The We Society

• S8 Ep4: Taking entrepreneurship beyond business with Eleanor Shaw

  What is the link between social science and entrepreneurship? To give us the answer, Will Hutton speaks to Professor Eleanor Shaw OBE, an academic specialising in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Strathclyde to delve into the social science dimension of entrepreneurship.  Eleanor believes that entrepreneurial spirit stems from recognising and addressing unfulfilled societal needs. In the conversation, they discuss successful entrepreneurs who contribute to communities and not just their bottom line. Eleanor addresses the idea of whether entrepreneurial skills are innate or can be cultivated. She argues that while some individuals may have a natural propensity for entrepreneurship, everyone has the potential to develop entrepreneurial skills given the right environment. Join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to.  The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

  --------  

  29:59
• S8 Ep3: Population, Data & Destiny with Andy Tatem

  Professor Andy Tatem talks to us about WorldPop, the research programme he heads that is based in the School of Geography and Environmental Science, University of Southampton. The team at WorldPop uses satellite imagery and mobile phone data to map population distributions in areas of the Global South and this data is used by governments for resource allocation and policy-making.  In this episode, Andy shares case studies emphasising the impact of timely data on healthcare decisions in countries like Papua New Guinea and Afghanistan. He talks through the ethical considerations in data collection and his vision to supplement traditional censuses, in a bid to empower marginalised communities through better-informed decision-making. Join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to.  The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

  --------  

  30:51
• S8 Ep2: Morality in UK prisons with Alison Liebling

  We probe the UK prison system with Professor Alison Liebling, a Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Cambridge and the Director of the Institute of Criminology’s Prisons Research Centre. In this episode, she discusses the complexities surrounding prison officers, their often-underappreciated skills, and the critical role they play in maintaining order and humanity on the wings.    Professor Liebling’s research on prisons spans over three decades with a particular interest in the moral landscapes of prison life. Her research has led to a prestigious Leverhulme Trust Major Research Fellowship. This Fellowship allows well-established academics in the humanities and social sciences to focus for two or three years on a specific piece of significant, original research. Join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to.  The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

  --------  

  28:59
• S8 Ep1: How to get work working for everyone with Gavin Kelly

  Gavin Kelly is the Chief Executive of the Nuffield Foundation and has spent the past 30 years of his career putting Britain’s economic inactivity problem  under a microscope.  For Gavin, one of the main problems is the nearly 1 million young people who are not in education, employment or training. They are the ones being left behind and their numbers are rising. But what can be done to solve this?  The Nuffield Foundation is an independent charitable trust funding research that informs social policy, primarily in education, welfare, and justice. The Foundation is also the founder and co-funder of three research centres - the Nuffield Council on Bioethics, the Ada Lovelace Institute, and the Nuffield Family Justice Observatory. Join acclaimed journalist and Academy president Will Hutton for season 8 of the We Society, as he invites guests from the world of social science to explore the stories behind the news and hear their solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Don’t want to miss an episode? Follow the show on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to.  The We Society podcast is brought to you by the Academy of Social Sciences in association with the Nuffield Foundation and the Leverhulme Trust. 

  --------  

  33:29
• S7 Ep7: Keep Calm and Chill with Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

  As US President Donald Trump threatens trade tariffs, the We Society invited the Director General of the World Trade Organization (WTO), Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala to share her thoughts during this period of uncertainty. The first woman and the first African to serve as Director General of the WTO, Dr Okonjo-Iweala also gives her perspectives on women in leadership positions and her history of fighting corruption in Nigeria that led to the kidnapping of her elderly mother. This is the final interview in Season 7 of the We Society Podcast from the Academy of Social Sciences  which tackles the big questions through a social science lens. On this podcast, you'll be hearing some of the best ideas to shape the way we live. Hosted by journalist and Academy President Will Hutton, we interview some of Britain’s top social scientists and public figures from across the globe to explore their evidence-led solutions to society’s most pressing problems. Don't want to miss an episode? Follow the We Society on your favourite podcast platform and you can email us on [email protected] and tell us who we should be speaking to or follow us on X https://twitter.com/AcadSocSciences Find out more about the Academy of Social Sciences here: https://AcSS.org.uk

  --------  

  35:05

More Science podcasts

Trending Science podcasts

About The We Society