01 Introduction

12 Perceptions of inequality - what do we really know? Queena Chong

On the May 7th, 2025, India launched missile strikes on Pakistan in response to a terrorist attack in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir on April 22nd. On May 10th a ceasefire was reached following mediation from the United States. 

To discuss the US’ part in brokering a ceasefire, and the US’ responses to disputes between India and Pakistan over the past three decades, in June 2025 the Phelan US Centre spoke to Lisa Curtis, senior fellow and director of the Indo-Pacific Security Program at the Center for a New American Security. 

The conversation covers the recent India–Pakistan crisis and the US’ role, how US involvement in the Kashmir dispute has evolved over the years, and how China’s growing influence has complicated how the US approaches India–Pakistan relations. 

This episode was produced by Chris Gilson and Luke Digweed.   

Further reading and resources 

“How America Can Keep the Peace Between India and Pakistan”, Foreign Affairs, May 13, 2025 

“Democracy in South Asia amid U.S. Aid Cuts What’s at Stake for Great Power Competition”, Center for a New American Security, May 15. 2025 

LSE: The Ballpark | The US and India–Pakistan tensions with Lisa Curtis

In this episode Jesse Zixi Sun discusses his new book, Salvation and Revolution: A Twentieth Century Odyssey of the Chinese Protestant Mind, with Chloë Starr. They discuss the relationship between national modernization and religious salvation in China, and the disproportionate civic and social engagement of Christian intellectuals in national life in the early twentieth century.

Jesse Sun, Salvation and Revolution

In this episode, we welcome acclaimed writer, psychologist, and intellectual Gündüz Vassaf, whose work spans 17 published books blending literature, philosophy, and psychology. Author of the bestselling "Prisoners of Ourselves: Totalitarianism in Everyday Life" and his more recent novel "The Painter's Rebellion," Vassaf explores with us what it means to imagine Turkey, to be ‘Turkish’ and to be part of a community in the context of some of the world’s greatest challenges, such as global warming, Artificial Intelligence and an increasingly polarised political landscape.



Date of episode recording: 2025-05-19T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:35:58
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Dr. Sertaç Sehlikoglu; Meryem Zișan Köker; Hazal Aydın
Guests: Gündüz Vassaf
Producer: Dr. Sertaç Sehlikoglu; Meryem Zișan Köker; Hazal Aydın. Edited by Alexander Pymm

Transcription link:
https://www.takhayyulproject.com/takhayyul-podcast-youtube

Imagining Turkey with Gündüz Vassaf

In this episode of So Now What, host Catherine Galloway engages with Gates Cambridge scholars Julie Pham, Chris Tooley, and Robin Scott to explore the nuances of leadership in turbulent times. The conversation delves into the importance of moral leadership, the opportunities presented by crises like COVID-19, and the significance of self-leadership and community building. The guests share their experiences and insights on how to lead effectively, emphasising curiosity, respect, and the power of local action.

Takeaways

Leadership is about bringing people with you, not telling them what to do.
Curiosity can transform workplace dynamics and leadership styles.
Crisis often creates opportunities for innovation and transformation.
Moral leadership is crucial in times of flux and uncertainty.
Local leadership is essential for meaningful change.
Self-leadership involves being open to learning from others.
Community building can counteract polarization and division.
Radical honesty in leadership fosters trust and collaboration.
Cultural forms of leadership can have transformative potential.
Leadership should be shaped by lived experience and engagement.
Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Leadership in Turbulent Times

09:50 The Role of Moral Leadership

20:05 Crisis as Opportunity: Leadership During COVID-19

30:09 Self-Leadership and Community Building

Moral leadership in a time of crisis

This week we’re looking at AI and public services. How far could AI tools help to tackle stagnant public sector productivity? What dangers are associated with AI adoption? And how can these dangers be addressed? 

Artificial intelligence is increasingly being touted as a game-changer across various sectors, including public services. But while AI presents significant opportunities for improving efficiency and effectiveness, concerns about fairness, equity, and past failures in public sector IT transformations loom large. And, of course, the idea of tech moguls like Elon Musk wielding immense influence over our daily lives is unsettling for many. So, what are the real opportunities AI offers for public services? What risks need to be managed? And how well are governments—particularly in the UK—rising to the challenge? 

In this episode, we dive into these questions with three expert guests who have recently published an article in The Political Quarterly on the subject: Helen Margetts – Professor of Society and the Internet at the Oxford Internet Institute, University of Oxford, and Director of the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute. Previously, she was Director of the School of Public Policy at UCL. Cosmina Dorobantu – Co-director of the Public Policy Programme at The Alan Turing Institute. Jonathan Bright – Head of Public Services and AI Safety at The Alan Turing Institute. 

Mentioned in this episode: Margetts, H., Dorobantu, C. and Bright, J. (2024), How to Build Progressive Public Services with Data Science and Artificial Intelligence. The Political Quarterly.

Transcription link:
https://uncoveringpolitics.com/episodes/ai-and-public-services/transcript

Date of episode recording: 2025-02-13T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:42:48
Language of episode: English (UK)
TAGS: AI, government, politics, bureaucracy, political quarterly, efficiency
Presenter:Alan Renwick
Guests: Helen Margettes, Cosmina Dorobantu, Jonathan Bright
Producer: Eleanor Kingwell-Banham


AI and Public Services

This week we ask: could the University be a wild place? A resilient ecosystem of biodiversity, interdependent relationships, entanglements and emergence? What would it look like if we let go of command, control and management, and allowed the University to grow and thrive in ways that can't be predicted in advance but might exceed our wildest dreams? 

Join us to celebrate the achievements of Prof. Cathy Elliott. Recorded one day after her inaugural lecture, marking a significant milestone in her distinguished career, Cathy talks about her wild approach to education. Cathy is one of those rare educators who always strives to focus less on grades and more on inspiring her pupils. She has spearheaded un-grading campaigns at UCL, as well as inclusive curriculums and student-led projects on inclusivity, belonging, political philosophy and international relations. She is a co-director of UCL Centre for the Pedagogy of Politics, a co-convenor of the Political Studies Association Teaching and Learning Network, and Vice-Dean Education for UCL Faculty of Social and Historical Sciences. 

Cathy has made history as our department's first academic on the teaching track to be promoted to Professor. This in itself reflects Cathy's thoughts on education - if we remove some of the boundaries and change some of the criteria , wonderful things might happen (inc. it might be easier for teaching track academics to progress to prof)! 

Mentioned in this episode: Cathy Elliott. Against anonymity: relational marking and awarding gaps. Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education. Special Edition of Journal of Learning Development in Higher Education: Liberating Learning Inclusive Curriculum Project

Transcription link:
https://uncoveringpolitics.com/episodes/rewilding-the-university-prof-cathy-elliots-inaugural-lecture/transcript

Date of episode recording: 2025-04-10T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:37:34
Language of episode: English (uk)
TAGS: teaching, universities, pedagogy
Presenter:Emily McTernan
Guests: Cathy Elliott
Producer: E Kingwell-Banham


Rewilding the University - Prof Cathy Elliott's inaugural lecture

Dr. Bzhar Othman Ahmed, history lecturer at the University of Soran, Kurdistan, Iraq, discusses his research on the Jewish community in Koya, Iraq from 1918 to 1951.

Transcription link:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/nahrein/media/podcasts/transcript-conversation-bzhar-othman-ahmed

Date of episode recording: 2025-02-01T00:00:00Z
Duration: 38:13
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Mehiyar Kathem
Guests: Bzhar Othman Ahmed
Producer: Mehiyar Kathem

THE WORK AND HERITAGE OF THE JEWS OF KOYA - A Conversation with Dr Bzhar Ahmed

In January 2025, the release of a new model and chatbot by Chinese artificial intelligence (AI) company, DeepSeek, sent shockwaves through the tech industry in the US and elsewhere. DeepSeek’s launch was only one milestone in the ongoing AI competition between China and the US which has seen the US try to restrict the exports of key components used in AI development to other countries.

In the second episode of The Ballpark’s miniseries on AI and the US, the Phelan US Centre explored the ongoing AI competition between China and the US with Angela Zhang, Professor of Law at the Gould School of Law of the University of Southern California. Professor Zhang is an expert on AI regulation, both in China and globally.

They spoke about China’s current approach to AI regulation, and how this compares with the US, and why China may be content with being a “close second” in the AI race.

Further reading and resources

•	High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy by Angela Huyue Zhang (Oxford University Press, 2024)
•	The Promise and Perils of China’s Regulation of Artificial Intelligence, Columbia Journal of Transnational Law, 21 January 2025


LSE: The Ballpark | The US-China AI race with Professor Angela Zhang

For SATB unaccompanied
This lively reimagining of the traditional hymn is a thrilling a cappella arrangement which pairs the soaring legato melody with a rhythmic vocal accompaniment. Together, these elements capture both the gentle hope and the profound joy contained in the text.

More on the OUP site

How can I keep from singing? — Sarah Quartel

Oxford University Press’s academic insights for the thinking world combine authority, innovation, and excellence.  We share audio resources for students, scholars, and researchers.

How can I keep from singing? — Sarah Quartel

Oxford Academic (OUP)