In this episode, Richard Westcott talks to Gordon Harold, Anna Moore, and Olympia Campbell. about the growing rates of mental health issues among young people. They discuss the key determinants and the most effective ways to support young people's mental health.Our experts examine whether mental health among young people is truly worsening or if we're simply getting better at identifying it. They unpack the key factors shaping mental health today, delve into the role of the digital world, and...

To kickstart Season Four of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus) talks to Prof Alison Liebling (University of Cambridge), Prof Nicola Padfield (University of Cambridge) and Prof Arnaud Philippe (University of Bristol, former IAST fellow) about the growing prison population, the prison experience, and the most effective ways to rehabilitate ex-offenders.Our experts discuss why the prison population is growing...

In this episode, Rory Cellan-Jones discusses with Diane Coyle, Ruth Mace, and Paul Seabright the impact of age on leadership, the consequences of having older leaders for society, and the case for implementing a compulsory retirement age.Our experts discuss the tradeoff between experience, expertise, skill and judgement as society’s leaders age. They draw on evolutionary and current examples to evaluate the case for implementing a compulsory retirement age for leaders. Finally, they consider ...

In this episode, Rory Cellan-Jones discusses the enduring legacies of colonialism on global economic inequalities, the climate crisis, and the digital space with experts Dr Stephanie Diepeveen and Prof Jordanna Matlon.Experts, Dr Stephanie Diepeveen and Prof Jordanna Matlon share tangible examples and critical insights into a nuanced understanding of how colonial legacies continue to shape global power relations. They debate actionable perspectives on how policymakers can address these challe...

In this episode, Rory Cellan-Jones discusses with Dr Lauren Wilcox, Dr Felix Dwinger, and Dr Giacomo Lemoli why the world is protesting so much, how protesting has changed over time, and what impact protest movements are having on policymaking.Delving into the surge of protests across democratic and autocratic regimes, they examine why people are taking to the streets. They draw on insights from historic protests to explore the factors that contribute to the success of protest movements and p...

In this episode, Rory Cellan-Jones  (former technology correspondent for the BBC) chats with Verity Harding (Bennett Institute for Public Policy), Gina Neff  (Minderoo Centre for Technology and Democracy), and Lawrence Rothenberg  (IAST and University of Rochester), about artificial intelligence (AI) and the fine balance between innovation and regulation. Together, they explore what makes 'good' regulation and the crucial role of global collaboration in shaping the future of AI. They share...

This episode asks why are women disadvantaged in the workplace? Experts explore why women are underrepresented in certain professions. Why is the motherhood wage gap so persistent? How does flexible work impact women's careers? And what does policy need to do to reduce gender inequalities in the workplace? Podcast host, Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), discusses these issues with leading academics Emmanuelle Auriol (IAST), Nina Jörden (Bennett Institute for...

Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Matthew Agarwala, Stefan Lamp and Alessio Terzi about the trade-off between economic growth and environmental protection, the policies and legislations needed to achieve green growth, and the challenges associated with implementing such measures. This episode unpacks the possibility of green growth. Leading experts discuss the unsustainability of current growth paths, the need for a new economic model and measures of wealth, and the types of policies needed to...

Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Jean-Paul Azam, Diane Coyle and Andy Westwood about the potential of universal basic income to tackle regional inequalities, boost economic growth in ‘left behind’ and growing places, and rebuild democracy.  This episode unpacks why current policies are failing to tackle regional inequalities and how a universal basic infrastructure might boost productivity across all places. Leading experts examine the value of infrastructure in different country contexts and how...

Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Angelique Acquatella, Shan Morgan and Jennifer Dixon about the current status of digital technology adoption in healthcare services, why digital adoption is so slow,  and the opportunities for medtech, individuals and the wider economy. In this episode, experts unpack the barriers and facilitators of digital healthcare. Rory, Angelique, Shan and Jennifer explore the impact of med tech on inequalities, and offer solutions to mitigate risks of digital exclusion in...

Rory Cellan-Jones (host) talks to Ingela Alger (IAST) and Flavio Toxvaerd (University of Cambridge) about the drivers of research silos, the merits of conducting interdisciplinary research and how to overcome disciplinary divides.  This episode takes a look at why academic research is trapped in research silos. Ingela Alger and Flavio Toxvaerd engage in a thoughtful discussion with Rory Cellan-Jones, to shed light on the challenges faced in conducting interdisciplinary research. They...

In this first episode of series 3, Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Dr Anne Degrave, Prof Dennis Grube and Halima Khan about the drivers of short-termism in government, the interplay between voter preferences and policy change, and the mechanisms needed to embed longer-term decision-making. This episode unpacks why governments have been trapped in short-term thinking. Leading experts examine the impact of short-term decision-making on policy outcomes and explore the policy tools needed to instill...

Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Iza Hussin and Paul Seabright about recent trends in world religions, the interplay between politics and religion, and the economics of religion.  This episode unpacks the widespread belief that religion is in decline, and explores why this view is mistaken. Leading experts discuss the intersection between religion and politics, the rivlary within and between religons, and how wider socioeconomic trends are both impacted by and impacting religious...

Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Michael Kenny, Louis Baktash, and Mathieu Carpentier about the governance challenges in France and the United Kingdom, the impact of recent political protests, and whether devolution might be the answer to address these challenges. Leading experts reflect on recent political protests and movements - including protests over Macron's pension reforms, the gilets jaunes movement, and Brexit - and the impact these have on policy. The guests discuss how the structure of...

Leading experts, Sam Gilbert Bennett Institute), César Hidalgo (IAST) and Jeni Tennison (Bennett Institute)  talk to podcast host Rory Cellan-Jones  (former technology correspondent for the BBC) about the latest developments of emerging forms of technologies, their opportunities and harms, and what policymakers can do to mitigate the associated risks.  This episode unpacks the most recent advancements of generative artificial intelligence and the metaverse, their policy implications, and the...

Prof David Runciman and Prof Karine Van der Straeten talk to Rory Cellan-Jones about extending voting rights to school-aged children.  This episode unpacks the main objections against lowering the legal voting age, the merits of extending democratic rights to children, and how children's voices might be better represented in electoral processes. Leading experts explore how the enfranchisement of children could revitalise our democracy and inject a fresh set of perspectives.  This episode is...

Rory Cellan-Jones and leading experts Maria Kleshnina, Daniel Nettle and Amy Orben discuss the drivers of cooperation and how online and offline environments are impacting human behaviour.  This podcast unpacks the facilitators and inhibitors of cooperative behaviours to tackle wicked problems and the impact of our environment on cooperation. Our guests from the University of Cambridge, Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, and École Normale Supérieure-PSL, explore how megatrends, such as...

Rory Cellan-Jones and leading experts Sarah Dillon and Manvir Singh discuss the value of stories, the possible dangers of endorsing stories and the need for narrative evidence to inform decision-making.  This episode unpacks the value of stories to understand the past and inform current policy debates. Leading experts from the University of Cambridge and the Institute for Advanced Studies in Toulouse discuss the origin of stories, the status of storytellers, and the crucial need to listen to...

Tymofiy Mylovanov, president of the Kyiv School of Economics (KSE), and Nataliia Shapoval, head of KSE Institute, discuss how their research priorities have shifted during the war on Ukraine, how the University has operated throughout these challenging times, and why the higher education system is integral to Ukraine’s future.  This episode is hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features guest experts Tymofiy Mylovanov (Kyiv School of Economics) and...

Rory Cellan-Jones and leading experts Charlotte Cavaillé, Ailbhe McNabola and Jack Shaw discuss the causes of income and regional inequality, why policymakers should care, and what policy interventions work best to reduce them. Guests discuss recent trends in income and regional inequality, and evaluate the effectiveness of different policy approaches. They debate the opportunities and challenges of (de)centralisation, what works best to revive ‘left behind’ places, and whether the...

Rory Cellan-Jones and leading experts Gordon Harold, Laura Nurski and Zoe Purcell discuss why mental wellbeing in the workplace is essential, and what policymakers can do to promote a healthy workforce.  This episode unpacks the impact of the future of work on mental wellbeing, and its implications for policy. Leading experts discuss the major trends shaping the future of work, how job quality and AI (artificial intelligence) impact wellbeing, and whether it is the job of businesses or...

Rory Cellan-Jones talks to leading economists Diane Coyle, Jacques Crémer and Jean Tirole, about why productivity growth has slowed in spite of immense technological progress and what policy can do about it. This episode unravels the impact of digitalisation on economic growth and its implications for policy. Leading economists discuss the productivity puzzle, why regulating Big Tech is so difficult, the threats of mass surveillance, and what policymakers can do to address these...

In this episode, Rory Cellan-Jones talks to expert guests Lucy Delap (University of Cambridge) and Victor Gay (IAST) about how lessons from history can inform policymaking today. They discuss what the recession in the 1970s  can tell us about government response to the current cost-of-living crisis, and what the 1918 Spanish Flu can tell us about dealing with a pandemic. The guests explore what history adds to policy debates but is currently left out, and why explaining what happened in...

This podcast looks at the psychological quirks of humankind, what effects our bad decisions have on the society we live in, and how policy might best steer us towards better outcomes. Rory Cellan-Jones talks to Dr Bence Bago - Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, and Professor Dame Theresa Marteau – the Director of the Behaviour and Health Research Unit at the University of Cambridge and co-chair of The Lancet Chatham House Commission on improving health post...