The Academy of Social Sciences is delighted to announce a new collaboration with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust to produce the chart-topping podcast, The We Society.
Hosted by the Academy’s President Will Hutton FAcSS, The We Society invites expert guests and public figures from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their evidence-led solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems. It is a vital part of the work the Academy does to raise awareness with the public of the important contributions the social sciences make to our daily lives.
The Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust both fund research aimed at benefiting individual lives and society at large, through gaining a better understanding of contemporary social challenges. With a mission to advance social wellbeing, the Nuffield Foundation funds a broad range of research that informs social policy, including on education, welfare and justice. The Leverhulme Trust funds innovative research within and across a breadth of disciplines to understand our world and progress in scientific, cultural, environmental and social fields to the benefit of society. Combined with the Academy’s purpose of promoting the social sciences, it is a natural partnership.
The Academy, Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust all believe in the importance of engaging the public to raise awareness and understanding of the important, and powerful, evidence-led insights and knowledge that social scientists contribute to helping contextualise, inform and solve many of the economic, environmental, educational and societal challenges we face today. Through their collaboration on the We Society podcast, all three organisations will work together to promote the innovative social science research taking place across the UK which benefits people, communities and society at large.
Dr Rita Gardner, Chief Executive of the Academy of Social Sciences, said, “We’re very much looking forward to working with both the Nuffield Foundation and Leverhulme Trust in the coming seasons of the We Society podcast. Both organisations are vital, independent funders of social science research and are perfect collaborators to work with us in promoting some of the very best insights from leading social scientists to the public. At a time when universities are under increasing financial pressures, showcasing the vital contributions that the social sciences make to our society is hugely important – this collaboration will help to make that happen.”
Gavin Kelly, Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation, said, “As one of the leading funders of social and economic policy research, the Nuffield Foundation has a long history of supporting the development of rigorous evidence in pursuit of a more prosperous, fair and inclusive society. At a time of acute geopolitical turmoil, enduring economic stagnation, entrenched inequality, escalating climate crisis and a polarised public discourse, it is vital that we reach new audiences to shed light on key challenges and to highlight potential solutions. We’re delighted to join forces with the Academy of Social Sciences and the Leverhulme Trust in forthcoming series of the We Society podcast.”
Professor Anna Vignoles, Director of the Leverhulme Trust, said, “The Trust supports blue skies research, and as you will hear on some of the podcasts, it is striking just how important ‘out of the box’ thinking is to tackling the real-world challenges faced by our society today. In our centenary year, we are thrilled to be collaborating with such like-minded institutions as the Academy of Social Sciences and the Nuffield Foundation on the next few seasons of this compelling podcast.”
Season 8 of the We Society podcast, the first being produced as part of this new collaboration, is coming in May, but all episodes are available to listen to online.