Season seven of the Academy’s podcast, the We Society, has launched today. Hosted by acclaimed journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, the podcast invites guests from the world of social science, including academics, public figures, business leaders and politicians, to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to some of society’s most pressing problems.
Will said, “I’m delighted to be hosting another season of the We Society podcast. We’ve had some brilliant guests join us in previous seasons to discuss how the social sciences contribute to understanding and shaping the world in which we live – and season seven is no different. From discussing how to improve our relationship with work to how we can harness artificial intelligence for the common good and how the language we use matters to reducing inequality in education, it’s a must listen.”
The first episode, released today, features Will in conversation with Professor Anand Menon, Director of UK in a Changing Europe, discussing the state of international relations 80 years after World War II including the implications of Trump’s re-election and evolving voting patterns among Britain’s ethnic minorities, as well as the importance of social science and social scientists to understanding contemporary political and social challenges. He said, “If you want to talk in an informed way about politics or economics, you can read the newspapers, but actually the best way to do it is to find social scientists who are willing to write for a non-academic audience, and to learn from them, because these are people, believe me, who’ve done the work and who know their stuff.”
Other guests this season include Professor Brendan Burchell, Sir Robert Chote FAcSS, Professor Anthony Elliott FAcSS, Professor Lee Elliot-Major FAcSS, Professor Clare Kelliher FAcSS and Professor Jane Monckton Smith discussing big issues ranging from reducing inequality in education and the changing landscape of work culture to the need for a balanced approach to fiscal policies. In addition, the final episode of the season will feature Director General of the World Trade Organisation Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala discussing her perspectives on why without more women in leadership roles, it leads to unequal access to power.
New episodes will be released every Wednesday and listeners are encouraged to subscribe to the podcast on their preferred platform so they don’t miss an episode. All episodes of the past six seasons, featuring guests including Hillary Clinton, Ai Weiwei, Professor Mariana Mazzuccato FAcSS, Professor Gary Younge FAcSS, and Professor Heaven Crawley are available to listen now.