Public lecture podcasts

The pandemic has had a fundamental impact on lives, work and economies. Welfare states around the world have faced huge challenges. What have the lessons been in the UK and internationally? And is it time for a radical renewal with UBI? With Young Jun Choi, Sarath Davala, S Mahendra Dev and Cleo Goodman. Chaired by Jane Millar. This event took place as part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/ This event took place on 6 October 2021.

As societies get richer, we need to work less. As societies get greener, we need to consume less. Can UBI help us become happier, with more time for leisure and family life, and less time spent at work and in the shops? With Anna Coote and James Plunkett. Chaired by Andrew Kelly. This event is part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/ This event took place on 6 October 2021.

Many economists argue that technology is reducing wages and income from work. Others believe that automation and the Fourth Industrial Revolution will inexorably reduce the demand for the labour. If we can’t get an adequate income from employment, do we need UBI to maintain incomes in technologically advanced societies? With Kate Bell and Anna Dent. Chaired by Gavin Kelly. Part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/ This event took place on 6 October 2021.

Diane Coyle and Martin Ford debate the impact of artificial intelligence on life, work and the economy. Part of the University of Bath Institute for Policy Research (IPR) and Bristol Ideas conference, 'Is it time for Universal Basic Income?': https://www.bristolideas.co.uk/attend/is-it-time-for-universal-basic-income/ This event took place on 6 October 2021.

Counsellor Effie is join by International Student Experience Officer Harriet and students Kaylee and Aneekha to discuss what is culture shock, how to recognise it and some tips to deal with it.

In this episode of Policy Matters, hosts Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha are joined by Sonia Bhalotra, Professor of Economics at the University of Warwick. Sonia has a prodigious volume of highly policy-relevant research on topics relating to the creation of human capital, early child development, gender inequality, intergenerational mobility, and the impact of early life health on later life outcomes. Franz and Matt begin by asking Sonia about her research on the impact of the advent of antibiotics in the US in the 1930s on child pneumonia, and how this had long-lasting impacts on children’s education and labour market outcomes. Sonia goes on to explain how improvements in child health and mortality have implications not just for the children themselves but also for women’s fertility decisions and labour supply, with important policy lessons for lower income countries where fertility, child mortality and female labour supply today look very similar to how the US looked back in the middle of the last century. The discussion then turns to the trade-off between the ‘quality’ and the quantity of children that a family have and again how this inter-relates to female labour supply, including the surprising news that having twins is not as random as we might have assumed. The programme ends by touching upon Sonia’s research on the long-term benefits of treating maternal depression, highlighting how a non-drug therapy can have profound and long-lasting impact on maternal health and wellbeing.

In this episode of Policy Matters hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson are joined by Colin Green, Professor of Economics at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Colin’s research interests cover a range of areas in applied economics and public policy, including education, the labour market, health, personnel economics, and political science. We first hear from Colin about how the pandemic has been in Norway over the last year and how this compares to the experience in the UK and in his home country of Australia. This leads into discussion of Colin’s research on the impact of the London congestion charge on traffic accidents in the city and some of the intended and unintended consequences for pollution. Next, we hear about the relationship between the election of anti-immigration politicians in Italy and the location decisions of migrants, before Colin tells us about the positive long-term impacts immigration can have on an area’s social capital, exploiting a specific migration event into Italy during the 16th Century. Colin then sheds light on why the performance-related pay element in Franz’s employment contract might not be the best thing for his health, before the programme closes with a discussion of Colin’s research on the concerning relationships between MPs’ jobs outside parliament, their involvement in law-making and the economic value of the firms for whom they work.

In this episode of Policy Matters, host Matt Dickson and Franz Buscha are joined by Sunčica Vujić, Associate Professor of Applied Econometrics at the University of Antwerp. Sunčica’s research covers a broad range of topics but a common thread is that it is always very engaged with policy, making an impact in policy areas including crime, health, education and the labour market. Franz and Matt start by asking her about her recent work on the impact of the Brexit referendum on recorded hate-crimes in the UK, and we get a bonus lesson from Franz in translating statistical terms into user-friendly language! Sunčica then discusses her work that shows how policymakers and immigrants themselves can help to improve immigrants’ chances of labour market success, highlighting the startling role of volunteering in reducing labour market discrimination. The discussion concludes with some interesting findings on the impact of education on fertility timing in the UK.

In this episode of Policy Matters hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson again find themselves at the start of a coronavirus lockdown, though this time lockdown #3 is much closer to the first lockdown, with almost everything, including schools, closed. Matt and Franz begin by discussing their personal situations in lockdown as well as the national situation, before looking to the positives not only of the vaccines but also to the availability of existing drugs that are able to treat people who have already contracted COVID-19. After outlining the success of the Recovery programme that has been clinically trialling drugs for COVID-19 and has already saved 650,000 lives worldwide, Franz and Matt go on to discuss the importance of randomised controlled trails in providing robust evidence of causal effects both in medical science and public policymaking. The programme ends with consideration of the other big policy area that’s dominated recent weeks: Brexit. January 1st saw the end of the transition period and a new relationship between the UK and the EU, so Franz and Matt break their long-standing Brexit embargo to talk about the ways in which life has changed already and how things may unfold in the longer term – and commit to another 10 years of Policy Matters in the process!

In the midst of the second COVID-related national lockdown for England, this episode of Policy Matters sees hosts Franz Buscha and Matt Dickson revisit some of the questions that were being asked in the first episode recorded under lockdown restrictions back in April. The discussion starts with some personal reflections on what life has been like juggling working-from-home and home-schooling over the months since the pandemic began and thinking about the impact that the disruptions to education will have on school-aged children and inequality. Franz and Matt then look at how different policy responses from governments around the world have played out in recent months, and consider what we have learnt that we didn’t know back in April. The discussion then moves on to some of the academic research related to the pandemic, highlighting in particular the unintended consequences of policies like the ‘Eat out to help out’ scheme, and considering the different ways in which the pandemic has affected the self-employed. The programme ends with a look ahead at some of the longer-term effects we might see on birth-rates and the implications these may have, and also considers what positive policy lessons we hope will be taken forward and acted upon in the future.