In this IPR Public Lecture Professor Janine Wedel -  IPR Global Chair and Professor in the School of Policy, Government, and International Affairs at George Mason University - introduces a new breed of influence elite that has emerged over the past several decades. In contrast to the 'power elites' described by sociologist C. Wright Mills a half century ago, she argues, the muscle of today’s influence elites resides at least as much in social networks as in command-and-control bureaucracy. These novel elites are less visible, less stable, and more mobile and global in reach than their forebears. They hold sway through informal, flexible, and unaccountable means and use consulting firms, think tanks, nonprofits, and 'grassroots organisations', among other entities, as vehicles of influence, not to mention the Internet and social media. 

Professor Wedel also contends that today’s influence elites largely defy democratic oversight. Conventional concepts inadequately capture their modus operandi and roles in contemporary democratic states. Yet these players and their practices are systemic and widespread across at least some global venues and Western democracies in arenas ranging from energy and health care to finance and foreign policy. 

Understanding how today’s influence elites operate is crucial, she concludes - both because their practices are far-reaching and because they dominate decisions that affect the entire world.

This IPR Public Lecture took place on 28 April 2016

Prof Janine Wedel: Meet The New Influence Elites

A recording of the lecture from 13 June 2018, which overviews the tremendous contribution of Professor Darryl Almond to the research profile of the University of Bath. 

Darryl had a unique ability to use his expertise in physics to undertake cutting edge research across a range of subjects in science and engineering.

A Life Connected by Physics: A Tribute to Professor Darryl Almond

Additive manufacturing allows us to produce parts at a reduced size and weight. For amputees, this means we can create powered prosthetics that are both durable and a more comfortable fit. Working alongside Moog and Blatchford we set out to bring our powered prosthetics research to the commercial market. Professor Andrew Plummer discusses how this could be game-changing for the prosthetics industry.

Transcript:
"Imagine you got ill, maybe diabetes or had an accident and had to have a leg amputated. In days gone by, you could get a wooden leg, but that wasn't a great substitute particularly for above the knee amputees. Nowadays you might get a leg made from carbon fibre or light alloys, and subtly designed joints incorporating springs and shock absorbers to give a fairly natural and pleasant walking experience. They might even be computer-controlled. But you'll still be a long way from the league of a bionic man or bionic woman. Walking up slopes or stairs will still be slow and tiring because your new leg will have no muscle power. Your trailing leg really needs to push off every time it leaves the ground to propel you up and along, but building in muscle power into prosthetic legs is a formidable engineering challenge. Using existing technology, the leg ends up being too bulky, too heavy or using too much energy, not to mention the challenge of controlling the leg to automatically synchronise with your movements. I'm Andrew Plummer, Professor in the mechanical engineering department, so I lead the Power Transmission Motion Control research centre here at Bath and we have considerable experience in hydraulic actuation, this provides very high-power density by using pressurised oil, which means we can generate significant muscle power in a light and compact leg. And using additive manufacture we can further integrate these powerful hydraulic actuation components into incredibly light titanium prosthetic joints. At Bath we have been fortunate in having world-leading industrial partners. We were working with Moog and Renishaw on additive manufacture for hydraulic components and independently with Blatchford on smart powered prosthetics. Bringing the two strands of work together was, as they say, 'a no brainer'. I'm convinced this is a game-changer for future prosthetics technology."

Professor Andrew Plummer discusses additive manufacturing's potential for the prosthetics industry

In this talk, Professor Mott from the Faculty of Engineering and Design, debates the impact that COVID is having on engineering and technology businesses and how they need to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances.

Professor Peter Mott talk: Covid-19 and its impact on industry

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Prof Janine Wedel: Meet The New Influence Elites

University of Bath

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