study of how politicians engage with economists and economic opinion.

In recent years politics has seen an increasing role in economic policymaking for a technocracy of experts. How do politicians feel about this and how do they balance their political and ethical aims with economic expertise? In Politicians and Economic Experts: The Limits of Technocracy, Anna Killick offers an in-depth study of how politicians engage with economists and economic opinion. Based on interviews with politicians from the main parties in France, Germany, Denmark, the UK and USA, the book highlights the role economic opinion plays in politics and the tension that can arise between democracy and technocracy. While increasing numbers including on the left call for greater deference to economic experts, Killick argues we have no choice other than to trust politicians to continue to take the lead.

This event took place on 20 June 2023. It forms part of the IPR's 'Polycrisis!' lecture series.

In this lecture Professor Larry Bartels joins us to discuss his new book 'Democracy Erodes from the Top: Leaders, Citizens, and the Challenge of Populism'.

In this provocative book, Larry Bartels dismantles the pervasive myth of a populist wave in contemporary European public opinion. While there has always been a substantial reservoir of populist sentiment, Europeans are no less trusting of their politicians and parliaments than they were two decades ago, no less enthusiastic about European integration, and no less satisfied with the workings of democracy. Anti-immigrant sentiment has waned. Electoral support for right-wing populist parties has increased only modestly, reflecting the idiosyncratic successes of populist entrepreneurs, the failures of mainstream parties, and media hype. Europe’s most sobering examples of democratic backsliding — in Hungary and Poland — occurred not because voters wanted authoritarianism but because conventional conservative parties, once elected, seized opportunities to entrench themselves in power.

By demonstrating the inadequacy of conventional bottom-up interpretations of Europe’s political crisis, Democracy Erodes from the Top turns our understanding of democratic politics upside down.

This event took place on 14 June 2023. It forms part of the IPR's 'Polycrisis!' lecture series.

In this IPR lecture, Stefan Eich (Assistant Professor of Government at Georgetown University) joins us to discuss his book "The Currency of Politics: The Political Theory of Money from Aristotle to Keynes".

Money appears to be beyond the reach of democratic politics, but this appearance - like so much about money - is deceptive. Even when the politics of money is impossible to ignore, its proper democratic role can be difficult to discern.

In "The Currency of Politics", Eich examines six crucial episodes of monetary crisis, recovering the neglected political theories of money in the thought of such figures as Aristotle, John Locke, Johann Gottlieb Fichte, Karl Marx, and John Maynard Keynes. He shows how these layers of crisis have come to define the way we look at money and argues that informed public debate about money requires a better appreciation of the diverse political struggles over its meaning.

Recovering foundational ideas at the intersection of monetary rule and democratic politics, "The Currency of Politics" explains why only through greater awareness of the historical limits of monetary politics can we begin to articulate more democratic conceptions of money.

This IPR lecture took place on 24 May 2023.

Energy transitions in line with climate targets are often framed as largely technological challenges. But decarbonisation processes are affecting all aspects of human life. How can they best be managed, especially in regions that are still heavily dependent on fossil fuels?

In this lecture, Professor Ricardo Garcia Mira (Professor of Social Psychology at the University of A Coruna, Spain) joins us to discuss the social aspects of the clean energy transition in Europe.

This event took place on 16 May 2023. It forms part of the IPR's 'Polycrisis!' lecture series.

The oceans are vital to life on this planet. But they are under threat from unsustainable levels of exploitation. In this lecture, Professor Guy Standing discusses his latest book 'The Blue Commons', arguing that in addition to the already established ‘green politics’, we urgently need a ‘blue politics’ that is grounded in the principle of the commons.

Guy Standing is a Professorial Research Associate at SOAS University of London and a founding member and honorary co-president of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN).

This public event took place on 13 March 2023. It was jointly hosted by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR), the Centre for Development Studies (CDS) and the Bath Earth System Governance (ESG) Research Centre. It forms part of the IPR's ‘Polycrisis!’ event series.

In this lecture, Professor Jonathan Haskel and Stian Westlake join us to discuss their latest book ‘Restarting the future: How to fix the intangible economy’.

Our economies have become increasingly reliant on intangible assets that derive their value from ideas, knowledge and relationships rather than material properties. Haskel and Westlake explore how intangible assets differ from tangible ones and why it is important that the institutions that govern our economies keep up with the intangible revolution.

This public event took place on 28 February 2023. It forms part of the ‘Polycrisis!’ event series hosted by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR).

Episode Three: How can we tackle preventable diseases?

In Episode Three of the University of Bath’s Research with Impact podcast, Roland Pease discusses preventable diseases with three of the University’s world-leading experts, whose research focuses on improving health around the world.

Professor Asel Sartbaeva – based in the Department of Chemistry and Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies – first joined the University in the Earth Sciences Department and went on to focus on the design and synthesis of zeolites and biomolecule. Asel’s work on vaccine stability using silica aims to do away with the need for refrigeration of vaccines.

Dr John Campbell – from the Department for Health – collaborates with Bath Royal United Hospital, and national and international collaborators, to investigate how exercise augments anti-cancer immunity. John is currently leading a Cancer Research UK Pioneer Award exploring the impact of exercise on blood cancer immunotherapies.

Professor Harry Rutter – from the Department of Social & Policy Sciences – is a member of numerous influential research teams which work on issues affecting public health policy across the UK and beyond. A previous medical doctor, Harry founded the National Obesity Observatory and has a strong interest in promoting greater active travel. Most recently Harry has used his expertise and experiences in assessing public health responses to Covid-19.

For more information on our guests and the University of Bath’s Research with Impact Podcast please visit go.bath.ac.uk/research-with-impact or follow @uniofbath.

In this masterclass Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE and Pete Dyson discuss how policymakers can use behaviour change evidence in practice, with examples of what works in environmental and transport policy.

Lorraine Whitmarsh is Professor of Environmental Psychology at the University of Bath and Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST). Pete Dyson is a Doctoral Researcher in Transport & Travel Behaviour at the University of Bath and former Principal Behavioural Scientist at the Department for Transport.

This public event took place on 7 February 2023. It was hosted jointly by the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST).

In Episode Two of the University of Bath’s Research with Impact podcast, Roland Pease discusses the potential of big data for society with three of the University’s world-leading experts, whose research focuses on big data and digitisation.

Professor Chris Budd – based in the Department of Mathematical Sciences and Institute for Mathematical Innovation – creates and analyses mathematical models of the real world. His work utilises historical data, ONS statistics, and medical imagery to provide insight in the fields of weather, climate change, disease control, and medical diagnoses.

Professor David Ellis – from the School of Management – is a computational social scientist whose work bridges the gap between psychology and data science. David’s research explores behaviour in the digital age, and the psychological value and impacts of technology as it relates to privacy, security, health, and well-being.

Professor Linda Newnes – of the Department of Mechanical Engineering - focuses on whole life value analysis (monetary, environmental and societal costs) from concept design through to the in-service and in-use phases. Linda is currently leading on a number of large cross University projects, including the Made Smarter Innovation: Centre for People-Led Digitalisation and the TRansdisciplinary ENgineering Design (TREND) research group.

For more information on our guests and the University of Bath’s Research with Impact Podcast please visit go.bath.ac.uk/research-with-impact or follow @uniofbath.

In this Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations (CAST) and the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) panel event, Baroness Parminter, Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh MBE, Hirra Khan Adeogun, Nick Molho and Professor Nick Pearce discuss the House of Lords report: In our hands: behaviour change for climate and environmental goals and what it means for government, business and civil society.

This event took place on the 7th of November 2022 as an online event.

In this event, Dr Ana Catalano Weeks (University of Bath) joined us to discuss her new book 'Making gender salient: From gender quota laws to policy'. Featuring contributions from Professor Rosie Campbell (King's College London) and Dr Peter Allen (University of Bath).

This event took place at the University of Bath on 14 July 2022. For further information on the book, visit: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/making-gender-salient/2D3D592FC6C6B1182203FAA84149E09D.

In this lecture, Professor in Political Theory, Chris Armstrong, discusses his latest book ‘A blue new deal: Why we need a new politics for the ocean'. He explores existing governing institutions and makes the case for a powerful World Ocean Authority, putting equality, democracy, and sustainability at the heart of ocean politics.

This lecture took place online on 29 June 2022 and is part of the series 'Our oceans: A deep dive': https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/our-oceans-a-deep-dive/.

In Episode One of the University of Bath’s Research with Impact podcast, Roland Pease discusses the route to net zero with three of the University’s world-leading experts, whose research focuses on aspects of the climate crisis.

Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh – from the Department of Psychology – is Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), member of the Climate Crisis Advisory Group and was an expert lead for Climate Assembly UK. She also recently advised for Netflix’s climate change parody ‘Don’t Look Up’.

Professor Marcelle McManus – part of the Department of Mechanical Engineering – specialises in life cycle assessment, sustainable systems, renewable technologies and bioenergy. Marcelle is a Research Director of the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre and is also one of the Directors of the Centre for Sustainable and Circular Technologies.

Professor Ania Zalewska - one of the School of Management’s foremost academics - is an expert in financial regulation and reform, in particular the pensions industry; green finance and the financial challenges around climate change; and market and investment risk. Ania has a large following on LinkedIn, where she engages with academics and industry experts.

For more information on our guests and the University of Bath’s Research with Impact Podcast please visit go.bath.ac.uk/research-with-impact or follow @uniofbath.

Join acclaimed science journalist and broadcaster, Roland Pease, as he meets nine researchers from the University of Bath whose expertise spans the environment, the digital age, and preventable diseases, looking for answers to three fundamental questions:

• How do we get to net zero carbon?
• How can we make big data work for society?
• And, how can we reduce the number of people still dying from preventable diseases?

For more information about guests and how research from the University of Bath is having an impact please visit go.bath.ac.uk/research-with-impact and follow @uniofbath.

This event saw the launch of our policy brief on girls' education and language of instruction, produced in partnership with the University of Bath Department of Education and UK government Girls' Education Challenge (GEC).

In this event we hear from co-editor Dr Lizzi O. Milligan (University of Bath), and supporters and contributors including Alicia Mills (GEC), Aline Dorimana (University of Rwanda), Aloysie Uwizeyemariya (University of Rwanda), Fadimata Walet Inorene (CARE USA) and Amira Salama (Africa ELTA).

This event took place on 24 May 2022. View and download the policy brief via: https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/girls-education-and-language-of-instruction-an-extended-policy-brief/.

In this lecture, Professor of Social and Economic History and Director of the Centre for Maritime Historical Studies at the University of Exeter, Professor Maria Fusaro, joined us to discuss world oceans and contemporary challenges through a historical lens.

This lecture took place on 21 April 2022 as part of our event series 'Our oceans: A deep dive': https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/our-oceans-a-deep-dive/.

Former Ambassador to Moscow, Sir Rodric Braithwaite; Senior Lecturer in the Department of Politics, Languages and International Studies at the University of Bath, Dr Patrick Bury; Associate Fellow at Chatham House, Dr Anaïs Marin; and Director of Research at the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), Dr Charles Larkin, discuss Russian aggression and the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

This event took place on 15 March 2022.

Head of the village of Selkie in North Karelia, Finland, and President of Snowchange Cooperative, Dr Tero Mustonen, joined Professor James Copestake to discuss the Arctic Seas, indigenous communities, and climate change.

This event took place on 9 March 2022 as part of our ongoing series, 'Our oceans: A deep dive'. Learn more about the series: https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/our-oceans-a-deep-dive/.

Dr Aurelie Charles and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, Professor Ian White, are joined by President of The Ocean Foundation, Mark J. Spalding who gives a lecture on the future of seafood in a changed ocean.

This lecture is part of our ongoing series, 'Our oceans: A deep dive': https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/our-oceans-a-deep-dive/.

This lecture took place on 9 February 2022.

In this lecture, Senior Programme Officer and Blue Carbon Lead at GRID-Arendal, Steven Lutz, joins Director of the IPR, Professor Nick Pearce, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, Professor Ian White, to discuss harnessing the value of blue carbon.

This lecture took place on 27 January 2022, as part of the event series 'Our oceans: A deep dive': https://www.bath.ac.uk/campaigns/our-oceans-a-deep-dive/.

Nick Pearce is joined by Rita Griffiths, Marsha Wood, Jane Millar, Fran Bennett, Ryan Shorthouse and Kate Summers to discuss our new report, 'Couples navigating work, care and Universal Credit'.

This event took place on 26 January 2022. To learn more about the research, visit: https://www.bath.ac.uk/projects/couples-balancing-work-money-and-care-exploring-the-shifting-landscape-under-universal-credit/. Or read the report in full via: https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/couples-navigating-work-care-and-universal-credit/.

Director of the IPR, Professor Nick Pearce; Professional Doctorate student and Programme Director at the Malala Fund, Javed Ahmed; and Lecturer in the Department of Education at the University of Bath, Dr Arif Naveed, are joined by Sir Michael Barber to discuss public policy delivery in the UK, Pakistan and beyond.

Sir Michael Barber is Founder and Chairman of Delivery Associates, an advisory firm which helps government and other organisations to deliver improved outcomes for citizens. He is a leading authority on education systems and education reform. He is also Chair of the Office for Students, the proposed new regulator for Higher Education.

From 2011-15 Sir Michael was DfID’s Special Representative on Education in Pakistan. He led a radical education reform with the Chief Minister of Punjab and, in 2013, published The Good News from Pakistan about the programme with Reform,

He was Chief Education Adviser at Pearson from September 2011 to March 2017. Prior to this, he was a Partner at McKinsey & Company and Head of McKinsey’s global education practice. He co-authored two major McKinsey education reports: How the world’s best-performing schools come out on top (2007) and How the world’s most improved school systems keep getting better (2010).

Sir Michael was Head of the Prime Minister’s Delivery Unit from 2001-05, and Chief Adviser to the Secretary of State for Education on School Standards from 1997-2001. Before joining government, he was a professor at the Institute of Education, University of London.

This event took place on 13 January 2022, as part of the Professional Doctorate in Policy Research and Practice residential.

What is wrong with our welfare state and what can we do to fix it? Is UBI an answer, or hopelessly unrealistic? UBI vs reformed welfare states and better public services – is there a trade off? With Andrew Fisher, Clare McNeil, Paul Mason and Kate Soper. Chaired by Neal Lawson.

This event took place as part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/

This event took place on 6 October 2021.

The Covid pandemic has seen governments spending big to keep households afloat and to prevent mass unemployment. Central Banks have injected trillions to prevent the global economy from sinking into depression. If we can afford to tackle the Covid crisis, why can’t we afford a UBI? Can we issue Sovereign Money, that doesn’t have to be financed by government debt? And does the era of digital Central Bank currencies mean that we can pay individuals a UBI directly, into digital wallets or accounts? With Bernhard Neumärker and Thomas Palley. Chaired by Paola Subacchi.

This event took place as part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/

This event took place on 6 October 2021.

The pandemic has had a fundamental impact on lives, work and economies. Welfare states around the world have faced huge challenges. What have the lessons been in the UK and internationally? And is it time for a radical renewal with UBI? With Young Jun Choi, Sarath Davala, S Mahendra Dev and Cleo Goodman. Chaired by Jane Millar.

This event took place as part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/

This event took place on 6 October 2021.

As societies get richer, we need to work less. As societies get greener, we need to consume less. Can UBI help us become happier, with more time for leisure and family life, and less time spent at work and in the shops? With Anna Coote and James Plunkett. Chaired by Andrew Kelly.

This event is part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/

This event took place on 6 October 2021.

Many economists argue that technology is reducing wages and income from work. Others believe that automation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution will inexorably reduce the demand for the labour. If we can’t get an adequate income from employment, do we need UBI to maintain incomes in technologically advanced societies? With Kate Bell and Anna Dent. Chaired by Gavin Kelly.

Part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/

This event took place on 6 October 2021.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha are joined by Sonia Bhalotra, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick. Sonia has a prodigious volume of highly policy-relevant research on topics relating to the creation of human capital, early child development, gender inequality, intergenerational mobility, and the impact of early life health on later life outcomes.

Franz and Matt begin by asking Sonia about her research on the impact of the advent of antibiotics in the US in the 1930s on child pneumonia, and how this had long-lasting impacts on children’s education and labour market outcomes. Sonia goes on to explain how improvements in child health and mortality have implications not just for the children themselves but also for women’s fertility decisions and labour supply, with important policy lessons for lower income countries where fertility, child mortality and female labour supply today look very similar to how the US looked back in the middle of the last century.

The discussion then turns to the trade-off between the ‘quality’ and the quantity of children that a family have and again how this inter-relates to female labour supply, including the surprising news that having twins is not as random as we might have assumed. The programme ends by touching upon Sonia’s research on the long-term benefits of treating maternal depression, highlighting how a non-drug therapy can have profound and long-lasting impact on maternal health and wellbeing.

In this episode of Policy Matters hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Colin Green, Professor of Economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Colin’s research interests cover a range of areas in applied economics and public policy, including education, the labour market, health, personnel economics, and political science.

We first hear from Colin about how the pandemic has been in Norway over the last year and how this compares to the experience in the UK and in his home country of Australia. This leads into discussion of Colin’s research on the impact of the London congestion charge on traffic accidents in the city and some of the intended and unintended consequences for pollution.

Next, we hear about the relationship between the election of anti-immigration politicians in Italy and the location decisions of migrants, before Colin tells us about the positive long-term impacts immigration can have on an area’s social capital, exploiting a specific migration event into Italy during the 16th Century. Colin then sheds light on why the performance-related pay element in Franz’s employment contract might not be the best thing for his health, before the programme closes with a discussion of Colin’s research on the concerning relationships between MPs’ jobs outside parliament, their involvement in law-making and the economic value of the firms for whom they work.

In this episode of Policy Matters, host Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha are joined by Sunčica Vujić, Associate Professor of Applied Econometrics at the University of Antwerp.

Sunčica’s research covers a broad range of topics but a common thread is that it is always very engaged with policy, making an impact in policy areas including crime, health, education and the labour market. Franz and Matt start by asking her about her recent work on the impact of the Brexit referendum on recorded hate-crimes in the UK, and we get a bonus lesson from Franz in translating statistical terms into user-friendly language! Sunčica then discusses her work that shows how policymakers and immigrants themselves can help to improve immigrants’ chances of labour market success, highlighting the startling role of volunteering in reducing labour market discrimination.

The discussion concludes with some interesting findings on the impact of education on fertility timing in the UK.

In this episode of Policy Matters hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson again find themselves at the start of a coronavirus lockdown, though this time lockdown #3 is much closer to the first lockdown, with almost everything, including schools, closed.

Matt and Franz begin by discussing their personal situations in lockdown as well as the national situation, before looking to the positives not only of the vaccines but also to the availability of existing drugs that are able to treat people who have already contracted COVID-19. After outlining the success of the Recovery programme that has been clinically trialling drugs for COVID-19 and has already saved 650,000 lives worldwide, Franz and Matt go on to discuss the importance of randomised controlled trails in providing robust evidence of causal effects both in medical science and public policymaking.

The programme ends with consideration of the other big policy area that’s dominated recent weeks: Brexit. January 1st saw the end of the transition period and a new relationship between the UK and the EU, so Franz and Matt break their long-standing Brexit embargo to talk about the ways in which life has changed already and how things may unfold in the longer term – and commit to another 10 years of Policy Matters in the process!

In the midst of the second COVID-related national lockdown for England, this episode of Policy Matters sees hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson revisit some of the questions that were being asked in the first episode recorded under lockdown restrictions back in April.

The discussion starts with some personal reflections on what life has been like juggling working-from-home and home-schooling over the months since the pandemic began and thinking about the impact that the disruptions to education will have on school-aged children and inequality.

Franz and Matt then look at how different policy responses from governments around the world have played out in recent months, and consider what we have learnt that we didn’t know back in April. The discussion then moves on to some of the academic research related to the pandemic, highlighting in particular the unintended consequences of policies like the ‘Eat out to help out’ scheme, and considering the different ways in which the pandemic has affected the self-employed.

The programme ends with a look ahead at some of the longer-term effects we might see on birth-rates and the implications these may have, and also considers what positive policy lessons we hope will be taken forward and acted upon in the future.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Martha Bloom, a researcher at the Science Policy Research Institute at the University of Sussex.

Martha recently wrote a report examining the economic returns to creative arts degrees, the types of employment these graduates go on to and the motivations of those who undertake higher level creative education. Franz, Matt and Martha begin by discussing the difficulties facing the creative industries in the post-pandemic world yet how the crisis has highlighted the importance of these industries for the wellbeing of the nation.

Martha then explains the ways in which creative arts graduates contribute to the economy both within the creative industries and more broadly, what her report reveals about their motivations and the benefits that they enjoy across a range of measures.

The discussion then goes on to consider a related report co-authored by Franz and Matt examining the earnings and employment returns to different postgraduate degrees. This conversation again highlights the importance of skills and vocations that might not be highly paid but provide vital inputs into the economy and public life, and the danger of judging the value of education purely in terms of earnings.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to Nadine Smith, the Director of the Centre for Public Impact.

Previous to her current role, for many years Nadine was a civil servant at the Cabinet Office, working at the centre of UK government at the intersection of policy, politics and communications. Franz and Matt begin by asking Nadine about the mission of the Centre for Public Impact and how they look to influence policymakers and improve government. The conversation considers the problems that arise when public service provision is marketised and driven by performance targets and league tables, and how systems might be redesigned to be more responsive to the needs of citizens.

Nadine, Franz and Matt then go on to discuss the possibilities for greater citizen involvement in decision-making and the ways in which we could potentially introduce more deliberative democracy in the UK.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson discuss a non-COVID-19 policy topic that has been prominent in recent months following the recent Black Lives Matter protests: the ethnic inequalities that exist in socio-economic outcomes in the UK.

Examining the issue from an academic viewpoint, Franz initially explains how labour economists define discrimination and how theoretically classical economics would expect labour market discrimination on the basis of race or gender to be eliminated by market forces.

Matt and Franz go on to discuss how reality clashes with this theory, setting out the extent of contemporary ethnic and gender pay inequalities and some of the issues with analysis that seeks to explain away the large differences in pay between men and women and between white workers and those of other ethnicities.

The discussion continues by looking at studies directly highlighting discrimination in hiring in both the UK and the US before concluding with thoughts on what policymakers could do to address these longstanding inequalities.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Neil Davies, Senior Research Fellow at the MRC Integrated Epidemiology Unit, University of Bristol.

Neil is a statistical epidemiologist so Franz and Matt begin by finding out what life has been like for an epidemiologist since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Neil then explains his recent work showing how some of the myriad statistics we’re seeing relating to coronavirus suffer from their survey design and this can generate misleading apparent relationships between COVID-19 risk and individual characteristics, such as smoking.

Next Neil explains the statistical technique known as ‘Mendelian Randomisation’ which uses natural variation in our genes to help understand how health conditions and other individual characteristics impact on health and other social and economic outcomes.

Matt, Franz and Neil go on to explore some of Neil’s recent research using this technique, that shows how education and intelligence impact the risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, how BMI affects later outcomes, and why continuing longer in school might lead to increased costs at the opticians…

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to Simon Burgess, Professor of Economics at the University of Bristol.

With COVID-19 and all the policy responses to it still very much at the forefront of public policy, Franz and Matt begin by asking Simon about the likely impact of school closures on child attainment, how this may affect existing socio-economic inequalities and what policymakers could do to tackle the issue once schools settle back to ‘normal’. The additional problems of replacing GCSE and A-level exams with teacher assessments are also considered along with the difficult situation facing graduates finishing university this year.

The discussion then moves on to Simon’s research into the impact of students’ effort on their educational outcomes. Simon explains how international football tournaments and school visits from Michelle Obama have provided insights into the huge effect that students’ effort can have on their results and how policymakers might harness these findings.

This episode of Policy Matters was recorded by hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha from their respective homes as we all adjust to life and work during lockdown.

With the global COVID-19 pandemic dominating almost all policy areas at the moment, Franz and Matt spend time discussing how different countries have tackled the outbreak and what lessons can be drawn from the more successful approaches.

The discussion then moves on to the economic impacts we’ve seen already, the rationale behind the Government’s unprecedented series of economic policy interventions, and what we can learn from previous recessions about how we might get out of the one we’re now in. Next to be talked about are the likely effects of the crisis on the labour market and particularly the graduate labour market, before the discussion ends by trying to pick out some positive aspects that have emerged from the crisis so far.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Arnaud Chevalier, Professor of Economics at Royal Holloway, University of London.

Franz and Matt start by asking Arnaud about several of his projects examining how parents influence their children’s educational attainment, and in particular why the fall of the Berlin wall led to a dip in school results. The discussion then moves on to higher education, Arnaud explaining how the ethnic and linguistic mix in a classroom impacts attainment, with wider implications for managing migration.

Finally, Franz and Matt talk to Arnaud about his work on the MMR vaccine crisis of the late 1990s and how education impacted the responses to public health information – very pertinent in the current worldwide coronavirus outbreak. In the midst of it all we hear Franz’s musings on a possible alternative life as a farmer…

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to John Jerrim, Professor of Education and Social Statistics at the Institute of Education, University College London.

Matt and Franz begin by asking John about his recent research into ‘overclaiming’ – otherwise known as ‘bullshitting’ (!) – amongst students, and how the findings give potential insights into some of the patterns of labour market outcomes we observe in the UK. John then discusses some of his cross-country comparative work and explains the ‘Great Gatsby Curve’ linking a country’s level of income inequality and degree of social mobility, and the role of education within the relationship.

The programme ends with a discussion of the role of academic quantitative social scientists in informing public policy, how evidence can be mishandled, and how academic practice and the interface with policy might be improved to the benefit of all.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to… Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha! It’s been a while since we talked about the policy-relevant research that we are currently pursuing both together and individually, so in this episode we take some time to find out what is floating our research boats at the moment.

Matt talks about a couple of research projects looking at the impact of education on labour market and health outcomes – using different ‘natural experiments’ to try and identify how much education actually affects these things. Franz then tells us about his recent research project on the geography of social mobility in the UK, exploring the nuanced story of social mobility differences between and within regions.

The discussion concludes with consideration of recent developments in data availability and how that can benefit researchers and policymakers going forward.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to Gemma Tetlow, Chief Economist at the Institute for Government.

Gemma was previously the economics correspondent at the Financial Times and also worked for many years as an academic economist and so has broad experience of economists’ work from a variety of angles.

Firstly, Gemma discusses the work of the Institute, and how the demands that Brexit has placed on the government has hindered domestic policymaking. Given her experience as both a researcher and economic journalist, Franz and Matt go on to discuss with Gemma how economics is reported in the media, the difficulty of explaining the complexities of the economy in ‘public-friendly’ ways and what economists can learn in this area from other sciences.

The discussion then turns to thinking about how economists interact with policymakers and how this has evolved over time, before Gemma talks about the policies that she would like to see considered in public and policy debate, whoever is developing the domestic policy agenda in the post-Brexit UK.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Sam Friedman, Associate Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics and a member of the Social Mobility Commission.

Sam explains his recent research highlighting how those from working class backgrounds find themselves earning less than colleagues from more privileged families even when they have the same qualifications and work in the same elite professions. Going beyond the numbers to understand this ‘class pay gap’, Sam describes the numerous interviews he undertook with elite professionals from different backgrounds and what this revealed about the hidden mechanisms that operate, often rewarding privilege rather than merit or ability.

The discussion then moves on to the dominance of private schools – and especially a particular group of private schools – in the elite strata of society and considers the sorts of policies that might help to make Britain a more meritocratic society.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson discuss how science funding in the UK is disbursed to Universities. They examine what the Research Excellence Framework (REF) is and how it affects the work behaviours and career prospects of modern academics.

Franz and Matt discuss the impact of metrics for evaluation purposes and consider how they are personally affected by the various University evaluation schemes such as REF, TEF and KEF. They also discuss the concept of ‘impact’ and how it encourages academics to go beyond their ‘ivory towers’ and engage society with their research.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson discuss the recently published ‘Augar Review’ of Post-18 education and funding, explaining what it is, how it came about and what the main recommendations are.

Franz and Matt consider the impact changes to the HE funding system might have on students, in particular whether this would be a good or bad thing for social mobility, and whether or not politics may intervene to prevent these recommendations being implemented in any case. In light of recent public debate around whether social mobility should even be a policy objective, the discussion moves on to considering what social mobility entails and how it relates to the broader concept of social justice.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to Sarah Brown, Professor of Economics at the University of Sheffield and an independent commissioner for the Low Pay Commission.

Franz and Matt highlight the 20th anniversary of the introduction of the national minimum wage and discuss with Sarah how the policy has worked out for the UK. The role and importance of the Low Pay Commission in informing minimum wage policy is explored and questions are asked as to what the future may hold for the minimum wage.

The discussion then moves to the topic of household finances and how people with different personality traits make financial decisions and the implications this may have for policy.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to Rachel Aldred, Reader in Transport at the University of Westminster.

Franz and Matt discuss with Rachel the benefits and risks of cycling in the UK and touch on subjects such as cultural differences in cycling behaviour across countries, what we might learn from such comparisons and how risky walking and cycling are in the UK. Rachel outlines early results from an evaluation of the ‘Mini-Hollands’ scheme that seeks to emulate planning and infrastructure development from the Netherlands in three outer London boroughs.

The discussion then moves to the measurement of traffic injuries and to what extent concerns about pollution might influence cycling behaviour. Finally, Rachel contextualises recent government policy and how future government policy might be shaped around cycling.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Carol Propper, Professor of Economics at Imperial College London and a former Senior Economic Advisor to the NHS Executive on Regulation of the NHS Internal Market.

We might not immediately think of economists when we think about healthcare, but Carol explains how economists can help with the design of a healthcare system that will produce the health outcomes that we would all want, taking into account the incentives faced by the various people and institutions involved. Carol discusses her research showing that equal pay for NHS nurses across the country led to increased death rates for patients in London, as well as other findings which reveal how NHS reforms have had life-saving consequences.

Matt, Franz and Carol then go on to discuss socio-economic inequalities in health and their relationship with healthcare before Carol gives us her prescription for the NHS and looks ahead to how future research might help improve healthcare in this country.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha talk to Sarah Smith, Professor of Economics at the University of Bristol and head of the Royal Economics Society’s Women’s Committee.

Sarah explains what this committee is and how they are tackling the issue of the lack of women in the economics profession. Historically economics as a discipline has been dominated by men and despite increases in the proportion of female lecturers and professors in recent years, women remain under-represented, and massively so at the higher levels. Matt, Franz and Sarah discuss the need to change girls’ perceptions of what economists actually do and encourage more young women to take economics at A-level and at University. Sarah explains how within academia there remain barriers to career progression for women and that raising awareness of this amongst the male-dominated hierarchies is an important step in helping to level the playing field.

The discussion closes thinking about what economics can learn from other disciplines that have made greater strides towards gender equality.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to Alex Bryson, Professor of Quantitative Social Science at University College London.

Alex is one of the UK’s leading figures in sports economics and he firstly explains what sports economics is and how it can be used to draw policy inferences in other more familiar areas of economics. Franz, Matt and Alex then discuss the findings of Alex’s paper looking at whether people discriminate against black players when picking their ‘fantasty football’ team and what this might tell us about labour market discrimination. How football referees’ performances are impacted by their employment contract and how having 50,000 vocal fans scrutinising their decisions affects their decision-making are other topics under discussion.

Finally, Alex explains how data from baseball can help us understand individual effort choices when working as part of a team.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Dr George MacKerron, senior lecturer in economics at the University of Sussex.

George is an expert in the economics of happiness and wellbeing and the man behind the ‘mappiness’ project. George explains the importance of looking beyond financial measures of individual and national wellbeing and discusses the extent to which the cliché that ‘money can’t buy happiness’ holds true.

Franz, Matt and George then discuss the findings from the ‘mappiness’ project which collects real-time data on individual’s self-reported happiness, allowing detailed analysis of the activities that have the greatest impact on how we feel and the way this also depends on where we are and who we’re with. George goes on to explain a number of ways in which public policy can have real impact on individual’s happiness and wellbeing.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Steve Machin, Professor of Economics at the London School of Economics, and a leading expert in the economics of crime.

We might not initially think that economists have much to say on crime and policing, but Steve explains how the choice to commit crime can be thought of like any other choice that involves weighing up the costs and benefits. As such, when the prices of goods on the black market change or the chances of being caught change there is a response in crime rates. Similarly, when individuals are made to stay in school longer, this leads to a reduction in crime as those with more education can earn more in the labour market and so crime is less attractive.

Steve goes on to highlight a number of ways in which the economics of crime research has led to changes in policy that have had positive results for society.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha spend some time reflecting back on their previous guests and discuss some of the key messages that each episode brought up. Why is social mobility important? Are grammar schools good for social mobility? Are there upsides to vocational education and why should HE students take care when selecting degrees?

Both Matt and Franz highlight particular lessons learned and how they relate to current policy. Franz and Matt then look forward to this new season of Policy Matters and discuss topics such as health, crime, gender and happiness that will be explored in more detail in future episodes.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson talk to Sandra McNally, Professor of Economics at the University of Surrey and Director of the Centre for Vocational Education Research.

When it comes to education, much of the public debate and media attention focuses on the traditional academic route of A-levels and University. But what about the 50% of young people who don’t ever go to University – what are the options for them and are they as consistently neglected by policymakers as they are by the media and wider public? Sandra explains the vocational route compared to the academic pathway and discusses the merits of vocational qualifications, highlighting recent evidence on their labour market returns.

Franz, Matt and Sandra go on to discuss how the structure of the UK economy, the incentives for training and the priorities of young people and employers interact within the vocational system, asking what could be done to improve this education route for young people and older workers who wish to continue learning.

In this episode of Policy Matters, host Matt Dickson talks to Laura van der Erve from the Institute for Fiscal Studies about the merits of doing a university degree and what recent evidence suggests are the relative labour market returns to degrees in different subjects at different institutions.

With almost 50% of young people in England going on to Higher Education, and with tuition fees of £9,250 for most courses, it has never been more important to understand the impact on earnings of studying different subjects and at different HE institutions. Laura describes recent research from the IFS looking at graduate outcomes and explains some of the difficulties in pinning down the impact of a particular course on later earnings and employment.

Matt and Laura then discuss social gradients in attending university and the extent to which inequalities have been impacted by changes in tuition fees. Finally, discussion turns to thinking about the sorts of things that students need to know in advance in order to make an informed decision about where to apply and what to study, how the government can help with this and the limits of information provision as a policy.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Professor Paul Gregg from the University of Bath to consider the prospects for today’s young people leaving education and entering the labour market.

We hear a lot in the news about the job market challenges facing young people and yet employment rates are at record levels, recent generations are the most educated ever with more and more people going to University and then enjoying a graduate wage premium – so what’s the problem? Paul provides an insight into how the economy has been changing over the last decade or so, the ways in which the recession following the 2007/8 financial crisis was unlike anything we’ve had before and how young people have suffered the most.

Matt and Franz then discuss with Paul the ways in which the challenges for policy are different now to what’s often been the case in the past and consider what government policy can do to improve the prospects for young people today.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Dr Lindsey Macmillan from University College London to discuss the role that education plays in social mobility.

Issues relating to education are never far from the policy agenda or the headlines – whether it is early years education, university tuition fees or the possible return of grammar schools. But what does academic research tell us about the role of education at each age and stage in improving life-chances of children from poorer backgrounds and what does this mean for policy?

Franz and Matt discuss these issues with Lindsey and also consider the limits to what education policy can achieve given the way that the UK labour market and wider society is structured.

In the first of this new series, ‘Policy Matters’, Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson discuss social mobility – what does it mean, how do we measure it, what is it like in the UK and why is it an important issue?

From Tony Blair to Theresa May, incoming prime ministers have talked boldly about the socially mobile Britain that their government will create, and social mobility has become a much-discussed topic in academia and public policy debates. But what would it mean to have a more socially mobile Britain, how could it be achieved and what barriers stand in the way? Taking a broad overview of the topic, Franz and Matt consider their own personal mobility and why it is so difficult for the political rhetoric to be translated into effective policy.

In this online lecture, former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Advisor, Lord Mark Sedwill, discusses global governance in the Covid era. He sets out the global challenges and opportunities we face in 2021 following the Covid-19 crisis in 2020; as the Biden Administration takes office, and the UK takes on the G7 presidency and hosts the COP26 climate change summit.

This lecture took place on 14 January 2021.

Additive manufacturing allows us to produce parts at a reduced size and weight. For amputees, this means we can create powered prosthetics that are both durable and a more comfortable fit. Working alongside Moog and Blatchford we set out to bring our powered prosthetics research to the commercial market. Professor Andrew Plummer discusses how this could be game-changing for the prosthetics industry.

Transcript:
"Imagine you got ill, maybe diabetes or had an accident and had to have a leg amputated. In days gone by, you could get a wooden leg, but that wasn't a great substitute particularly for above the knee amputees. Nowadays you might get a leg made from carbon fibre or light alloys, and subtly designed joints incorporating springs and shock absorbers to give a fairly natural and pleasant walking experience. They might even be computer-controlled. But you'll still be a long way from the league of a bionic man or bionic woman. Walking up slopes or stairs will still be slow and tiring because your new leg will have no muscle power. Your trailing leg really needs to push off every time it leaves the ground to propel you up and along, but building in muscle power into prosthetic legs is a formidable engineering challenge. Using existing technology, the leg ends up being too bulky, too heavy or using too much energy, not to mention the challenge of controlling the leg to automatically synchronise with your movements. I'm Andrew Plummer, Professor in the mechanical engineering department, so I lead the Power Transmission Motion Control research centre here at Bath and we have considerable experience in hydraulic actuation, this provides very high-power density by using pressurised oil, which means we can generate significant muscle power in a light and compact leg. And using additive manufacture we can further integrate these powerful hydraulic actuation components into incredibly light titanium prosthetic joints. At Bath we have been fortunate in having world-leading industrial partners. We were working with Moog and Renishaw on additive manufacture for hydraulic components and independently with Blatchford on smart powered prosthetics. Bringing the two strands of work together was, as they say, 'a no brainer'. I'm convinced this is a game-changer for future prosthetics technology."

Bath, like the rest of the UK, was dramatically impacted by the restrictions imposed by COVID-19.

The Institute for Policy Research (IPR), in cooperation with The Good Economy, launched a brief project to find out what the "on the ground" situation was for anchor institutions in Bath and how to rebuild a more sustainable and inclusive economy.

In this launch event, co-hosted by the IPR and The Good Economy, co-authors Professor James Copestake, Dr Charlie Larkin and Mark Hepworth discuss their findings, outlined in the new report 'Bath beyond 2020: Creating a resilient economy together'.

Featuring contributions from Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, Professor Ian White; Chair of RUH Bath, Alison Ryan; and Director of Partnerships and Corporate Services at BANES, David Trethewey.

This launch took place online on 14 December 2020. Read the full report: https://zenodo.org/record/4304207#.X9jY1en7Rz-

Human capital theory, or the notion that there is a direct relationship between educational investment and individual and national prosperity, has dominated public policy on education and labor for the past fifty years.

In this book launch, chaired by Professor Nick Pearce (University of Bath), and featuring contributions from Ewart Keep (University of Oxford) and Leesa Wheelahan (University of Toronto), authors Phillip Brown (Cardiff University), Hugh Lauder (University of Bath), and Sin Yi Cheung (Cardiff University) discuss their new book 'The Death of Human Capital? Its failed promise and how to renew it in an age of disruption'.

They argue that the human capital story is one of false promise: investing in learning isn’t the road to higher earnings and national prosperity. Rather than abandoning human capital theory, however, they redefine human capital in an age of smart machines.

This book launch took place online on 26 November 2020.

In this online lecture, chaired by Professor Nick Pearce, Professor of Food Policy at City, University of London, Tim Lang, discusses the challenge now facing Brexit Britain over food security. Featuring a response from Director of Policy and Strategy at the Soil Association, Joanna Lewis, and an introduction from Vice-Chancellor of the University of Bath, Professor Ian White.

This lecture took place on 21 October 2020.

In this webinar, hosted by the Institute for Policy Research (IPR), Stephen Muers discusses his new book, 'Culture and values at the heart of policymaking: An insider's guide', published by Policy Press.

Also featuring contributions from Professor Nick Pearce and Jill Rutter (UK in a Changing Europe), Stephen draws on his years of experience as a senior government policymaker, as well as global research to expose the crucial impact culture and values have on policy success and political accountability.

This webinar took place on 14 July 2020.

In this online launch event, Rita Griffiths, Fran Bennett and Jane Millar discuss findings from their new report, co-authored with Marsha Wood, 'Uncharted Territory: Universal Credit, Couples and Money'. They are joined by Nick Pearce and Chief Executive of the Child Poverty Action Group, Alison Garnham.

Access the report via: https://www.bath.ac.uk/publications/uncharted-territory-universal-credit-couples-and-money/

This event took place on 22 June 2020.

In this IPR Public Lecture, Professor Timothy Mitchell discusses how the climate emergency confronts us with the problem of growth. Can we avert a planetary catastrophe by altering the ways we consume resources, adopting a new path of “green growth”? Or is the survival of human societies incompatible with continued economic expansion, requiring the radical alternative of de-growth?

Professor Mitchell is a University of Bath Global Chair for the 2018 – 2019 academic year. His appointment has been funded by the International Relations Office’s Global Chair scheme, a flagship programme designed to attract distinguished, globally renowned scholars to engage in high-profile research activities at Bath.

This Public Lecture took place on 14 January 2020.

In this Panel Debate, Patrick Holden (Sustainable Food Trust), Joanna Lewis (Soil Association), Jo Edwards (Castle Farm Organics), Phil Stocker (National Sheep Association), and Jack Farmer (LettUs Grow) discuss how can we ensure that the way we grow, distribute and eat food provides healthy and affordable nutrition whilst restoring ecosystems and improving the livelihoods of farmers; what the future of British farming may look like; and how we can measure and value sustainability and soil, plant and animal health, whilst at the same time protecting our farmers and farming communities as well as our environment.

This Panel Debate took place on 19 November 2019, and is part of the IPR's public event series, 'The future is in our lands'.