Public Lecture Podcast

The well-being economy framework provides a comprehensive lens to analyse the intersection of economic, social, and ecological sustainability, ensuring the well-being of people and the planet both now and for future generations.

The commercial determinants of health offer a key area where the well-being economy framework can be applied to guide decision-making. Industries such as tobacco, alcohol, gambling, and the production of highly processed foods illustrate how economic interests can conflict with long-term social and ecological sustainability. While these industries generate employment and tax revenues, they impose significant costs on public health, healthcare systems, and environmental sustainability.

The well-being economy framework allows for a more holistic assessment of these industries, encouraging policymakers to look beyond immediate economic benefits and consider the broader implications for public health and environmental well-being. By integrating commercial determinants of health into decision-making, governments can design policies that mitigate harmful industry practices while promoting economic activities that align with long-term societal well-being.

This seminar was delivered by Professor Heikki Hiilamo on 25 March 2025.

According to The Rivers Trust’s State of Our Rivers 2024 report, just 15% of England's river stretches achieved good ecological health and none are in good overall status. Failures can be attributed to multiple sources, including agriculture and rural land management activities, treated and untreated sewage discharge, and urbanisation and transport pollutants.

Mark Lloyd (CEO, The Rivers Trust) and Helen Wakeham (Director of Water, Environment Agency) discuss what needs to be done to tackle the problems and restore our waterways to health. How can we address monitoring and policy gaps, and how do we make sure that the solutions and policies put in place are fit for the future as new threats emerge? Chaired by Dame Fiona Reynolds.

This University of Bath IPR event took place on 19 March 2025.

Join Katherine Bright, Placement Officer for the Faculty of Science at the University of Bath, to discuss the common mistakes students make when applying for placement. In this episode, Katherine is joined by Jo Rouse, careers consultant for the Faculty of Science, and Shyan, a physics student who has recently returned from his own placement.

For more information on going on placement, please contact your Placement Officer or email fac-sci-placements@bath.ac.uk

Join Katherine Bright, Placement Officer for the Faculty of Science at the University of Bath, to discuss the Benefits of going on a 12 month industrial placement. In this episode, Katherine is joined by Jonny Hodgson, plus interviews with students who have returned from their placement, and several employers who regularly host our science students.

For more information on going on placement, please contact your Placement Officer or email fac-sci-placements@bath.ac.uk

Democracy is future-oriented and self-correcting: today's problems can be solved, we are told, in tomorrow's elections. But the biggest issues facing the modern world – from climate collapse and pandemics to recession and world war – each apparently bring us to the edge of the irreversible. What happens to democracy when the future seems no longer open?

Jonathan White explores how politics has long been directed by shifting visions of the future, from the birth of ideologies in the nineteenth century to Cold War secrecy and the excesses of the neoliberal age.

He is in conversation with Professor Peter Allen, University of Bath.

About the speaker: Jonathan White is Professor of Politics at the London School of Economics. Based at LSE's European Institute, he has published widely on democracy and the politics of emergency. He has written for the Guardian and New Statesman, and received the British Academy Brian Barry Prize for Excellence in Political Science. He is the author of In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea.

This IPR event took place on 5 February 2025.

In this episode we explore some of the contemporary tensions within women’s sport.

On the one hand, we are seeing the collective celebration of progress - fuelled by recent successes such as those in football not only in terms of performances, broadcast reach and viewer engagement - yet on the other hand, gender inequalities persist.

You'll hear from leading experts in women’s sport research, Dr Jessica Francombe-Webb and Dr Fiona Spotswood, for a discussion about postfeminism, media representation and some of the complexities that shape women’s sport experiences and the different levers of change. Drawing on their extensive research expertise, they unpack the some of these tensions around inspiring advances and persistent challenges.

They celebrate the progress narrative, whilst also raising critical questions that challenge some of the inequalities in sport. These include, of course, gender-based violence experienced by women who exercise and play sport; the gender gap in participation rates; and some of the challenges around leadership.

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Useful links:

- Dr Jessica Francombe-Webb: https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/jessica-francombe-webb
- Dr Fiona Spotswood: https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Fiona-Spotswood-eed34c90-5332-4fc1-a08d-65a5baf0aa74/
- The emergence of new mountain biking media practices: toward a culture of inclusive mountain biking https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/17430437.2024.2424556

Lauren Fedor, the FT’s US political correspondent and deputy bureau chief in Washington, reflects on the results and their impact on both America and the wider world. Discussing the implications of the campaigns and the results for democracy, governance and the political landscape moving forward, this event will also consider the incoming administration and the likely direction of US policies in key areas.

She is in conversation with Professor Nick Pearce, Director of the Institute for Policy Research, University of Bath.

About the speaker: Lauren Fedor is the FT's US political correspondent and deputy bureau chief in Washington, where she covers the White House, Congress and national politics, including the 2024 presidential election. Lauren joined the FT in 2016 in London, where she worked in a variety of roles, as both a reporter and an editor.

This IPR event took place on 27 November 2024.

Should architecture be used for punishment? How might the spaces we inhabit nurture or damage us? How can we begin to start over after the worst has happened?

Criminologist Yvonne Jewkes grapples with these questions every day as the world’s leading expert on rehabilitative prison design; she also faced them in her personal life when her partner of 25 years left her in the middle of a nightmare renovation project and then lockdown saw her trapped there.

Used to fighting the punitive prison system to create spaces that encourage reflection, healing, even hope for those incarcerated, she had to learn to be similarly compassionate to herself, considering what might help someone at the lowest point in their life to rebuild.

Challenging our expectations of what prisons are for, she takes us along their corridors, into cells, communal spaces, visitors’ areas, and staffrooms, to the architects’ studios where they are designed, and even into her own home, to show us the importance of an architecture of hope in the face of despair.

She is in conversation with Professor Joe Devine (University of Bath).

This Institute for Policy Research (IPR) event took place on 20 November 2024. Find out more about the IPR here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/research-institutes/institute-for-policy-research/

In this episode, Steffi and Max talk to Pro-Vice Chancellor (Student Experience), and ex-Sport and Exercise Science Lecturer, Professor Cassie Wilson; and two Health and Exercise Science graduates turned Students' Union Representatives, Abbie and David. The topic of discussion is how the University of Bath looks after its students to provide a positive experience for all.

Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath.

Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

This episode of Science on the Run welcomes Dr Jenn Maher. Our resident Floridian tells us about her work focussed on understanding the challenges of exercising in people with spinal cord injury, and her interventions designed to improve their health and fitness.

Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath.

Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

In this Special Episode, Roland Pease meets three University of Bath graduates who are making impacts in industry.

Claire Smith is Director of Buro Happold in Bath. A structural engineer, she discusses her work in the city and beyond - and in boosting the sustainability of a local landmark, Bath Abbey, by combining cutting-edge technology with the city's natural hot springs.

Meri Williams has held multiple leading management roles since completing her degree in Computer Information Systems, leading scale-ups and expansions of major names including Gov.uk, Procter & Gamble and now at financial services company Pleo, with a focus on recognising and encouraging diversity in teams.

Bharat Shah was one of the first students to graduate from the University of Bath. He has grown a pharmacy wholesale business, Sigma Pharmaceuticals, from scratch and has a unique view into pharmacists' future as part of the UK healthcare system.

Would Lionel Messi have become one of the greatest football players of all time had he been born and raised as a player in England? Or would his physical deficiencies as a youngster have blocked his pathway and favoured stronger, faster young footballers?

Science on the Run talks to our resident game-changing growth and maturation expert Professor Sean Cumming, who explains the role of growth and maturation on sports performance and how ‘biobanding’ in youth sport and can improve an athlete’s pathway to success.

Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath.

Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

In this episode of Science on Run we are joined by Dr Jean-Philippe (JP) Walhin, to explores the vital interaction of exercise and diet on health outcomes and explain where these topics feature on the Sport and Exercise and Health and Exercise Science course at Bath.

Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath.

Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Science on the Run explodes out the blocks as Director of Studies Adam Brazil talks about his applied research on sprint starts and gives us the inside scoop on the Sport and Exercise and Health and Exercise Science undergraduate courses - https://www.bath.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate-2025/sport-exercise-and-health/bsc-sport-and-exercise-science-with-professional-placement-or-study-abroad/

Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath.

Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

In this episode, we hear all about Professor Gillison’s research on motivation and behaviour change as it relates to supporting weight loss efforts and the promotion of healthy lifestyles.

Find out more about our sport, exercise and health courses: https://www.bath.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate-2025/sport-exercise-and-health/

Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath.

Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

We hear from two of our current students Megan and Zak, who give us an insight into a day in the life of a Bath student, what the courses are like for them and some top tips for applicants.

Find out more about our sport, exercise and health courses: https://www.bath.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate-2025/sport-exercise-and-health/

Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath.

Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

In this episode, Briony Smith share’s her experiences of being one of the top up and coming female coaches in women’s football. Briony recently graduated from the University of Bath with a first class degree in Sport, Management and Coaching.

Briony was selected to take part in the Powerhouse Project, an initiative focused on empowering female coaches in sport and supporting the next generation of leaders. She was one of only 10 women selected from across the country to take part in a National Coach retreat in May, with Carla Ward. This year, she won the University of Bath Coach of the Year award.

Briony also produced a first-class dissertation project ‘Breaking through the glass ceiling: unveiling barriers in women’s football coaching education’.

Briony talks about some of the opporunities and challenges she has faced as a female coach and her plans and the importance of coach education and leadership programmes to help tackle some of the existing gender inequalities in football coaching. Briony will be starting a new job in September with championship club Plymouth Argyle, coaching within their academies, centre of excellence and player pathways.

Recently, Briony was also invited to host the first women’s football podcast on the global sports podcasts. You can listen to the podcast here:

https://open.spotify.com/episode/0wFytQuEJ2GPLoTKj54e1d?si=QMV6vcg9R86IIBehALt7PQ&t=2

You can connect with Briony via LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/briony-smith-870163322/

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

During the Covid-19 Pandemic there was an accelerated growth in social media influencers focused on fitness. In this episode, Bath Graduate Holly Hall talks about her dissertation research project ‘An Exploration into how the Fitness Industry, Social Media, and COVID-19 have Influenced 18-to-22-year-old Women’s Interpretations of a ‘Healthy Lifestyle'.

In this episode, we talk about this trend and the content created around 'fitspiration', diet trends and body ideas. Through her research, Holly revealed some of the negative impacts this had on young women, particularly in terms of their relationships with exercise and their bodies.

Holly recently graduated from the University of Bath with a first class degree in Sport Management and Coaching. Holly was also the recipient of the Department for Health undergraduate student prize for dissertation excellence.

You can connect with Holly on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/holly-hall-548639206/

Find out more about studying BSc (Hons) Sport Management and Coaching degree here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate-2025/sport-exercise-and-health/bsc-sport-management-and-coaching-with-professional-placement/

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Described as the ‘always connected’ generation, generation Z or GenZ are driving demand for increased expansion and more immersive and engaging ways to consume sport. With sports organsations adapting ‘traditional’ sports to stay relevant, what might this mean for the future of sport consumption? These questions were the focus of a recent study by University of Bath student Oliver Snoddy.

In this episode, Professor Emma Rich talks with Olly about his research study and what it might mean for making sport relevant to the ‘always connected generation’.

Oliver recently graduated with a BSc Sport Management and Coaching degree from the University of Bath. He was awarded the Department for Health undergraduate student prize for innovation in his final year research project titled ‘innovating to engage and expand, a critical analysis of the Major League Baseball home run derby x’ which focuses on generation Z and emerging sports formats.

You can contact Oliver via: oliversnoddy@yahoo.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/osnoddy/

You can find out more about studying on the BSc Sport Management and Coaching degree here: https://www.bath.ac.uk/courses/undergraduate-2024/sport-exercise-and-health/bsc-sport-management-and-coaching/

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

In this episode, hear from leading experts in the area of Sport for Development about leveraging sport for positive social outcomes.

Professor Emma Rich talks with Professor Andrew Parker and Dr Haydn Morgan from the SPHERE research centre, University of Bath.

Professor Andrew Parker is, a SPHERE honorary and a highly regarded freelance leadership development consultant. He has worked at a number of UK universities and is internationally recognised for his work on sport development and marginalised youth.

Dr Hadyn Morgan is a senior lecturer, in the Department for Health and a member of the SPHERE research team at the University of Bath. Haydn’s research explores the connection between participation in sport and enhancement of social inclusion within marginalised populations. He has presented evidence at the All-Party Parliamentary group on Sport and Physical Activity in the Criminal Justice Systems and contributed to a ministerial Taskforce in this area.

Haydn and Andrew have been collaborating for a number of years and co-authored the book ‘Sport Physical Activity and Criminal justice: Politics policy and practice’ https://www.routledge.com/Sport-Physical-Activity-and-Criminal-Justice-Politics-Policy-and-Practice/Morgan-Parker/p/book/9781032075846

We talk about sport and the criminal justice system, their latest research on comic relief’s sport for change strategy, and how grassroots sport can be used to help young people develop a sense of belonging.

For more information about their Comic Relief Sport for Change research project, the three summaries are now available, as is the full report (see links below).

- Findings for sport for development organisations: https://downloads.ctfassets.net/zsfivwzfgl3t/60kUqgvFckZuvYEWGP2dcq/1e8e4fdbdeff1bb3ade7dbd86a69a504/Sport_for_Change_Practitioners.pdf

- Findings for funders: https://downloads.ctfassets.net/zsfivwzfgl3t/3lKe8uDMzqjDsCNJed9TH8/98771ab325e957b191169571de0f83df/Sport_for_Change_Funders.pdf

- Findings for Comic Relief existing and interested partners: https://downloads.ctfassets.net/zsfivwzfgl3t/AZ4cV7eUFHY6Tlb972CkL/15a73799ed445cb59592c8af92d8be2a/Sport_For_Change_Partners.pdf

- Full report: https://assets.ctfassets.net/zsfivwzfgl3t/2QiFggkb9sqxC2bLpZcgIL/d3ba5d9f704a2b1792cb8eb5f321c54a/Sport_for_Change_Report.pdf

Dr Hadyn Morgan:
https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/haydn-morgan
https://www.linkedin.com/in/haydn-morgan-0b762139/?originalSubdomain=uk
X @HaydnMorgan2

Professor Andrew Parker:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-parker-44880140/?originalSubdomain=uk

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

One of the questions at the heart of this podcast is how do we make sport a better experience for all? Can we imagine a world where no one is excluded from sport because of sexism, misogyny, racism, classism or ableism? These questions of sporting values and equality are driving the work of Dr Sheree Bekker and Professor Stephen Mumford. They are co-directors of an exciting new initiative called the feminist sport lab - a gender inclusive space for the application of feminist principles to sport which ‘imagines a sports world divided not into Sport and Women’s Sport, but rather a landscape where Feminist Sport reigns’.

In this episode, Sheree and Stephen talk about the feminist lab and their new book ‘Open play: the case for feminist sport’ – In that book, they advocate for a feminist perspective on sport, challenging conventional wisdom on the inferiority of women’s athleticism.

You can read more about the Feminist Sport Lab here: https://www.feministsportlab.com

Dr Sheree Bekker: https://shereebekker.me; https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/sheree-bekker

Professor Stephen Mumford: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/stephen-mumford/; https://stephenmumfordblog.wordpress.com

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

To a host of observers, reducing economic inequality should not just be a goal but a top priority, because inequality has harmful consequences for a range of other things we care about, including living standards, democracy, equality of opportunity, health and happiness.

But is there a compelling case for significantly reducing economic inequality?

At this IPR event, Professor Lane Kenworthy, who has examined the experience of the rich democratic nations in the era of high and rising income inequality, from 1979 to 2019, shares his latest research.

He has found that the evidence that inequality has had damaging effects is underwhelming. Reducing income inequality, he says, isn't likely to significantly boost living standards for the poor or the middle class. It probably won't do much to equalise political influence. It's unlikely to help much with equalisation of economic opportunity and it probably won't make much difference for our health. And it's doubtful that it will facilitate a rise in happiness.

Instead, we're likely to make more progress in these areas by addressing them directly, rather than by pursuing them indirectly via a reduction in income inequality or wealth inequality. Reducing economic inequality should be a secondary goal, not a principal aim.

This IPR lecture took place on 16 May 2024.

In 2019, the UK became the first major economy in the world to sign its commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 into law.

Mission Zero, commissioned in September 2022 and published in November 2023, was a landmark independent report into the delivery of the UK’s net zero commitment. Chaired by Chris Skidmore, the UK’s former Energy Minister who was responsible for signing net zero into law, the review asked how the UK could better meet its net zero commitments, and how it might deliver targets in a way that works for all. Its conclusions set out a new economic narrative for climate policy, demonstrating the financial opportunity that net zero can deliver.

In this IPR event, the panellists discuss the UK's transition to net zero. What challenges and opportunities will the UK face? How can we deliver net zero while also creating new jobs, industries and investment? How do we ensure that as we reduce our emissions, the transition is fair and creates a better future for everyone?

With Alix Dietzel (University of Bristol), Joss Garman (European Climate Foundation) and Chris Skidmore. Chaired by Lorraine Whitmarsh (University of Bath).

This panel discussion took place on 15 May 2024.

In this episode, Professor Emma Rich talks with Professor Holly Thorpe (University of Waikato, New Zealand) an award-winning sociologist of sport, physical culture and gender.

We discuss her work on gender and some of the contemporary opportunities and challenges in digital, physical and sporting cultures.

You can read more about Holly's work here: profiles.waikato.ac.nz/holly.thorpe

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

In this episode, we talk with Dr Jack Black from Sheffield Hallam University.

We begin with an exploration of what Psychoanalysis might offer Sport. We then discuss Jack’s recent research on tackling online hate in football.

Dr Jack Black, an Associate Professor of Culture, Media, and Sport at Sheffield Hallam University. We discuss Jack’s latest book 'The Psychosis of Race: A Lacanian Approach to Racism and Racialization' (Routledge, 2023) and explore what psychoanalysis might offer sport. We also discuss his UKRI/AHRC funded project, 'Tackling Online Hate in Football', which analyses examples of online hate across digital media platforms.

You can find out more about Jack’s work here: https://www.shu.ac.uk/about-us/our-people/staff-profiles/jack-black

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Athletes, fans, sports organisations are frequently the focus of global media for what might be described as transgressions or controversies which emerge as ‘scandals’.

In this episode, we talk with Professor David Rowe about his work on media and sport scandals, exploring issues such as the amplification of issues, racism and the recent case of Sam Kerr and the challenges that confront us as we move further into AI.

You can read more about Professor Rowe's work here: https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/ics/people/emeritus_professors/david_rowe

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

In this episode Professor Emma Rich talks with SPHERE doctoral researcher Zoe Jeffery about how we make Physical Education and Sport more inclusive for girls. Just recently in the UK, the Women and Equalities Committee published a report suggesting ‘Existing programmes and interventions from the Government and other bodies, while welcome, do not yet go far enough in addressing these barriers and are yet to reverse alarming downward trends in girls’ enjoyment of PE’.

In this episode, Zoe shares some of the insights from her doctoral research study which has explored the experiences of adolescent girls in PE. Adopting a novel perspective, she focuses on how the material elements of PE such as PE kit and equipment, holding the capacity to affect and shape girls bodies.

Working with these girls in a series of design workshops, she provided them with virtual reality technology through which they could ‘reimagine’ and ‘redesign’ PE. In the episode, she also talks about a new app she is launching to to help make PE more engaging, ‘Vibestride’.

- Find out more about Zoe's work: https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/persons/zoe-jeffery
- Connect with Zoe on LInkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoe-jeffery-962063b7/?originalSubdomain=uk

The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Economic growth in the UK has been sluggish ever since the global financial crisis. More recent large-scale disruptions caused by Brexit and Covid-19 have created additional challenges to growth and the vital public services, institutions, and fiscal measures that underpin it. Productivity and public investment remain low. Meanwhile, stalling wage growth and the cost-of-living crisis continue to eat into households’ disposable income, discouraging spending while also deepening economic inequalities. What policies might underpin a new vision for prosperity – one that focuses not purely on growth but also ensures that economic gains are widely shared and environmentally sustainable?

This IPR panel discussion featured Torsten Bell, Professor Dame Diane Coyle and Dr Anna Valero.

It took place on 25 April 2024.

Hosted with Resolution Foundation.

This event marked the launch of the new Institute for Policy Research report: "Coping and hoping: Navigating the ups and downs of monthly assessment in universal credit".

The report, written by Dr Rita Griffiths and Dr Marsha Wood, explores how the system of monthly assessment in Universal Credit – used for assessing entitlement, recovering debts and calculating payment – is affecting income security and financial well-being in working households. The research, funded by abrdn Financial Fairness Trust, tracked changes in earnings and household income, in real time, between 2022 and 2023 tracked changes in earnings and household income, in real time, between 2022 and 2023, among 61 Universal Credit claimants in 42 working households with one or two earners in paid work or self-employment.

The specific research questions the study sought to answer were:

- How stable or volatile are monthly household incomes and what are the key drivers?
- To what extent does Universal Credit dampen or accentuate income insecurity and help with household budgeting?
- Is the adjustment to the Universal Credit payment in response to changes in earnings timely and smooth?
- Is household income sufficient to generate a buffer and cover reductions in the Universal Credit payment when earnings rise?
- What budgeting strategies do participants use to manage fluctuating payments and variations in household income?
- To what extent does monthly assessment incentivise employment, longer working hours and higher earnings?
- What conclusions and policy implications can be drawn from the findings and what policy recommendations can be made?

The event included a presentation from the report authors, Dr Rita Griffiths and Dr Marsha Wood, and audience questions. It took place on 16 April 2024.

Science and politics have collaborated throughout human history, and science is repeatedly invoked today in political debates, from pandemic management to climate change. But the relationship between the two is muddled and muddied.

In this IPR lecture, leading policy analyst Geoff Mulgan calls attention to the growing frictions caused by the expanding authority of science, which sometimes helps politics but often challenges it. He dissects the complex history of states’ use of science for conquest, glory and economic growth and shows the challenges of governing risk – from nuclear weapons to genetic modification, artificial intelligence to synthetic biology. He shows why the governance of science has become one of the biggest challenges of the twenty-first century, ever more prominent in daily politics and policy.

This IPR event took place on 26 March 2024.

Devolution to nations, regions and cities has been a feature of British politics since 1997 - to the nations of the UK, Greater London and more recently to other English counties and city regions. It has led in some cases to significant change and the rise of powerful national institutions and city leaders, but it has also been a messy, incomplete process that has produced inequalities of power between different parts of the UK.

Not all areas have seen substantive devolution, devolved authorities have different powers, considerable power is still hoarded in the central UK state, and the consequences of devolution for the constitution of the UK, and relations between its constituent nations, remain fraught and contested. Some argue that England should be formally recognised as a partner nation in the UK; others that devolution has gone too far. How has devolution worked in practice? What should the next government do? What can places ask for? Can we move from an overly centralised state to one where true power rests with elected representatives and local communities? Should we consider a federal future for the UK?

In this IPR panel discussion, Zoë Billingham (IPPR North), joins Michael Kenny (Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Cambridge), Marvin Rees, Mayor of Bristol, and Hannah White (Institute for Government). Hosted by Nick Pearce, Director of the Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Professor of Public Policy.

This discussion took place on 27 February 2024 and was hosted with Bristol Ideas.

Britain is facing a teacher retention and recruitment crisis which has the potential to severely impact schools' ability to provide quality education to all students. The latest workforce survey by the Department for Education (DfE) indicates that record numbers of teachers working in state schools – about one in ten – left the profession for reasons other than retirement in 2021-22. In a recent survey conducted as part of Education Support’s Commission on Teacher Retention, more than one in five secondary teachers expected to leave the profession within five years’ time. Meanwhile, new national data on the teacher labour market shows that across the vast majority of secondary subjects, recruitment targets are not being met, suggesting that teacher shortages are likely to intensify in the future.

In this IPR event, Professor Simon Burgess, Evelyn Forde MBE and Jack Worth discuss the factors influencing teacher retention and recruitment – such as excessive workload, insufficient pay, lack of career development opportunities, and challenging working environments – as well as the policy interventions that could improve the attractiveness of teaching as a profession. Hosted by Matt Dickson.

This IPR event took place on 22 February 2024.

Over the last 12 months, we’ve witnessed an explosion of discussion and debate on artificial intelligence among UK Members of Parliament. But what do they think about AI, and what are their concerns?

James Boyd-Wallis from the Appraise Network, an AI policy forum, explains the findings of its survey of how MPs feel about AI. The research reveals to what extent MPs feel regulators have the necessary skills and expertise to regulate AI, how optimistic and pessimistic MPs are toward the technology, and their concerns about jobs, society, and the speed of development.

This IPR event took place on 24 January 2024.

In Episode Six of the University of Bath’s Research with Impact podcast, Roland Pease visits the Centre for Pain Research to find out how its academics are helping people who suffer from pain.

How big an issue is it? Is it a subjective problem - and how to we quantify pain? How can we help minimise or alleviate pain? And how do we research pain in young people?

Joining Roland are Professor Christopher Eccleston, Dr Emma Fisher and Professor Ed Keogh.

This episode was recorded in October 2023.

In Episode Five of the University of Bath’s Research with Impact podcast, Roland visits two researchers at the forefront of debates surrounding AI development and regulation.

First up, it's Nello Cristianini, Professor of Artificial Intelligence from Bath's Department of Computer Science. With a focus on machine learning, data science, computational social science, philosophy of AI and regulation of AI, Nello's book "The Shortcut: Why Intelligent Machines Do Not Think Like Us", considers how AI is embedded across our technologies, infrastructure and all our lives and asks whether we should be concerned and what should we do.

Roland also heads to our Department of Social & Policy Sciences to talk to Professor Emma Carmel. Emma is Professor of Governance and Public Policy with a particular focus on how public policies, and public and private organisations interact to shape society. Emma's work has analysed social and labour market policies, migration, and most recently, AI technologies.

She is interested in how AI systems are used by governments, and how this is changing the relationship between state, society, citizens and technologies. She also works on the public policy challenges that the adoption of AI presents in different settings and how it can be regulated.

Among other work, Emma is co-editor of a major new international handbook on AI and Public Policy, is launching a book series on Governance, Technology and Society (Edward Elgar) in 2024.

This episode was recorded in October 2023.

In Episode Four of the University of Bath’s Research with Impact podcast, Roland Pease heads to the roof of the Chancellors' Building to discuss the future of solar energy with experts leading the way at the University of Bath.

In this episode he meets:

Professor Alison Walker from Bath's Department of Physics. Alison’s research concerns multiscale modelling of perovskite solar cells and organic devices such as displays. In 2019, she chaired the Solar Commission whose aim was to show how UK innovation and industrial capabilities could be harnessed to allow the UK to be a global player in solar in the years ahead. The report was launched in the House of Lords. She directs the 7 university Centre for Doctoral Training in New and sustainable photovoltaics, CDT-PV. Locally, students funded by the CDT-PV worked with Bath Abbey to explore how could be installed on historic buildings to reduce emissions.

Professor Petra Cameron from Bath's Department of Chemistry. Her group researches energy materials and makes perovskite solar cells. She focuses on understanding ion motion in perovskites (perovskites are mixed electronic-ionic conductors), making perovskite solar cells with carbon coatings for water splitting to make solar fuels. This is about making perovskites more stable to help scale up their production. Her work has helped to position the University as somewhere of real solar energy expertise and has also helped to put the UK to the forefront of perovskite development.

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 IPR lecture, Financial Times public policy editor Peter Foster discusses his book "What Went Wrong With Brexit: And What We Can Do About It".

Six years after Brexit, Peter Foster argues that it’s time that we stop having the same conversations over and over again. We need to move on, because in the meantime so much has changed. The economic realities that are making the UK less competitive, less productive and less well-off are ever more obvious - and more and more people are finding out the Brexit they were sold was based on falsehoods and fantasy.

So what exactly went wrong with Brexit?

Peter Foster's book dispels the myths and, most importantly, shows what a better future for Britain after Brexit might look like. With clear-headed practicality, he considers the real costs of leaving the EU, how we can recover international trust in the UK, how to improve cooperation and trade with our neighbours, and how to begin to build the Global Britain that Brexit promised but failed to deliver.

This IPR lecture took place on 9 November 2023.

Revd Canon Nigel Rawlinson, University Chaplain, is joined by Visiting Local Faith Leaders: Dr Mohammed Gamal Abdelnour (Islam), Mother Sarah (Orthodox) and Iris Segall (Jewish). Together they reaffirm the importance of building and protecting safe spaces founded on mutual respect, and discuss what is common between the faiths and strategies to support nonviolence and peace. This podcast was recorded in front of an invited audience.

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.