UCL Minds

Welcome back to UCL’s Generation One podcast! To kick us off co-hosts Prof Mark Maslin and Dr Simon Chin-Yee are chatting about COP28, set to be held in the United Arab Emirates. In this episode Mark and Simon are looking back at what went wrong at COP27 in Sharm El Sheikh, and what needs to happen at COP28 to keep us track to combat the climate crisis.  For more information and to access the tran...

About the Lecture: This lecture is about the author's practical introduction to critical realism, which won the International Association of Critical Realism annual book prize. The book is based on an annual course conducted at IOE since 2007. The book is a clear time-saving introduction for postgraduate students, researchers, supervisors and lecturers. After decades of conducting sociological res...

Medical Imaging is the term given to the way in which we can image the body. Think X-rays, big MRI machines, or ultrasounds. Charlotte Maughan Jones and Liam Collins-Jones (no relation!) are working to see inside the body in different ways. They're using medical imaging to scan the body for tendon damage, as is the case with Charlotte, and autism, as is the case with Liam. You might be wondering h...

This week we’re focusing on a new book about IMF lending. The IMF – the International Monetary Fund – exists, among other things, to provide policy advice and financial support to governments facing economic difficulties. But are its programmes effective? EPISODE NOTES The book that we’re discussing in this episode suggests that IMF funding becomes a resource held by local leaders, which those lea...

In this episode associate Professor Kate Bright walks Roberta Livingston through the Slade School's admission process. For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/case-studies/2023/nov/podcast-slade-admissions-special Date of episode recording: 2023-10-11 Duration: 00:05:41 Language of episode: English Presenter: Roberta Livingston Guests: Kate Bright Producer:...

In this episode UCL East Schools Engagement Assistant Roberta Livingston hosts an Admissions special with notes and guidance provided by the UCL Admissions Team. For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/culture-online/case-studies/2023/nov/ask-expert-admissions-special Date of episode recording: 2023-11-03 Duration: 00:05:32 Language of episode: English Presenter: R...

Lymphedema is a debilitating, incurable condition which causes excessive swelling in the limbs, and disproportionately affects cancer patients. In this episode, we chat to Katherine about the device she's working on to make the lives of those with lymphedema better. She also talks to us about her experience of being a British Asian woman and how she stumbled on (as you do) becoming an engineer. Fo...

Peter Snow is a lecturer working in rehabilitation engineering using virtual reality and robotics. He develops systems to help people with phantom limb pain and other conditions. He is also using gaming software to create training tools for surgeons, allowing them to practice complicated procedures in a safe environment. For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/heal...

The Bartlett Review Podcast: What next for HS2? In this podcast, we'll be talking about the future of the High Speed Two rail project for the UK. Following the government's recent decision to abandon the original plans for the project. Experts from The Bartlett, Professors Priti Parikh, Tim Broyd and John Kelsey, will examine what went wrong with the project - including why costs were underestimat...

Mehiyar Kathem talks to Father Rami Simoun - representative of the Dominican Covenant and Latin Church in Iraq speaks about the Christian community in the country today. Date of episode recording: 2019-12-01 Duration: 32:30 Language of episode: English Presenter:Mehiyar Kathem Guests: Father Rami Simoun Producer: Mehiyar Kathem

Mehiyar Kathem talks to one of the world's foremost archaeologists, Professor Graeme Barker. Professor Barker, Senior Fellow of the McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research, speaks here about his recent work in the Shanidar Cave in the province of Erbil. Date of episode recording: 2019-05-06 Duration: 45:15 Language of episode: English Presenter:Mehiyar Kathem Guests: Graeme Barker Producer:...

Mehiyar interviews Co-Investigator Dr Rohzen Kamal Mohammed-Amin on the Nahrein Network funded project 'A Cultural Heritage Network for the Kurdistan Region: Challenges and Opportunities' Date of episode recording: 2019-01-28 Duration: 31:24 Language of episode: English Presenter:Mehiyar Kathem Guests: Rozhen Mohammed-Amin Producer: Mehiyar Kathem

In this episode, Mat Disney a Professor of Remote Sensing in the Geography department at UCL responds to the question 'Is the earth flat, or a circle?' Date of episode recording: 2023-09-15 Duration: 00:07:04 Language of episode: English Presenter:Roberta Livingston Guests: Mat Disney Producer: Roberta Livingston

In this mini-episode Dr Shoba Poduval a GP at the Institute of Epidemiology & Healthcare responds to the question 'Can oxytocin help us bond with everything?' Date of episode recording: 2023-09-28 Duration: 00:08:51 Language of episode: English Presenter:Roberta Livingston Guests: Dr. Shoba Poduval Producer: Roberta Livingston

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we explore the role of military technology in modern warfare. EPISODE NOTES Despite Putin’s expectation of a swift victory, over one year on from his full-scale invasion of Ukraine, that country’s defenders are still fighting – and, indeed fighting back. One important area in which Ukraine has managed to stay ahead of Russia is in military technology. A new report from th...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we ask: Is the link between LGBTQ rights and democracy as strong as is often thought? EPISODE NOTES A special episode coinciding with this week’s International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia. It’s easy to assume that LGBTQ rights are more likely to advance in democracies than in non-democracies. Democracies are generally more open to diversity, and the c...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we ask: What is going wrong with our democracy, and how we might fix it? EPISODE NOTES In this episode we’re discussing elections, referenda, and how to fix our democracy, with none other than our long-time podcast host, Alan Renwick. In his inaugural lecture, Alan described democracy as rule for, and by, all, and suggested that the UK’s democratic system is falling short...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we ask "what have been the legacies of conflict in Northern Ireland?" EPISODE NOTES In 1998, after three decades of conflict, lasting peace was achieved in Northern Ireland through an accord variously known as the Good Friday Agreement or the Belfast Agreement. The 25th anniversary of that Agreement comes next month. Though there are problems – the institutions of power-s...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we ask: What does the process of Brexit tell us about the role of the UK’s parliament and whether it needs reform? EPISODE NOTES The last seven years in British politics have been tempestuous. The turmoil has had multiple causes: Covid, Putin’s attack on Ukraine, and Trussonomics among them. But the politics of much of the period has been dominated by Brexit: by a referen...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we ask: Can struggling democracies learn anything useful from well performing dictatorships? EPISODE NOTES This week we welcome a special guest who has direct experience at the sharp end of politics. Charles Dunst is a former foreign correspondent who has reported from many countries around the world, who is now deputy director of research & analytics at The Asia Group –...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we ask: Do higher welfare benefits lead to higher immigration? EPISODE NOTES Immigration is back near the top of the political agenda, here in the UK and elsewhere. The UK government’s so-called ‘Stop the Boats Bill’, which targets those who cross the Channel in search of asylum, is one rather extreme manifestation of the idea that you can stop unwanted migration by makin...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we’re discussing life, politics, and the power of ‘ordinary hope’ with Professor Marc Stears, the inaugural director of the UCL Policy Lab. EPISODE NOTES This week, we have a slightly different kind of episode to normal. Rather than discussing an academic publication, we’ll be looking at the ideas and career of Professor Marc Stears. Marc is currently the inaugural direct...

EPISODE SUMMARY This week we’re looking at the European Court of Human Rights. What is it? Does it provide adequate justice to victims? And what should we make of the ongoing debates in the UK about its role? EPISODE NOTES If you managed to catch our episode last week, you’ll know that we were talking about the European Court of Justice. This week we are looking at another international court – th...

How do you chase your dreams while supporting others? Amelia, a devoted UCL student, offers a unique perspective on balancing academic demands and being a steadfast anchor for her family, and long commutes and social life at uni. We invite you to dive into the rarely shared stories of a student who pursues her educational aspirations against all odds. Tune in. Your access is now granted. For more...

About the lecture We hear so much about human-caused climate change threatening our lives. Often, any disaster including conflict is linked to climate change. Without doubt, we are changing the world's climate quickly and substantively. Many disasters, though, are much more a result of other human decisions about where people live, or are forced to live, and the options they have, or do not have,...