Crossing Channels

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 deliver both economic growth and environmental protection. This episode is hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features experts Matthew Agarwala (Bennett Institute), Stefan Lamp (TSE) and Alessio Terzi (Bennett Institute). Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 3 Episode 5 transcriptFor more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit: https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Tweet us your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella ErkerVisuals by Tiffany NaylorRelevant links Terzi, A. (2022) ‘Growth for Good: Reshaping Capitalism to Save Humanity from Climate Catastrophe’ (Harvard University Press)Coyle, D., Zenghelis, D., Agarwala, M.,  Wdowin, J., Lu, S. and Felici, M. (2019) ‘Measuring wealth, delivering prosperity: The Wealth Economy Project on Natural and Social Capital, Interim Report to LetterOne’ (Bennett Institute) Agarwala, M., Cinamon Nair, Y., Cordonier Segger, M.C., Coyle, D., Felici, M., Goodair, B., Leam, R., Lu, S., Manley, A., Wdowin, J., Zenghelis, D. (2020). ‘Building Forward: Investing in a Resilient Recovery. Wealth Economy Report to LetterOne’ (Bennett Institute) Diane Coyle. ‘GDP: A Brief but Affectionate History’, March 2014, Princeton University Press, revised edition 2015More information about our host and guests:Rory Cellan-Jones was a technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism have seen him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. @ruskin147Dr Matthew Agarwala is an economist interested in measuring and delivering sustainability, wellbeing, and productivity.  He leads the Bennett Institute’s Wealth Economy project, which seeks to transform economic measurement to better reflect sustainability, inequality, and human wellbeing. @MatthewAgarwalaDr Stefan Lamp is a Research Fellow at the Toulouse School of Economics. His research focuses mainly on the ongoing energy transition from a fossil-fuel economy towards renewable energy sources. Dr Alessio Terzi is an Assistant Professor in Public Policy at the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. He is the author of Growth for Good.<

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 different levels of various departments and government could work together to deliver a universal basic infrastructure in all places. Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform Season 3 Episode 4 transcriptFor more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk and www.iast.fr Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouseWith thanks to:    Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella ErkerVisuals by Tiffany NaylorRelevant links:Townscapes: A Universal Basic Infrastructure for the UK by Coyle, D., Erker, S. and Westwood, A. Bennett Institute (2023).A Universal Basic Infrastructure in the UK by Coyle, D., Erker, S. and Westwood, A. Bennett Institute (2023). To Fight Populism, Invest in Left-Behind Communities by Coyle, D. Project Syndicate (2023).  More information about our host and guests:Rory Cellan-Jones was a technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism have seen him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. His latest book is “Ruskin Park: Sylvia, Me and the BBC”. @ruskin147Jean-Paul Azam is a professor of economics Emeritus at the Toulouse School of Economics, University of Toulouse and a member of IAST. After publishing mainly on the macroeconomics of Africa, he has focused since the mid-1990s on explaining violent conflict and its prevention, with application to foreign aid, civil war, and transnational terrorism.Diane Coyle is the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Diane co-directs the Bennett Institute where she heads research under the themes of progress and productivity. Her latest book is ‘Cogs and Monsters: What Economics Is, and What It Should Be‘ on how economics needs to change to keep pace with the twenty-first century and the digital economy. @DianeCoyle1859Andy Westwood is Professor of Government Practice at the University of Manchester and a Director of the ESRC funded Productivity Institute. He has worked as an expert adviser to the EU, OECD and IMF, as well as a specialist adviser to the Select Committees on Economic Affai

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 healthcare. Provided healthcare systems focus on long-term priorities and agenda, the speakers highlight that technologies could enhance the quality and effectiveness of care. This episode is hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features guest experts  Angelique Acquatella (TSE), Shan Morgan (Bennett Institute), Jennifer Dixon (Health Foundation). Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 3 Episode 2 transcriptFor more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella ErkerVisuals by Tiffany NaylorMore information about our host and guests:Rory Cellan-Jones was a technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism have seen him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has also written multiple books, including “Always On” (2021) and his latest “Ruskin Park: Sylvia, Me and the BBC” which was published in 2023. @ruskin147Professor Angelique Acquatella is an Assistant Professor at the Toulouse School of Economics. Her research studies the optimal design of health care policy, with two main substantive areas: public health insurance systems and pharmaceutical payment policy.  Angelique’s work falls at the intersection of health economics and public finance, combining methods from optimal tax theory with traditional cost-effectiveness analysis in health economics. . @angieacquatellaDr Jennifer Dixon CBE joined the Health Foundation as Chief Executive in October 2013. Jennifer was Chief Executive of the Nuffield Trust from 2008 to 2013. Prior to this, she was Director of Policy at The King’s Fund and policy advisor to the Chief Executive of the NHS between 1998 and 2000. Jennifer was appointed as a non-executive board member of the UK Health Security Agency in April 2022.  @JenniferTHFDame Shan Morgan Dame is Chair of the Royal Devon University Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, which employs around 16,000 staff and provides healthcare services for about 615,000 people. Shan previously worked as the Welsh Government’s Permanent Secretary, leading the Civil Service of the Welsh Government in delivering the priorities of Ministers, and had a wide range of roles in the Civil and Diplomatic Service.

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 emphasize the significant benefits that interdisciplinarity can bring and share insight into how to foster interdisciplinary research culture for improved results. Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 3 Episode 2 transcriptFor more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.With thanks to:Audio production - Steve HankeyAssociate production -  Stella ErkerVisuals - Tiffany NaylorMore information about our host and guests:Rory Cellan-Jones was a technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism have seen him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has also written multiple books, including his latest “Always On” which was published in 2021. @ruskin147Ingela Alger is a CNRS Senior Scientist (DR) in Economics, and the current Director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST) as well as the Chair of the Department in Social and Behavioral Sciences. Her research, which has been published in international peer-reviewed journals such as the American Economic Review, Econometrica, and PNAS, focuses on the evolutionary foundations of human preferences, when these are transmitted from generation to generation and are subject to selection.  @ingelaalger Flavio Toxvaerd is a Professor of Economics and Public Policy at the Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge, a Fellow of Clare College and an Affiliated Researcher with the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. He serves as UKRI Policy Fellow in Competition and Productivity Economics with the Competition and Markets Authority. His research and teaching interests are in microeconomics and game theory with applications, including industrial organisation, competition policy and economic epidemiology. @toxvaerd1If you enjoyed this podcast then check out:Crossing Channels S2E5 featuring Sarah Dillon and Manvir Singh: Why are Stories important for society. 

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 longer-term decision-making. This episode is hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features guest experts Dr Anne Degrave (IAST), Prof Dennis Grube (Bennett Institute) and Halima Khan (Bennett Institute). Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 3 Episode 1 transcriptFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella ErkerVisuals by Tiffany NaylorMore about our host and guests:Rory Cellan-Jones was a technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism have seen him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has also written multiple books, including his latest “Always On” which was published in 2021. @ruskin147Anne Degrave is a postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse. She studies comparative politics, historical political economy and state formation. Her work investigates the implications of state formation for citizens and their relations with the state and elites, using quantitative analyses of historical data. Dennis C. Grube is Professor of Politics and Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and research lead in political decision-making at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. His research explores institutional memory as an aid to better decision-making, decision-making structures in government, and expertise and the politics of evidence-based policymaking. Halima Khan is an independent adviser on public service innovation and an affiliated researcher at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy. Her interests are in approaches to public service innovation which incorporate the insights of citizens and frontline staff, and which build social capital and wellbeing. @halima_khan1

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 movements. This episode is hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features guest experts Iza Hussin (University of Cambridge) and Paul Seabright (IAST). Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 2 Episode 10 transcript For more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouseAudio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella ErkerVisuals by Tiffany NaylorMore information about our guests:Iza Hussin is Associate Professor of Asian Politics at the University of Cambridge and Mohamed Noah Fellow at Pembroke College. Her research and teaching are in the areas of comparative politics, Islam and Muslim politics, law and society and religion and politics. Her recent book, The Politics of Islamic Law: Local Elites, Colonial Authority and the Making of the Muslim State (University of Chicago Press 2016), explored the construction of Islamic law in colonial India, Malaya and Egypt. She is Editor of the Cambridge University Press series Asian Connections, and a member of the Editorial Boards of the Social Science Research Council's The Immanent Frame, and of the University of London's SOAS Indonesia and the Malay World. She holds a PhD from the University of Washington, an MA from Georgetown University and an AM and AB from Harvard University.Paul Seabright is a professor of economics at the Toulouse School of Economics and a two-year fellow at All Souls College, Oxford, from 2021 to 2023. He was Director from 2012 to 2021 of the inter-disciplinary Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse. Paul did his undergraduate and doctoral studies at the University of Oxford. Paul’s current research lies in the intersection of behavioral economics and the economics of organizations, including firms and networks. He is working on a book about the economics of religious rivalry that will be published in March 2024 by Princeton University Press.Rory Cellan-Jones is a former technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism saw him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has written multiple books, including his latest “Always On” which was published in 2021. @ruskin147

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 the UK and French government could be reformed, and whether devolution is the adequate response. This episode is hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features experts Michael Kenny (Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Cambridge), Louis Baktash (Bennett Institute for Public Policy, Cambridge), and Mathieu Carpentier (Toulouse Capitole University).Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform Season 2 Episode 9 transcript For more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.Production:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella Erker, Bennett Institute for Public PolicyVisuals by Tiffany Naylor, Institute for Advance Study in Toulouse, FranceRelevant links: Devolving English government by Michael Kenny and Jack Newman (2023).More information about our guests:Rory Cellan-Jones is a former technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism saw him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has written multiple books, including his latest “Always On” which was published in 2021. @ruskin147Michael Kenny is Professor of Public Policy, and the Inaugural Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy at the University of Cambridge where he leads the Institute’s place and public policy programme. His research includes leading projects on left-behind communities, social infrastructure and devolution, and the future of the UK constitution. His forthcoming book, Fractured Union: Politics, Sovereignty, and the Fight to Save the UK is published by Hurst (2023). @michaelkenny_Louis Baktash is pursuing a PhD in Public Policy at the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Cambridge. His research interests include French and British regional policies, left-behind areas, territorial politics and electoral geography. Louis graduated from Sciences Po Paris with a degree in Social Sciences and from Paris-Sorbonne University with a degree in History. He then completed a Master’s degree in Public Affairs from Sciences Po Paris and a Master’s degree in Management from HEC Paris.Mathieu Carpentier is Professor of Public Law at Toulouse Capitole University. He is a junior member of the Institut universitaire de France and he is the Codirector of the Institut Maurice Hauriou. He specialises in legal philosophy and in constitutional law, especially from a comparative perspective.

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 role of policymaking and legislation in this sphere. Our guests highlight the need for deliberative and participatory governance structures to facilitate the development and use of new technologies. Season 2 Episode 8 transcriptFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk and www.iast.frTweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella ErkerVisuals by Thomas DevaudMore about our guests:Rory Cellan-Jones is a former technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism saw him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has written multiple books, including his latest, Always On, which was published in 2021. @ruskin147Sam Gilbert is an entrepreneur and an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett Institute, working at the intersection of politics and technology. He is the author of the book Good Data and recent policy briefs on the Online Safety Bill, and Crypto, Web3 and the Metaverse.  @samgilbCésar Hidalgo leads the Center for Collective Learning at the Artificial and Natural Intelligence Institute (ANITI) of the University of Toulouse. He is an Associate Member at IAST, Toulouse School of Economics, an Honorary Professor at the University of Manchester, a Visiting Professor at Harvard's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, and a founder of Datawheel.  César is author of Why Information Grows (Basic Books, 2015), The Atlas of Economic Complexity (MIT Press, 2014), and How Humans Judge Machines (MIT Press, 2021). @cesifotiJeni Tennison OBE is the founder and Executive Director of Connected by data, an initiative that aims to put community at the heart of data narratives, practices and policies. Jeni is also the co-chair of the Data Governance Working Group at the Global Partnership on AI, and undertakes work as an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy and a Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow. @JeniT

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 hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features guest experts Karine Van der Straeten (IAST) and David Runciman (University of Cambridge). Season 2 Episode 7 transcriptFor more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk and iast.frTweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouseAudio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella Erker, Bennett Institute for Public PolicyVisuals by Thomas Devaud, Institute for Advanced Study in ToulouseFurther reading:David Runciman - “Why we should lower the voting age to six”About our guests:Rory Cellan-Jones is a former technology correspondent for the BBC. His 40 years in journalism saw him take a particular interest in the impact of the internet and digital technology on society and business. He has written multiple books, including his latest “Always On” which was published in 2021. @ruskin147David Runciman is Professor of Politics in the Department of Politics and International Studies, University of Cambridge. His research covers the history of modern political thought, with a particular focus on the history of democracy; theories of the state and political representation; the role of technology in democratic politics; generational and educational divides in contemporary politics. David created the Centre for the Future of Democracy as part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy where his work focuses on democracy for children and young people. He co-hosted the weekly politics podcast Talking Politics, and was made a fellow of the British Academy in 2018, and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2021.Professor Karine Van der Straeten is a senior researcher at the CNRS (the French National Center for Scientific Research), a member of the Toulouse School of Economics and of the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse. Her research, which is at the intersection of economics and political science, focuses mostly on collective decision making in democracy. Recent topics include: institutions and corruption, citizen information and the quality of public decision-making, public opinion measurement, inequality and redistribution.

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 digitalisation and inequality, impact cooperation and the policy levers needed to achieve positive societal change. This episode is hosted by Rory Cellan-Jones (former technology correspondent for the BBC), and features Maria Kleshnina (IAST), Daniel Nettle (L'École normale supérieure - PSL) and Amy Orben (University of Cambridge). Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 2 Episode 6 transcriptFor more information about the podcast and the work of the institutes, visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/Tweet us with your thoughts at @BennettInst and @IASToulouse.Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Stella ErkerVisuals by Thomas DevaudMore information about our guests:Dr Maria Kleshnina is a postdoctoral research fellow at the IAST. Her research focuses on behavioural aspects in evolutionary game theory. She is interested in the evolution of behavioural strategies and learning, especially, in the presence of inequality. Before joining IAST, she was a member of the research group of Krishnendu Chatterjee at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria and a visiting researcher in the Behavioral Economics group at the Institute for Advanced Studies in Vienna. Professor Daniel Nettle is a researcher in the Evolution and Social Cognition team at the École Normale Supérieure-PSL, Professor of Behavioural Science at Newcastle University and  a member of the scientific committee at the IAST. His research focuses on a number of different topics relating to behaviour, cognition, society and health.Dr Amy Orben is a Programme Leader Track Scientist at the MRC (Medical Research Council) Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit, University of Cambridge and a Research Fellow at Emmanuel College, University of Cambridge. She leads the Digital Mental Health programme at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit. Amy’s research uses large-scale data to examine how digital technologies affect adolescent psychological wellbeing and mental health. @OrbenAmy