Birkbeck Voices brings you interviews with our academics, students, alumni and wider community. We cover the latest research and inspiring events taking place at the College and find out more about the people who make Birkbeck the place that it is.

Birkbeck Voices playlist

Naureen Abubacker from the Widening Access team at Birkbeck discusses leading the development of the Compass Project, a ground-breaking initiative that is driven to improving access to higher education for forced migrants, and also funds places for 20 asylum seekers to begin their studies in the UK.

One of the students, Gifty from Zimbabwe, also joins us to chat about her experiences with the programme and how she has settled into life in London.

Read more about the #BBKCompass Project: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/news/new-birkbeck-initiative-provides-life-changing-education-opportunities-for-asylum-seekers

Birkbeck Voices, the podcast series from Birkbeck, University of London, brings you interviews with our academics, students, alumni and wider community. We cover the latest research and inspiring events taking place at the College and find out more about the people who make Birkbeck the place that it is.

Listen to the #BirkbeckVoices SoundCloud playlist - soundcloud.com/birkbeck-podcasts/sets/birkbeck-voices

The Compass Project: Widening Access to education for asylum seekers at Birkbeck

Dr Stefan Engels from Birkbeck's Department of Geography discusses his field of palaeoclimatology, focussing on abrupt climate change during and following the last ice age as seen through the eyes of insects.

He will discuss this further at a free public lecture on 12 December at City and Islington College as part of Birkbeck's Big Ideas series. Book your free place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-insects-and-ice-ages-how-and-why-we-reconstruct-past-climate-change-finsbury-tickets-39181416672

Birkbeck Voices, the podcast series from Birkbeck, University of London, brings you interviews with our academics, students, alumni and wider community. We cover the latest research and inspiring events taking place at the College and find out more about the people who make Birkbeck the place that it is.

Listen to the #BirkbeckVoices SoundCloud playlist - soundcloud.com/birkbeck-podcasts/sets/birkbeck-voices

Insects and ice ages: interview with Dr Stefan Engels

In this episode of Birkbeck Voices, we're joined by Sarah Childs, Professor of Politics and Gender at Birkbeck. 

Professor Childs discusses the benefits of equal gender opportunity in parliament, the current system of quotas for women in politics and a report she recently put forward that recommends a change to the law on job-sharing for MPs.

She has worked extensively on representation theory and policies surrounding gender politics and currently advises the new Commons Reference Group on Representation and Inclusion(http://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/other-committees/reference-group-representation-inclusion/).

Find out more about studying politics at Birkbeck: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/2018/undergraduate/programmes/UUBAPOLT_C

Birkbeck Voices, the podcast series from Birkbeck, University of London, brings you interviews with our academics, students, alumni and wider community. We cover the latest research and inspiring events taking place at the College and find out more about the people who make Birkbeck the place that it is.

Listen to the #BirkbeckVoices SoundCloud playlist - soundcloud.com/birkbeck-podcasts/sets/birkbeck-voices

The rise of the female politician: how gender equality is permeating parliament

In this episode of Birkbeck Voices, we're joined by Dr David Brydan, Lecturer in Modern European History, to discuss his latest article examining leprosy and rebellion in Spanish colonial Africa during the 1940s and 50s. The article is available on open access: https://academic.oup.com/shm/advance-article/doi/10.1093/shm/hkx094/4590150  

Dr Brydan is a member of the Reluctant Internationalists research group, based in the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology at Birkbeck. Find out more about the project: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/reluctantinternationalists

Dr Brydan is also a member of the Centre for the Study of Internationalism - https://centreforthestudyofinternationalism.wordpress.com

Birkbeck Voices, the podcast series from Birkbeck, University of London, brings you interviews with our academics, students, alumni and wider community. We cover the latest research and inspiring events taking place at the College and find out more about the people who make Birkbeck the place that it is.

Listen to the #BirkbeckVoices SoundCloud playlist - soundcloud.com/birkbeck-podcasts/sets/birkbeck-voices


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Leprosy and rebellion in Spanish colonial Africa

In this episode of Birkbeck Voices, we're joined by Dr Clare Makepeace, who completed her PhD at Birkbeck and is now an Honorary Research Fellow at the College. 

Clare’s work looks at prisoners of war, specifically those in Europe during the Second World War and the measures they took to cope and come to terms with wartime imprisonment. Perhaps the most inventive of these measures was putting on pantomimes, with prisoners dressed as female impersonators.

Clare has recently published a book, Captives of War, available here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Captives-War-British-Prisoners-Cultural/dp/1107145872

You can find out more about her work on her website: warfarehistorian.org 

Birkbeck Voices, the podcast series from Birkbeck, University of London, brings you interviews with our academics, students, alumni and the wider community. We cover the latest research and inspiring events taking place at the College and find out more about the people who make Birkbeck the place that it is.

Listen to the #BirkbeckVoices SoundCloud playlist - soundcloud.com/birkbeck-podcasts/sets/birkbeck-voices

Cross-dressing captives of war: interview with Dr Clare Makepeace

Ron Balzan, who is in the third year of his PhD in psychology at Birkbeck’s Department of Psychological Sciences, will be speaking at Birkbeck's next Big Ideas event entitled, 'The biggest problem in the world: our problem with problems (and why truth matters)'.

If you’ve ever struggled with solving a problem – and most of us have! – his thesis sets out to prove that you may not have represented, or modelled the problem correctly. 

Ron talk will be held on 20 February at City & Islington College, as part of Birkbeck’s Big Ideas series. Book your free place now: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-the-biggest-problem-in-the-world-our-problem-with-problems-and-why-truth-tickets-38659920864

Birkbeck's Big Ideas is a series of thought-provoking free public lectures, designed to inspire and bring world class Birkbeck academics to the local community.

The problem with problems - and why the truth matters: Ron Balzan

Professor Daniel Monk from Birkbeck's School of Law discusses the debate around school uniforms and dress codes, and what it might be able to tell us about childhood, education and politics in contemporary Britain.

Daniel will be speaking further on the topic at City and Islington College on 20 March as part of Birkbeck's Big Ideas series. Book your free place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-school-dress-codes-who-cares-and-why-finsbury-park-tickets-43123651001

School dress codes - who cares and why?: Professor Daniel Monk

In this episode of Birkbeck Voices, we chat with Professor Ian Crawford from the Department of Planetary Sciences and Astrobiology. 

Professor Crawford discusses the recent launch of the world's most powerful operational rocket, SpaceX's Falcon Heavy and what it means for space exploration in the future, as well as the benefits of mining resources on the moon and why it is still so important to 'keep looking for aliens' (read more here: https://theconversation.com/why-looking-for-aliens-is-good-for-society-even-if-there-arent-any-80700).

The future of space exploration: Professor Ian Crawford

Dr Tim Reynolds, a senior lecturer from the Department of History, Classics and Archaeology at Birkbeck discusses the relationship between Neanderthals and modern humans, following a recent discovery in a Neanderthal burial cave.

Tim will deliver a talk that explores those discoveries and what they can tell us about our nearest relatives, on 17 April at City & Islington College, as part of Birkbeck’s Big Ideas series of free public lectures. 

Book your free spot here: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/events-calendar/neanderthal

Who are you calling a Neanderthal? Humanity in the Stone Age

Professor Denis Mareschal, Director of the Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development talks about the successes of Birkbeck's pioneering Babylab in identifying early markers of autism in infants.

We are currently crowdfunding to be able to extend these learnings to toddlers with the world's first ToddlerLab, and to transform the lives of children with developmental disorders. If you would like to contribute, please go to our crowdfunding page: birkbeck.hubbub.net/p/toddlerlab/

The world's first ToddlerLab: Professor Denis Mareschal

Welcome to Art Week 2018. In this podcast, Sue Wiseman and Louise Owen from the School of Arts speak to some of the performers and artists whose events took place on Monday; Greek chorus cabaret Myth Independent; Birkbeck Artist-in-Residence Lily Hunter Green with her immersive sound and art project, Bee Composed Live; director Brian Logan from the Camden People's Theatre; plus special guest Bernie, who looks after the School of Arts all year round.

Birkbeck Arts Week runs from 14-18 May 2018. Find out more and book onto events: http://www.bbk.ac.uk/arts/about-us/events/arts-week

Birkbeck Arts Week - the Monday Medley

Professor Ken Gemes from Birkbeck's Department of Philosophy discusses Nietzsche's conception of nihilism, and how it relates to the rise of populist politics, including the election of Donald Trump and the Brexit vote. 

He will be discussing these ideas further at Birkbeck's next Big Ideas event, at City and Islington College on 29 May 2018. Tickets are free but booking is required. Find out more and book your place: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-nihilism-whats-behind-the-brexit-vote-and-the-rise-of-donald-trump-finsbury-park-tickets-39284543126

Nihilism, Trump and Brexit Britain: Professor Ken Gemes

Why did Britain vote to leave the European Union in 2016? Dr Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos argues that many of the reasons people voted to leave the EU are directly related to key decisions made by British governments: politicians who were voted into power by the British people. 

He will be discussing these ideas further at the next Big Ideas event, at Birkbeck's Stratford campus on 28 June 2018. Tickets are free but booking is required. Find out more and book your place:  https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-why-brexit-is-unbritish-stratford-tickets-43127122384

Why Brexit is un-British: Dr Dionyssis Dimitrakopoulos

Dr Sarah Thomas from Birkbeck's Department of History of Art examines the powerful impact of slave-ownership on some of Britain’s key cultural institutions, and how the brutal system of colonial slavery infused the world of aesthetics and taste during the first half of the nineteenth century.

In particular, she looks at the impact of the £20 million paid by the British government to former slave-owners to compensate for their loss of income on the abolition of slavery on artworks, collections and cultural institutions. 

She will be discussing these ideas further at a Big Ideas lecture on 5 July 2018 at Birkbeck's Stratford campus. Free places can be booked here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-the-art-of-compensation-slavery-and-british-culture-stratford-tickets-43164879316

The art of compensation, slavery and British culture: Dr Sarah Thomas

Waiting is one of healthcare’s core experiences. It is there in the time it takes to access services; through the days, weeks, months or years needed for diagnoses; in the time that treatment takes; and in the elongated time-frames of recovery, relapse, remission and dying. Professor Lisa Baraitser from Birkbeck’s Department of Psychosocial Studies explores how waiting can itself be a form of care, and challenges assumptions about the value of waiting, counteracting the current political use of ‘waiting times’ as a tool for dismantling the NHS. This is part of interdisciplinary research project, Waiting Times (http://waitingtimes.exeter.ac.uk/), funded by the Wellcome Trust.

Professor Baraitser will be discussing these ideas further in a free public lecture on 31 October, as part of the Big Ideas series. Book your place here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-waiting-and-care-in-rushed-times-tickets-50949666825

Waiting and care in rushed times: Professor Lisa Baraitser

Whistleblowing is a hot topic from Hollywood to Canary Wharf. It is rarely out of the media. But have you ever stopped to think about how we ‘talk’ about whistleblowing? Which words do we choose and why? Do those words matter? Liz Hornby, PhD candidate in the Department of Management discusses all these things and more, ahead of her Big Ideas talk on 15 November. 

Big Ideas is Birkbeck's public lecture series, bringing ground-breaking Birkbeck research to our local communities. They are free to attend and open to everyone. Book your place here to Liz's talk here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-did-i-just-blow-the-whistle-how-do-we-talk-about-whistleblowing-tickets-51706248782

What we talk about when we talk about whistleblowing: Liz Hornby

Dr Alex Colás and Dr Jason Edwards travel between three London destinations to discuss the themes in their new book 'Food, Politics and Society: Social Theory and the Modern Food System'. They first visit the Princess Louise Pub in Holborn, where they discuss the politicisation of alcohol, such as how attitudes to drinking are shaped by class and gender; then to Pisqu, a Peruvian restaurant in Fitzrovia, where they explore the contemporary, capitalist food system and its origins in the Columbian exchange; and finally, Dr Colas meets Professor Sami Zubaida at Tottenham Court Road Food Market, to hear his insights into the relationships between food, globalisation and nationalism.

Find out more at a launch event for the book: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/food-politics-and-society-book-launch-tickets-52211191078 or buy a copy online: https://www.ucpress.edu/book/9780520291959/food-politics-and-society

Food, Politics and Society: Dr Alex Colás, Dr Jason Edwards and Professor Sami Zubaida

Welcome to Big Ideas, a podcast series to accompany Birkbeck’s free public lecture series, where academics bring their research out to local communities around London, sharing the exciting and innovative work that happens at Birkbeck, and opening up the world of research and universities.

The series is organised by Birkbeck’s Access and Engagement team, who support underrepresented groups of people to apply and succeed in study here at Birkbeck, University of London.

In this podcast we meet Dr Mark Panton, whose research explores how stadium-led regeneration affects local communities. Mark’s Big Ideas talk will be on Tuesday 15 January at City and Islington College‘s Centre for Lifelong Learning in Finsbury Park. Book your free place to attend his talk here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-does-stadium-led-regeneration-work-tickets-53538871205

Does stadium led regeneration work? - Dr Mark Panton

Welcome to Big Ideas, a podcast series to accompany Birkbeck’s free public lecture series, where academics bring their research out to local communities around London, sharing the exciting and innovative work that happens at Birkbeck, and opening up the world of research and universities.

The series is organised by Birkbeck’s Access and Engagement team, who support underrepresented groups of people to apply and succeed in study here at Birkbeck, University of London.

In this podcast we meet PhD candidate Keith Jarrett, who discusses how his research into an overlooked segment of Caribbean Pentecostalism has led him to write an experimental novel. Keith’s Big Ideas talk will be on Tuesday 12 February at City and Islington College‘s Centre for Lifelong Learning in Finsbury Park. Book your free place to attend his talk here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/birkbecks-big-ideas-writing-as-research-exploring-the-migration-of-caribbean-religion-and-identity-tickets-53994201109

The migration of Caribbean identity - Keith Jarrett

Professor Julia Lovell from Birkbeck’s Department of History, Classics and Archaeology discusses the evolution and legacy of Maoism, both in China and internationally. 

Professor Lovell’s book, Maoism: A Global History, is published in March 2019, by The Bodley Head.

Professor Lovell teaches on the following programmes
-	MA Global History http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/2019/postgraduate/programmes/TMAGHESC_C/ 
-	BA History programmes http://www.bbk.ac.uk/study/course_search?q=History&lvl=ug

Maoism: A Global History - Professor Julia Lovell

Birkbeck is a world-class research and teaching institution, a vibrant centre of academic excellence and London's only specialist provider of evening higher education. 

Birkbeck Voices playlist

Birkbeck podcasts