When Samia Akhter-Khan spent a year in Myanmar with older adults, she became curious to understand how loneliness operates in such social contexts where communities are tight knit. So for her PhD project, she chose to conduct research into loneliness in later life in Thailand and Myanmar. In this episode, Samia talks to her supervisor Dr Rosie Mays…

The far-right has seen its popularity grow across Europe in recent years and is expected to gain a quarter of the seats in the European Parliamentary elections this year. In this episode, Dr Georgios Samaras, Assistant Professor in Public Policy at King’s College London’s International School for Government, looks at what is behind the rise of the …

What can feminist movements worldwide learn from Argentina? A lot it seems. In this episode, Lea Happ, PhD student in the Department of Global Health & Social Medicine talks to her supervisor Dominique Béhague about her research on the feminist activist networks in Argentina. She studies how the movement to legalise abortion transformed when that g…

As the war in Ukraine enters its third year, there is also ongoing fighting in Gaza, attacks on cargo ships in the Red Sea and subsequent US and UK air strikes. This has prompted some to warn we are a moving from a post-war to a pre-war world. In this latest episode, Dr Marina Miron, a post-doctoral researcher in the Department of War Studies at Ki…

In this episode, researcher Ol Perkins explores whether land-based carbon dioxide removal schemes such as reforestation can live up to their promises and help us meet global pledges to limit climate change. Ol outlines some of the challenging implications of this approach and why experts and policymakers also need to consider the socio-cultural, en…

What strategic role has Nigeria played on issues of peace and security in West Africa? What do Nigeria's past interventions in Liberia and Sierra Leone tell us about its role in the region today? In this episode, Dr Folahanmi Aina, who recently completed his PhD from the African Leadership Centre at King's, talks to Dr Olawale Ismail, Senior Lectur…

This episode looks at how colourism affects people and their life chances, plus how research is helping to fill the gaps in our knowledge around this pervasive, but perhaps not widely known form of discrimination. Featuring Dr Aisha Phoenix, a social justice lecturer from the School of Education, Communication & Society at King’s College London, th…

How does a movement for social justice transform into a viable political party? How are the ideas of the movement reshaped in the process? In this episode, Dr Vignesh Rajahmani, who completed his PhD from the King's India Institute, speaks to Professor Christophe Jaffrelot, Professor of Indian Politics and Sociology, about his thesis on the Dravidi…

The international community imposed far-reaching sanctions on Russia following its invasion of Ukraine in a bid to weaken its economic base and curtail its ability to wage war. However, the war continues. So, what has happened? Have the sanctions not worked as hoped? And if not, why not? In this episode, Dr Alexander Kupatadaze, Senior Lecturer at …

What life skills can one learn from doing a PhD? In this episode, Dr Maísa Edwards who recently completed a joint PhD from the King’s Brazil Institute and the University of São Paulo talks about her research on Brazil’s diplomatic and defence relations in the South Atlantic region. Speaking to Dr Andreza de Souza Santos, Maísa also shares the chall…

Migration is a topic that preoccupies many countries around the world and this new episode looks at some of the current global challenges around migration including exploring what impact immigrants have on jobs and public services, whether politicians are in step with public attitudes towards migrants and refugees, plus what it is like for those tr…

Why aren't mainland Chinese films box office hits in the UK? Do Chinese people watch films produced in the UK? PhD student, Giulia D'Aquila researches an agreement between China and the UK on film production and distribution. In this episode, she reflects on how films from mainland China are received in the UK, what is considered propaganda in each…

Is technology really helping people in India to receive their welfare entitlements? Or is digitalisation affecting their agency? And how does it affect local state actors? These are some of the questions PhD student, Vanita Leah Falcao is exploring in her thesis. In this episode, she speaks with Professor Louise Tillin about her time as a policy wo…

As we recently marked a year since Russia invaded Ukraine, we are sharing an episode of The War Studies Podcast produced by our Department of War Studies looking back at what we have learned over the past year of fighting and what it might mean for the future. It features Dr Marina Miron, who uses her knowledge of Russian military strategy, informa…

This new episode looks at recent large-scale public protests in Russia, China and Iran including what has sparked them and what they tell us about the balance of power of these regimes. The episode, featuring academics from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy, looks at the effects of the protests, the response of those in power to the pub…

Master's alumna Linette Lim's focused her dissertation looked at why some Indian states far out-perform others in the Human Development Index (HDI). In this episode, she shares how she came up with this research puzzle and her journey post-master's degree. This includes her life as a foreign correspondent in China and how her experience with censor…

What can the life of sand dunes on Mars tell us about climate change on Earth? In this episode, PhD student Lucie Delobel shares her love of sand dunes and how she went from studying them on Earth to studying them on Mars. Her master's dissertation became a leading article for Nature Climate Change and is shaping the discussion on using wind patter…

This episode looks at where we are in the climate crisis, how recent events including war and economic crises have affected the priority of environmental issues and whether we still have time to make a difference. It features two academics from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King’s College London who explore whether we are at a pi…

What shapes and enables women's rights to be fully enacted in a world where sexual reproductive health is politicised? What exactly is the reproductive justice movement? And how important is it to understand our past when it comes to making informed decisions about women's bodies? In this episode, PhD student Annabel Sowemimo shares how she first g…

This podcast episode looks at the huge political consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic and how its effects are still being felt at every level around the world today. It explores how the pandemic affected the standing of global leadership organisations, as well as challenging previously held ideas about effective leaders and political systems. It a…

What can we do to protect our oceans? Are 'Marine Protected Areas' an effective method of ecosystem management? These are some of the questions that PhD Candidate, Constance Schéré, aims to answer through her research. Hear Constance discuss her research with Kate Schreckenberg, Head of King’s Department of Geography and Professor in Environment an…

This episode explores the important role of energy in the geopolitical order on our planet. It explores how China can meet its energy needs and climate commitments, the potential impact of the war in Ukraine on Russia's role as an energy superpower, plus why we are still so reliant on fossil fuels to power our daily lives. It features Dr Thomas Fro…

With the mass incarceration of women quintupling in Guatemala as a result of the 'war on drugs', Gloriana Rodriguez Alvarez, PhD candidate and human rights advocate, asks how the country's policies and institutions perpetuate social prejudices and impact marginalised communities. In this episode, Gloriana speaks with David Mwambari, Lecturer in Afr…

The invasion of Ukraine has shown how new technologies are now used alongside more traditional means of waging war. This episode, the second on the Changing Face of War, looks at how space has become an integral part of military and security operations today, how countries around the world and private individuals are expanding their activities into…

In this episode Dr Tim Stevens and Dr Kenneth Payne, both based in the School of Security Studies in the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London, explore the role of cyber operations, social media and artificial intelligence in modern warfare. They explain how our reliance on digital systems is creating new vulnerabilitie…

How does foreign policy interact with health? And how is power intertwined with health policy? In this episode, Maria Berta Ecija Salgado, PhD alumnus, discusses her research on soft and hard power in Brazil foreign affairs. This included conducting field work in Mozambique to explore the role of Brazil in establishing a factory for antiretroviral …

The latest episode of the ‘WORLD: we got this’ podcast explores how poverty affects people around the world and hears what could be done to distribute wealth more evenly. In the episode, Dr Eduardo Ortiz-Juarez, Dr Liz Fouksman and Otto Lehto, who are all part of the Faculty of Social Science and Public Policy, share research on what lies behind gl…

Last year, Sara Dahlen won King’s Biotechnology & Society Essay Contest on the theme: "In the future there will be no humans as we know them. So what?” Her essay, “Notes to No-One”, imagines a future after an ecological collapse where humanity has almost been destroyed by climate change, wildfires and endocrine disruptions. In this episode, Sara Da…

During the pandemic, how have governments’ approach to communication impacted our sense of risk? Have our governments helped us to feel safe and alert or just confused? In this episode, George Warren, a King’s PhD candidate, takes a look at different governments’ communications strategies around the risk of COVID and some of the best and worst prac…

The latest episode of the WORLD: we got this podcast explores how gender inequalities are having an impact on different societies across the globe and hears what could be done to create a more equal world. In the episode, Dr Ye Liu, Professor Cathy McIlwaine and Dr Aleida Borges, who all work in the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King…

What is the role of companies in complex crises, such as pandemics, inequality and climate change? How responsible are they for their impact on society and the environment? And what about the CEO – what is their role in the corporate response to crises? In this episode, Marc Lepere explores these questions, including whether the COVID-19 pandemic h…

This episode looks at division and polarisation in society and explores what could help create a greater sense of unity in the future. It features Professor Bobby Duffy, Paula Surridge and Dr Jack Brown who all work within the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London, talking what lies behind generational, cultural, politi…

Are women climate scientists judged for speaking out about climate change? After all, women have often, and still are, dismissed as dramatic or emotional in the public sphere. Hear from master's graduate, Lauren Armstrong as she explores her research on the topic with Dr George Adamson, Senior Lecturer in Geography. 'In Conversation' episodes of th…

This episode, released ahead of the COP26 climate summit, looks at why we aren’t doing more to tackle climate change and what society, governments and individuals can do turn current inaction into action. It features Dr Kris de Meyer, Dr James Porter and Dr Anshu Ogra from the Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy at King's College London. Host…

We speak with campaigner, activist and CEO Seyi Akiwowo about the impact of online abuse, and why taking a public health approach might be a way forward. Seyi founded and now runs the charity 'Glitch'. You can find out more by heading to https://fixtheglitch.org/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

How has the feminist movement been democratised? What differentiates the feminist strike front from the conventual labour strike? And how do we bring feminist activism into the everyday? In a special WORLD: we got this takeover, we hand the podcast over to the Gender Studies Network at King’s. Professor Jelke Bose, lead for the network, and Phoebe …

What is water diplomacy? Will Climate Change result in increased conflict over water access? And what should countries and organisations be doing to make sure the world be doing to make sure the world works together on water access? We speak to Dr Naho Mirumachi on World Water Day about Water Diplomacy. King's Water Hub - https://www.kcl.ac.uk/rese…

What is populism? Does it threaten the foundations of democracy? Does Donald Trump’s defeat represent the high point for populism globally? And what should Democrats do next? In today’s episode we discuss these questions and much more with Professor Steve Levitsky, Professor of Government at Harvard University and leading scholar on populism. Regis…

We speak to Prof Phil Hubbard about how the pandemic has altered our urban environment and why these changes may be permanent. But why cities this moment presents an opportunity to reimagine how we use our urban space, in turn helping tackle climate change and inequality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…

We discuss the need to ‘RESET’ and rethink how we manage the internet in the age of mass surveillance with Professor Ron Debit. As director of the Citizens Lab at the University of Toronto Ron and his team have been at the forefront of helping understand the internets impact on society, helping uncover human rights abuses and pull back the curtain …

We speak with Dr Ann Kelly about the need for a truly global approach to the vaccine rollout. We discuss the need to build vaccine production and development capacity, including within developing countries, helping speed up vaccination and new variant detection. We also explore why the pandemic demonstrates the need to push for healthcare provision…

We speak with Dr Gemma Knowles, the about the ground-breaking research being undertaken to understand and support young people's mental health. Speaking during children's mental health week, Dr Gemma Knowles joined the podcast to discuss the emerging challenges for young people's mental health and the recent challenges posed by COVID-19.Link to Cen…

We speak with political journalist Isabel Hardman about why her own experiences of mental health led her to write The Natural Health Service—in turn, helping to explore the benefits to our mental wellbeing of spending time in nature. Along the way, Isabel met others who had found the benefits of Nature to the health and spoke with researchers tryin…

In our first podcast of 2021, we are joined by Professor Anand Menon, Director of the UK in a Changing Europe to discuss that most complex of challenges – Brexit. We also discuss what other political and economic challenges lay in wait for the UK, why language, process and explanation are crucial to understanding complex challenges. And why the Uni…

In our end of year Christmas special, we speak to Dame Louise Casey about her time in government, taking on some of the biggest challenges, from tackling homelessness under Tony Blair to leading the troubled families programme under David Cameron. We discuss why sound policymaking is a mixture of the 'blindingly obvious' and the very complex. Furth…

We speak with Dr Alice Politi about her new paper 'Italy: a case study of the Silk Road Project in Europe'. The paper considers the recent bilateral agreement between Italy and China, examining what it can tell us about the role of Chinese foreign investment for Chinese trade and diplomacy.The paper is the first in a new Policy Series from the Lau …

We speak with Dr Rosa Heimer about her essay and research, looking at the impacts of COVID-19 on black and minoritized women facing gender-based violence. We discuss how housing, immigration and policing are currently failing to support many women escaping violence. We discuss why these issues will outlive the pandemic but also what we can do to br…

We speak with Nithya and Laurie about why the Brick industry in Cambodia has created a multigenerational workforce of adults and children trapped in debt bondage – one of the most prevalent forms of modern slavery in the world. This process of unfree labour has led them to coin the term 'blood bricks'. Working with other researchers they aim to hig…

Brazil sits at the heart of some of the worlds biggest challenges from deforestation to inequality. Its ability to overcome these issues are not only critical to its future, but to the future of the entire planet.We speak with Professor Anthony Pereira about his new book Modern Brazil: A Very Short Introduction and why to understand Brazil today we…

Bonus Episode. The podcast is taken from a live event we ran entitled 'Broken Cities: the Global Housing Crisis In Focus' in which Dr Deborah Potts and Prof Phil Hubbard spoke with Owen Hatherley, Editor at Tribune Magazine about the global housing crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.…