The Agenda Podcast

Send a text It's virus versus vaccines... but which countries are leading the fight? If vaccine nationalism can be overcome, what other obstacles are there in the vaccine supply chain? How concerned should we be about new variants?  To discuss vaccine nationalism and the risk it could pose to global progress, we speak to  Siddhartha Datta, regional adviser for Europe at the World Health Organ...

Send a text This year, the world's space superpowers are set to launch brand new lunar missions. This week on the Agenda podcast we set our sights on space, and see what the future of space exploration might look like. First on the podcast we’re joined by Xu Yansong, the Director for International Cooperation in the China National Space Administration [01:41] He explains what China’s ambition...

Send a text With Donald Trump out of the White House, attention now shifts to how Europe and the United States continue their relationship.   But just because there's a new man in the White House, does that mean all wounds are healed, and that both sides are ready to work together to create a new world order? Or will Europe, now it's had a taste of true transatlantic independence, be rea...

Send a text The number of obese people in the world has tripled in the past 50 years – costing health services across the globe trillions of dollars.  Recent research shows people who are obese are twice as likely as those of a healthy weight to be hospitalized with COVID-19. They are also 78% more likely to end up in intensive care and 50% more likely to die from the virus. We speak to Barry Popk...

Send a text 2020 will go down as one of the most extraordinary years on record. The COVID-19 pandemic, as unexpected as it was all-encompassing, changed all our lives, perhaps forever.  On this special podcast, we'll hear the views of some of the world's top experts on what we can expect from 2021 and how the world will be dealing with the fallout from 2021.  Economy  First on the podcas...

Send a text [00:00:11] Britain has left the European Union, the transition period is over, a new deal has been done. But just what does the future hold for relations between the UK and the EU? Today on the Agenda podcast we look at the deal struck between the EU and Britain and what we can expect in the future.  To discuss this further we’re joined by Pieter Cleppe, policy analyst at Open Europe i...

Send a text This year the United Nations released a devastating report revealing how the world failed to meet a single one of the 20 Aichi biodiversity targets agreed in Japan in 2010. Some of these goals included harvesting fish sustainably, improving the conservation status of endangered species and minimizing the impact on coral reefs. This week on the Agenda Podcast we look at why these goals...

Send a text As the world's population continues to expand, and climate change bites harder across the globe, access to water has never been a bigger issue.  Today on the Agenda Podcast, we look at how access to water has become a vital issue in many countries around the world.  First on the podcast we speak to Piers Clark, the founder & Chair of Isle Utilities. Clark explains why climate ...

Send a text This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the European Union. On this episode of the Agenda Podcast with Stephen Cole, we sit down for an exclusive interview with Zhang Ming – China's Ambassador to the European Union.  Zhang gives an in-depth explanation of the level of cooperation between China and the EU when it comes to...

Send a text Today on the Agenda Podcast we talk to Frederick Forsyth, acclaimed author of espionage thrillers like The Day of the Jackal , The Odessa File and The Fourth Protocol . We ask him about how the genre has changed since he first started writing and where he sees it going in the future.  Forsyth explains how he started writing spy fiction and what he did differently compared to his peers...

Send a text As technology races ahead, the future of war is uncertain. On this episode of The Agenda Podcast with Stephen Col e, we consider what the future of war could look like. Has technology rendered boots on the ground irrelevant? What will be the new theater of war? What weapons will we be using? For the answers to these questions and more we speak to Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor o...

Send a text In this episode we’ll be looking at the future of news, including the challenges facing the industry and how the way we get our information is changing. First on the podcast we talk to David Boardman, former editor at The Seattle Times and dean of Temple University in Philadelphia. He explains how newsrooms are trying to combat fake news in increasingly fractious times. He also explain...

Send a text This week we look at how scientists have fared in the search for a COVID-19 vaccine. We speak to Helen Yang, senior director of global strategy and business development at Sinovac Biotech. She tells us how her company has been fighting the coronavirus. Yang explains why it's been difficult to trial a vaccine in China and why her company has been testing them in Brazil, Turkey and...

Send a text For many, COVID-19 will change the way we look at work forever. This week on The Agenda podcast with Stephen Cole we look at how the pandemic has changed where we work and also where we live.  First on the podcast we speak to Carlos Moreno, professor at the Sorbonne and scientific advisor to the Mayor of Paris. He is a driving force behind the concept of the 15-minute city: a city wher...

Send a text The video game sector is now the biggest entertainment industry in the world. There are an estimated two and a half billion players worldwide. And it’s not just the social impact - there’s a lot of money to be made too. In fact, the global gaming market is worth 10 times as much as the film or music industry. At the end of last year, one of the world’s most popular games, Fortnite, bro...

Send a text The latest predictions suggest that without a complete step change in our relationship with plastics, by 2050 there will be more of it in our oceans than there are fish.  First on this episode of the Agenda podcast, we talk to Costas Velis from Leeds University. Velis is one of the lead investigators on a report that shows how we can cut the amount of plastic flowing into our oceans [0...

Send a text  At a virtual summit on 14 September leaders from China and the European Union gathered online to consider the future of the relationship between China and the EU.  Xi Jinping, Angela Merkel, Ursula von der Leyen and Charles Michel had their own points to make – the Chinese president calling for commitment to peaceful coexistence and multilateralism, and the EU making it clear they wer...

Send a text International students make up a significant proportion of the intake at many of the world’s top universities, and an even more significant amount of their income. This week on the podcast we look at international university students, and how they will have to adapt to a post COVID-19 world. First on the podcast we speak to Vivienne Sterne, the director of Universities UK International...

Send a text This week on the podcast we examine what a post-COVID-19, nature-forward global economy might look like, and most importantly, what it might be worth.  First on the podcast we have Akanksha Khatri, the head of the World Economic Forum’s Nature Action Agenda. She’s one of the authors of a recent WEF report suggesting a greener approach by governments and industries. Akanksha explains wh...

Send a text This week we examine whether the world's high streets can recover from the COVID-19 lockdown. The pandemic has been a disaster for many retailers across Europe, with shops forced to shut during nationwide lockdowns and then having to spend money on implementing drastic safety measures prior to reopening their doors. With public confidence still low and unemployment rising, the ret...

Send a text The global alcoholic drinks industry has an estimated value of more than $1.4bn and is growing by two percent every year. This week, The Agenda with Stephen Cole is raising a glass to its success by looking at the latest trends with a cocktail of guests. He also considers how drinking habits may have changed since the coronavirus pandemic. First on the podcast today we are joined by Ol...

Send a text When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the multibillion-dollar performing arts industry was forced to shut down almost overnight. Theatre, concert halls and comedy clubs suddenly went dark. So what does the future hold for the sector? As some venues start to reopen, what exactly is the theatrical experience going to look like in a socially distanced world? First on the podcast we have Ignacio...

Send a text In this special edition of The Agenda podcast, Stephen Cole talks to Russia’s ambassador to the UK Andrei Kelin. In an exclusive interview, he discusses the global pandemic and relations between the U.S. and the UK.   Kelin also discusses relations between the U.S. and Russia and why he thinks that the diplomatic relationship between the two countries has started to decay [6:14]. He sa...

Send a text As the UK’s long divorce from the EU continues, food and farming remain two of the most important sticking points for negotiators on both sides. On the latest Agenda Podcast , we look at how Brexit could change attitudes to fishing and farming for Britain and for the rest of Europe.  First on the podcast, I talk to Nick von Westenholz, director of EU Exit and International Trade at Bri...

Send a text There are currently more than 30 armed conflicts across the planet. Syria and Yemen grab global headlines, while others, like those in Paraguay and Mozambique, continue unnoticed. This week on The Agenda podcast, we hear how Northern Ireland is resolving differences and how one person in South Africa achieved forgiveness.  John Alderdice played a key role in the Good Friday agreement w...