Meet the speakers Prof. Habib Naqvi MBE is the Chief Executive of the NHS Race and Health Observatory. Previously he worked at the Department of Health and Social Care, where he acted as the Policy Lead on the development of the Equality Delivery System. He also has experience in academia, having been awarded the title of Honorary Visiting Professor of Health Equity at the Queen’s Institute for Medicine, University of Bolton. Recently, he co-chaired the Advisory Board for the UCL Institute of He...
May 07, 2025•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 57
The COP 29 conference once again highlighted divergences between ‘developed’ and ‘developing’ countries with regards to states’ responsibility to limit their carbon emissions and transition away from fossil fuels. According to many poorer countries, restrictions on fossil fuel production and consumption would constrain economic and social development, a burden which they feel is unfair given that rich countries largely caused climate change. But are fossil fuels really necessary for development?...
Feb 13, 2025•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 56
This seminar demystifies the secret world of consultancy and lobbying. It is an industry which has grown hugely in recent decades, and become an inevitable part of modern policy making. But lobbyists and lobbying are frequently misunderstood. To explain what lobbyists do we have four very senior practitioners, with a wide range of experience between them. Two are consultants, and two in-house lobbyists; two work primarily in the UK, and two engage in consultancy and lobbying worldwide. They will...
Feb 05, 2025•1 hr 21 min•Ep. 55
Meet the speakers Sir Rob Behrens was the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman between 2017 and 2024. Prior to this, he held roles including Complaints Commissioner at the Bar Standards Board, Secretary to the Committee on Standards in Public Life, and Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (Office of the Independent Adjudicator) in England and Wales. Greg Clark is the Executive Chair of Warwick University’s Warwick Innovation District and a former politician. During his time as an M...
Dec 07, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 54
- Meet the speakers - Dr. James D. Boys is a Boston-based analyst focused on US political history. He was most recently a Visiting Research Scholar at the Center for Strategic Studies at Tufts University’s Fletcher School. An expert on US politics and grand strategy, he frequently shares his insights as an on-air commentator on CNN, BBC News, Sky News, Al Jazeera, CNBC, etc. Dr. Boys has appeared before the House of Commons Foreign Affairs Committee and was quoted extensively in its 2013 report ...
Nov 06, 2024•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 53
Recorded 24 October 2024. A new government has been in power in Westminster since July. In our Policy & Practice mini-series, Priorities for the new UK Government, we will explore key issues on which the government is—or ought to be—focusing its attention. In the first event in this miniseries, we discuss the Government's central focus: economic growth. - Meet the speakers- Emily Fry is a Senior Economist at the Resolution Foundation. Her research primarily covers productivity, trade, energy...
Nov 04, 2024•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 52
For our first Policy & Practice seminar of academic year 2024-2025 we were joined by ex-Ambassador Simona Leskovar . The ex-Ambassador talked about her own experience both in trying to get Slovenia elected to the UN Security Council, but also more broadly about her experience in the UK and within the UN. The talk included a discussion as to why small states matter in international security. We are delighted that Sir Mark Lyall Grant GCMG joined us to give a response. Meet the speakers ex-Amb...
Oct 24, 2024•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 51
Political Strategist, New European editor-at-large, mental health campaigner and co-host of the country’s Number 1 podcast, The Rest is Politics, Alastair Campbell came to UCL for a special opening event of the UCL Department of Political Science's Policy & Practice seminar series for 2023-24, in partnership with the UCL European Institute and UCL Policy Lab. His new book "But What Can I Do?" went straight to the top of the Sunday Times best-seller lists. In it, Campbell argues that the next...
Oct 24, 2023•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 50
Our democratic system is not working as well as it should: on this, both the public and most experts agree. But what exactly are the problems? What are the pros and cons of the potential solutions? And are such changes feasible? Drawing on recent Constitution Unit research into public attitudes to democracy, as well as his own work on electoral systems, referendums, citizens’ assemblies and other democratic institutions, Alan Renwick explores answers to each of these questions. Alan argues that ...
May 23, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 49
Debates over standards in public life have a long history. Their evolution is partly cyclical, reflecting reactions to extended periods of one party in office. But there is also long-term growth in a belief that ministers cannot be trusted to behave well and that more formal structures are needed to check their power. Of late, the view that the abuses and challenges to institutional checks have been greater under some recent prime ministers – particularly Boris Johnson – has produced what amount...
May 04, 2023•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 48
Drawing on evidence from Africa, Asia, Europe, and Latin America, it shows that certain global best practices do exist, and that effective government institutions share a common set of foundational management practices. But different institutions inside governments vary in the extent to which such practices are in place – despite sharing the same governance laws. Prof Schuster therefore advocates for a data-informed approach to introducing management good practices in government institutions one...
Apr 14, 2023•55 min•Ep. 47
The current conservative super-majority on the U.S. Supreme Court has a chance to reshape American law in a dramatic way. One such way is in the realm of administrative law, as members of this conservative majority have sought to restrain the powers of federal bureaucratic agencies, as in the 2022 case of West Virginia vs. EPA. Similar future decisions could profoundly affect federal policy implementation and law enforcement, possibly shifting powers to state and local governments. Meet The Spea...
Apr 07, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 46
This panel explores these nuances and tackle pressing questions: What are the pros and cons of China's involvement in Africa? Does China's aid and FDI pressure Western donors to adjust and improve their delivery? What are the long-term impacts of Chinese involvement and what does the future of China-Africa cooperation look like? Meet the speakers: Dr Sam Brazys (University College Dublin) Dr Huan Zou (SOAS) Chair: Dr Adam Harris Unfortunately Mr Solomzi Mhlana (1st Secretary Political, South Afr...
Mar 31, 2023•1 hr 20 min•Ep. 45
LGBTIQ+ people continue to face persecution and discrimination in virtually every region of the world. Many of them are forced to migrate or seek asylum. Our panellists will discuss the unique challenges that LGBTIQ+ migrants and asylum seekers face, in their home countries, in the course of migration, and in receiving countries. Dr Sarah Singer is Senior Lecturer in Refugee Law at the Refugee Law Initiative, School of Advanced Study, University of London. Her research interests are refugee law ...
Feb 07, 2023•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 44
Democracies are facing a drawn-out contest with authoritarian states that is entangling much of public policy with global security issues. In Global Discord , Paul Tucker lays out principles for how democracies can approach relations with China and other illiberal states without sacrificing their deepest political values or recklessly risking their safety. Combining history, economics, and political and legal philosophy, Tucker offers a new account of international relations. Rejecting intellect...
Jan 31, 2023•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 43
Tony Stower is an experienced public servant and is currently Principal, Online Safety Policy at Ofcom. Maeve Walsh is a policy and government relations consultant with expertise in digital and health policy. A former civil servant with 17 years' experience in Whitehall, she has been an Associate with Carnegie UK since 2018 and is an advocate for legislation to prevent online harms. Ruth Smeeth (Baroness Anderson of Stoke-on-Trent) is a British Labour Party politician who was the MP for Stoke-on...
Dec 22, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 42
Marc Stears is an internationally regarded academic, political strategist, speechwriter and executive educator, who specialises in creating dynamic collaborations between academic researchers and broader society. Currently the inaugural Director of the UCL Policy Lab, Marc has previously been Director of the Sydney Policy Lab at the University of Sydney, CEO of the New Economics Foundation, Professor of political theory at the University of Oxford and chief speechwriter to the UK Labour Party. H...
Dec 01, 2022•1 hr 10 min•Ep. 41
Midterms typically serve as a referendum on the president and the party in office. But in an election year that has seen a roiling economy, the overturning of abortion rights, and the resurgence of Donald Trump, conventional wisdom may not apply. How is voter mobilization different this year, and what results should we expect? How would changes to the composition of Congress affect domestic and foreign policy? In this panel discussion, three leading experts - James Boys (Tufts University), Kyle ...
Nov 23, 2022•1 hr 18 min•Ep. 40
About the speakers Ignacio Garcia Bercero participated in the Uruguay Round negotiations that led to the establishment of the World Trade Organizations. Between 2001 and 2005, he headed the unit in the European Commission responsible for WTO dispute settlement. Since 2005, he has been Director in DG trade where, among other responsibilities, he was chief negotiator for the EU-Korea Free Trade agreement, the EU-India Free Trade agreement and the negotiations of the Transatlantic Trade and Investm...
Nov 04, 2022•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 39
About the speaker Klaus Welle is the Secretary-General of the European Parliament, a position he has held since 2009. Find out more. Chaired by Robert Hazell .
Oct 16, 2022•49 min•Ep. 38
In addition to celebrating her Jubilee, thought is turning to the future of the monarchy, and what changes might be expected after she is gone. Dr Bob Morris (expert on church and state at the Constitution Unit, UCL) will talk about the next Accession and Coronation; Dr Craig Prescott (constitutional lawyer at Bangor University) will explain the need to update the Regency Acts; Dr Carolyn Harris (royal historian at the University of Toronto) will discuss previous jubilees, the role of Consorts, ...
Mar 17, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 37
In this panel discussion, three leading experts—Sarah Isgur (The Dispatch), Megan McArdle (Washington Post), and Matthew Weil (Bipartisan Policy Center)—will examine the causes of distrust in American elections and investigate its broader impact on the resilience of U.S. democracy. About the speakers: Sarah Isgur is a staff writer and host of the legal podcast Advisory Opinions for The Dispatch, a professor at George Washington's School of Media and Public Affairs and George Mason Law School, a ...
Mar 04, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 36
In this seminar we will hear from Professor John Edmunds OBE, Professor Dame Theresa Marteau, and Professor Michael Parker.
Feb 25, 2022•1 hr 11 min•Ep. 35
n this talk about his new book, Corruptible: Who Gets Power and How It Changes Us , UCL associate professor of global politics Brian Klaas draws on over 500 interviews with some of the world’s top leaders – from the noblest to the dirtiest – including presidents, war criminals, cult leaders, terrorists, psychopaths, and dictators to reveal the most surprising workings of power: how children can predict who is going to win an election based just on the faces of politicians; why narcissists make m...
Feb 22, 2022•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 34
The Profit Paradox describes how a handful of companies have reaped most of the rewards of technological advancements—acquiring rivals, securing huge profits, and creating brutally unequal outcomes for workers. The consequences are immense, from unnecessarily high prices, to fewer startups that can compete, to rising inequality and stagnating wages. Jan Eeckhout also offers concrete solutions about how to fix the problem and restore a healthy economy.
Feb 04, 2022•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 33
Tensions have been mounting rapidly since Russia massed 100,000 troops on the Ukrainian border in December. What does Putin hope to achieve? How should the West respond if the Russians do invade? Can the tensions be defused by the US-Russia talks in Geneva? Four distinguished experts join us to answer these questions: General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe, Sir Roderic Lyne, former British Ambassador to Russia, Orysia Lutsevych, Research Fellow and manager of ...
Jan 28, 2022•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 32
Speakers Dina Ionesco is Manager in the Adaptation Division at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) secretariat, focusing on human mobility and climate change. Lena Dobrowolska and Teo Ormond-Skeaping are an artist collaboration from Poland and the UK whose work focuses on climate change. They won the 2019 Coalition for Art and Sustainable Development (COAL) Prize with their project ‘ You never know, one day you too may become a refugee ’. Chair: Dr Elisa Calliari, ...
Jan 21, 2022•1 hr 13 min•Ep. 31
The Covid Inquiry is due to start work in the spring, chaired by Baroness (Heather) Hallett, a former Court of Appeal judge. It will be one of the most complex inquiries in legal history, and highly charged politically, with 150k deaths so far, and the pandemic far from over. This seminar brings together three speakers involved with previous high profile inquiries: Lord Phillips, chair of the BSE Inquiry (1998-2000); Sir Brian Leveson, chair of the Inquiry into Press Regulation (2011-12); and Ma...
Jan 14, 2022•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 30
In this seminar four senior political correspondents reflect on what journalism was like at the start of their careers; how it has changed during their lifetimes; and how that has changed the way the press reports on politics, and the way politicians respond. Trevor Kavanagh was for many years Political Editor of The Sun, Catherine MacLeod was Political Editor of the Glasgow Herald, Alice Thomson is a columnist on The Times, and Patrick Wintour is diplomatic editor for The Guardian.
Nov 26, 2021•1 hr 14 min•Ep. 29
Rory Stewart has been a diplomat, soldier, explorer, politician, and is now an academic at Yale. In 2003 he became deputy governor in two remote provinces of Iraq, recorded in his book Prince of the Marshes. In 2005 he moved to Kabul to establish an NGO, the Turquoise Mountain Foundation. From 2010 to 2019 he was an MP, becoming chair of the Defence Select Committee, and Secretary of State for International Development. In this seminar he is joined by Dr Weeda Mehran, an expert on warlords, conf...
Nov 19, 2021•1 hr 15 min•Ep. 28
