Crossing Channels

In this first episode of series five, our Crossing Channels podcast host Richard Westcott welcomes three affiliated experts to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming higher education.Jonathan Grant (Bennett School of Public Policy), and Jean-François Bonnefon and François Poinas (Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) & the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST)) share their different perspectives rooted in public policy, psychology, and economics.They examine how AI is reshaping the way universities teach, conduct research, and connect with government, business, and civil society. They look into how generative tools are changing learning and assessment, how students and academics can build trust in AI systems, and what the rise of these technologies means for the skills and values that universities aim to foster.Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 5 Episode 1 transcriptTo find out more about the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites: https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin and BlueskyWith thanks to:Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde Selvi, Bennett School of Public PolicyVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline Alves, IAST, TSEMore information about our host and guests:Podcast hostRichard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and is now the Communications Director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city.Podcast guestsJean-François Bonnefon, is Director of the Social and Behavioural Sciences Department at Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) and the Institute of Advanced Studies in Toulouse (IAST). Jean-François is a CNRS research director, affiliated with TSE and IAST, and a cognitive psychologist whose work spans computer science, psychology, and economics. He is renowned for his expertise in moral preferences and decision-making, and is particularly recognised for his contributions to the ethics of advanced artificial intelligence, especially in autonomous driving. Jonathan Grant is an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett School of Public Policy, and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).  In his work for KAUST, he leads efforts to enhance the institution's global and national impact through transformative academic programming and strategic partnerships. An expert in health R&D policy, research impact, and the evolving role of universities, Jonathan has worked across Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Australia. François Poinas is Assistant Professor and Dean of Education at Toulouse School of Economics since October 2023. After completing his PhD in Economics at University Lumière Lyon 2, he joined TSE and University Toulouse Capitole in 2010. His research is about applied microeconomics, focusing on labor and education economics. He produces scientific articles on schooling, the dynamics of intra-firm promotions, and migration decisions.

In this final episode of season 4, Richard Westcott is joined by Catherine Barnard (University of Cambridge) and Emmanuelle Auriol (Toulouse School of Economics) to explore the economic, legal, and social dimensions of migration.Drawing on insights from law and economics, the conversation explores how migration affects labour markets, legal protections, and social cohesion — from post-Brexit realities in Great Yarmouth, UK, to global questions of fairness and opportunity. The episode examines who migrates and why, the limits of current border regimes, and what more effective and ethical migration policies could look like.Season 4 Episode 10 transcript: https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/S04E10-Final-transcript.pdfListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform: https://pod.fo/e/309b75For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests:Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. In 2024, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottEmmanuelle Auriol is a French economist and professor at Toulouse School of Economics. Her research combines theory and empirics in industrial organisation and development economics, focusing on market failures driven by rent-seeking, cognitive biases, and discriminatory norms. Her work blends neoclassical and behavioural economics and has been published in top journals. A CNRS Bronze Medalist and member of the Institut Universitaire de France, she is also a fellow of the EEA, CEPR, CESifo, and EUDN. She contributes to policy and development work with institutions like the French Development Agency and the World Bank. She serves on the Conseil d'Analyse Économique, is a member of the Cercle des Économistes, and has authored two award-winning books.Catherine Barnard FBA, FLSW, FRSA is Professor of European Law at the University of Cambridge.  She is the author of EU Employment Law (Oxford, OUP, 2012, 5th ed.), The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms, (Oxford, OUP, 2025, 8th ed), and (with Peers ed), European Union Law (Oxford, OUP, 2023, 4th ed). She is a member of the European Commission funded European Labour Law Network (ELLN). She is a Senior Fellow of the UK in a Changing Europe where she considers the legal issues around migration, together with the legal and constitutional issues associated with Brexit, in particular the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.  She has appeared on the main media channels  - BBC, ITV and Sky  - as well as some of the more specialist programmes such as Law in Action, Woman's Hour, Question Ti

In this episode, Richard Westcott is joined by Wendy Ayres-Bennett and Benjamin Pitt to explore a big, everyday question: what is the value of speaking other languages? The conversation looks at how the languages we speak shape our sense of identity, influence how we think and reason, and affect how we relate to others. We explore how multilingualism can foster social cohesion, support cognitive flexibility, and even boost economic opportunities.Our guests discuss why language is never just a tool for communication and why recognising its deeper value matters for how we design education, shape public policy, and navigate life in an increasingly interconnected world.This episode is hosted by Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus), and features experts Benjamin Pitt (IAST) and Wendy Ayres-Bennett (University of Cambridge). Season 4 Episode 9 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk and iast.frFollow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests:Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottBenjamin Pitt is a cognitive scientist and current Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse. He studies how language and culture shape the way people think, and what this cognitive diversity can tell us about the structure of the human mind. He holds degrees from Brown University and the University of Chicago, and – starting next Spring – he will be joining the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, as assistant professor and director of the “Cognitive Construction” lab.Wendy Ayres-Bennett is Emerita Professor of French Philology and Linguistics, University of Cambridge. She was Principal Investigator (2016-2021) on the AHRC-funded, multi-disciplinary research project, Multilingualism: Empowering Individuals, Transforming Societies, which promoted the value of languages for key issues of our time and explored the benefits of language learning for individuals and societies. An AHRC-funded follow-on project Promoting Language Policy provided research-based evidence for moving languages higher up the political agenda. She currently holds a Leverhulme Trust Emeritus Fellowship to write a book on language policy in the UK.

In this episode, Richard Westcott is joined by Simone Schnall, Catherine Molho, and Maximilian Müller to explore a big, everyday question: why do we make the choices we do? From decisions about money and morality to careers and relationships, the conversation digs into what really drives us—whether it’s emotions, social pressure, or the stories we tell ourselves after the fact.The conversation explores how physical experiences and emotions like fear or anger can shape our judgement, and how gossip and social norms influence who we trust and how we act. Our experts also discuss how we reshape memories to fit our choices, and how identity can shape what we believe or invest in. It’s a fascinating look at what really drives human behaviour—and what that means for how we design policies, technology, the systems we live in, and the role AI might play in shaping our decisions.This episode is hosted by Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus), and features experts Catherine Molho (IAST), Maximilian Müller (TSE) and Simone Schnall (Cambridge University). Season 4 Episode 8 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests:Podcast hostRichard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottPodcast guestsCatherine Molho is a psychologist studying human cooperation, social norms, and the role of emotions in decision-making, at IAST. Her work draws upon insights from social and evolutionary psychology, behavioral economics, and anthropology. She uses interactive experiments, experience sampling, and cross-cultural surveys to better understand what shapes cooperative and punitive decisions.Maximilian Müller is a behavioural economist at Toulouse School of Economics where he studies questions in fields such as education, development, and family economics. In his research, he examines social influences on individual behavior and beliefs around big life decisions such as career or fertility choices and explores their potential consequences for society-wide outcomes such as intergenerational transmission and social mobility. Simone Schnall is the Director of the Cambridge Body, Mind and Behaviour Laboratory and Fellow of Jesus College at University of Cambridge. By combining insights and methods from social psychology and cognitive science her research explores how thoughts and feelings interact. She aims to understand how people make judgmen

Richard Westcott talks to Jonathan Stieglitz, IAST and Martin White, University of Cambridge, about  the global health challenges related to diet and nutrition, the roles of public health policies, cultural practices, and lifestyle changes, while creating sustainable food systems that ensure access to healthy food for all and maintain economic viability.How do we address global health challenges, particularly in relation to diet and nutrition? What role do public health policies, cultural practices and lifestyle changes play in shaping our food choices? How can we create food systems that ensure everyone has access to healthy and sustainable food while maintaining economic viability?To explore these issues, Richard Westcott talks to Prof Martin White, Professor of population health research from the University of Cambridge,  and Prof Jonathan Stieglitz, IAST Scientific Director.Season 4 Episode 7 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests:Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. His last role was as a science correspondent covering the covid outbreak, but prior to that he was the transport correspondent reporting on new technologies such as driverless cars, major accidents and large infrastructure projects. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottProf Jonathan Stieglitz is an anthropologist specializing in human health and aging.  He studies how evolved human biology interacts with variability in the environment to influence well-being over the life course. Since 2004 he has worked with indigenous Tsimane forager-farmers of the Bolivian Amazon, studying how environmental transition (for example, changes in infectious exposures, physical activity levels, or consumption of processed foods) influences diverse health indicators. He co-directs the Tsimane Health and Life History Project. Prof Martin White is an interdisciplinary scientist who leads research on food systems and public health, and has a particular interest in evaluation of population interventions to improve diet and health. He led the NIHR funded evaluation of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and currently leads two UKRI interdisciplinary consortia on food system transformation (https://www.mandala-consortium.org/ and https://www.salientfoodtrials.uk). He was a visiting fellow at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy in 2020-22 and is a regular contributor to Cambridge University’s Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) Policy Fellows programme for civil servants.

In this episode, Richard Westcott talks to Diane Coyle, Jacques Crémer, and Paul Seabright about Europe’s position in competing with the US in technology. They explore the factors shaping Europe’s place in the global tech race—how data, policy, investment, competition and culture influence its potential to compete with the US.Our experts unpack the challenges and opportunities for Europe’s tech ecosystem. They consider whether Europe should aim to catch up with the US or focus on carving out its own path, questioning what success in innovation really looks like. Along the way, they discuss the role of data, risk-taking, the challenges of scaling up new ideas, and the structural and policy changes needed to support innovation in Europe.This episode is hosted by Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus), and features experts Diane Coyle (Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge), Jacques Crémer (IAST), Paul Seabright (IAST)Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 4 Episode 6 transcriptFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests:Podcast hostRichard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottPodcast guestsDiane 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. Diane’s new book (April 2025) ‘The Measure of Progress: Counting what really matters’ explores how outdated economic metrics are distorting our understanding of today’s digital economy. Diane is also a member of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Council, New Towns Taskforce, and advises the Competition and Markets Authority. She has served previously in a number of public service roles including as Vice Chair of the BBC Trust, member of the Competition Commission, and of the Natural Capital Committee. Diane was awarded a DBE in 2023 for her contribution to economics and public policy. @DianeCoyle1859Jacques Crémer is Professor at the Toulouse School of Economics. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and of the European Economic Association. He has been the first director of the Digital Center since 2015.  In 2018-2019, as a Special Adviser to European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, he co-authored the report “Competition Policy for the Digital Era”. Jacques has done fundamen

In this engaging discussion, Dimitri Zenghelis, a Special Advisor at the University of Cambridge, Ulrich Hege, a corporate finance expert from Toulouse School of Economics, and Mathias Reynaert, a researcher in environmental economics, dive into how green finance can fuel the clean transition. They explore the transformative role of financial markets, the challenge of balancing public and private investments, and the necessity of stable policies for unlocking sustainable growth. They also tackle the automotive sector's push for regulatory compliance as it shifts towards greener practices.

Hear Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus) talk to Gina Neff (Cambridge University), Jeni Tennison (Connected by Data), and Jean-François Bonnefon (IAST) about how data and algorithms are shaping our lives. They explore how these technologies impact work, public services, and decision-making, and raise questions about ethics, fairness, and governance.Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 4 Episode 4 transcriptFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our podcast host and guestsRichard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. In 2023, Richard left the corporation and is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottJean-François Bonnefon, CNRS senior research director, is a cognitive psychologist whose work spans computer science, psychology, and economics, reflected in his more than 100 publications. Renowned for his expertise in moral preferences and decision-making, he is particularly recognised for his contributions to the ethics of advanced artificial intelligence, especially in autonomous driving. In 2024, he was appointed Director of the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department (SBS) at TSE and the Institute of Advanced Studies in Toulouse (IAST). He is affiliated with TSE, IAST, the Toulouse School of Management, and the Artificial and Natural Intelligence Toulouse Institute (ANITI).Gina Neff is Professor of Responsible AI at Queen Mary University London and Executive Director of the Minderoo Centre for Technology & Democracy at the University of Cambridge. She is the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for UKRI Responsible AI UK (RAi) and Associate Director of the ESRC Digital Good Network. Her award-winning research focuses on how digital information is changing our work and everyday lives. Her books include Venture Labor (MIT Press 2012), Self-Tracking (MIT Press 2016) and Human-Centered Data Science (MIT Press 2022).Jeni Tennison is an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy, and the founder of Connected by Data.  She is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for International Governance Innovation, an adjunct Professor at Southampton’s Web Science Institute, a Shuttleworth Foundation Fellow, and a co-chair of GPAI’s Data Governance Working Group.  She sits on the Boards of Creative Commons and the Information Law and Policy Centre.

In this episode, Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus) talks to David Runciman (University of Cambridge), Kristin Michelitch (IAST) and Ahmed Mohamed (IAST) about the decline in democracy indexes worldwide, the cultural, technological, and institutional factors driving these trends, and whether they can be reversed.Our experts explore the meaning of democracy and the reasons behind the decline of democracy indexes. They examine the impact of technology, media, culture, and religion on reshaping politics and shaping the future of democratic systems. Season 4 Episode 3 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests:Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news and the Today programme. In 2023, Richard left the corporation and is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottKristin Michelitch is an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at the Toulouse School of Economics and Quantitative Social Sciences (TSE), and a member of the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST), France. Her research investigates sources of, and solutions to, intergroup tensions and poorly functioning democratic processes in contexts where government institutions are not adequately safeguarding democracy and delivering vital public services. @KGMichelitch Ahmed Ezzeldin Mohamed is an Assistant Professor of Political Science. Previously, he was a postdoctoral research scholar at the Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law (CDDRL) at Stanford University. =Ahmed's primary research focuses on the role of religion in the political and economic development of less democratic societies, with a special focus on the Middle East and the Muslim World. David Runciman is a recovering academic and fully committed podcaster. He worked at Cambridge University for nearly 25 years, winding up as Professor of Politics. He has authored several books, most recently, The History of Ideas: Equality, Justice and Revolution (2024). David established the Centre for the Future of Democracy as part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.. David hosts the weekly politics podcast “Past Present Future” and was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2018 and the Royal Society of Literature in 2021.

In this episode, Richard Westcott talks to Gordon Harold, Anna Moore, and Olympia Campbell. about the growing rates of mental health issues among young people. They discuss the key determinants and the most effective ways to support young people's mental health.Our experts examine whether mental health among young people is truly worsening or if we're simply getting better at identifying it. They unpack the key factors shaping mental health today, delve into the role of the digital world, and discuss how policies can evolve to expand support and access to services for young people.This episode is hosted by Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus), and features experts Prof Gordon Harold (University of Cambridge), Dr Anna Moore (University of Cambridge) and Dr Olympia Campbell (IAST). Season 4 Episode 2 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform: For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/.Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X. With thanks to:Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests:Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. In 2023, Richard left the corporation and is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcottGordon Harold is the inaugural Professor of the Psychology of Education and Mental Health at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on three areas: the impact of family dynamics on child and adolescent mental health, the interaction between genetic and family factors, and the promotion of evidence-based practices to enhance youth mental health outcomes. He serves on several advisory groups, including the UKRI-ESRC’s Data and Infrastructure Expert Advisory Group and the Department for Work and Pensions Science Advisory Committee.Anna Moore is a UKRI Future Leaders Fellow, Assistant Professor in Child Psychiatry and Medical Informatics in the Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge and Clinical Consultant in Paediatric Psychological Medicine. Dr. Moore’s group, Timely, is developing a new preventative approach for managing children’s mental health problems. To make this possible, the Timely team is building the infrastructure and systems required to enable rapid digital innovation and implementation in paediatrics. Olympia Campbell is a Research Fellow at the IAST. She received a PhD from University College London in 2023 prior to joining. Her research focuses on elucidating the ecological and demographic correlates and causes of gender-biased outcomes, with a particular focus on the role of marriage practices, such as cousin marriage. Her work is interdisciplinary in nature, drawing from global health, genetics, evolutionary biology, and anthropology. @OLKCampbell