UofG Spotlight (University of Glasgow, College of Social Sciences)

On this week’s episode, Graeme Roy speaks to Dr Heather Wardle, Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Reader in Sociology at the University of Glasgow, about the upcoming review of the UK Gambling Act and how to survive as a researcher in an area with powerful interest groups.   

Kezia Dugdale also talks to Ruth Davidson, former Leader of the Scottish Conservatives, whose Channel 4 documentary exploring the relationship between football and gambling aired this week. 

We also hear from Kirsty Peebles, Managing Director of News Direct, who gives us an update on the Scottish Parliament and progress made on the set-up of parliamentary committees.

On this week’s episode we take our first look at some environmental issues.  We speak to Dr Natalie Weldon, who is a Lecturer in Environmental Science at the University of Glasgow’s School of Interdisciplinary Studies, who discusses the relationship between plastics and our seas.

We also talk to Adam Lang, the head of Nesta in Scotland, to examine the public’s relationship with tech and politicians’ relationship with academia.

On this episode, Graeme Roy talks to David Phillips, Associate Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, on the tax and spending announcements of the main political parties in this election campaign.

Kezia Dugdale speaks to James Chalmers, Regius Professor of Law at the University of Glasgow, about the potential for judicial reform around the ‘Not Proven’ verdict.

We also have the latest political predictions for the week from Katrine Bussey, Political Editor of the Press Association Scotland.

This week, Graeme and Kezia are joined by Professor Kirsteen McCue, Professor of Scottish Literature and Song Culture at the University of Glasgow as well as Co-Director of the University's Centre for Robert Burns Studies.

With Burns Night last week, it seemed the ideal time to learn more about Burns' work, his relevance for today and the research of the Centre for Robert Burns Studies.

Among her many roles, Kirsteen is a member of the editorial team for the new Oxford University Press edition of the works of Robert Burns.

The music used in this month's podcast are 'A Man’s a Man' and 'Auld Lang Syne' from 'Robert Burns Choral Settings – from Schumann to MacMillan', a joint project between the Centre for Robert Burns Studies and the Chapel Choir at Glasgow University, supported by the University’s Chancellor’s Fund and the CRBS. You can find out more and hear these arrangements in full along with many others at https://www.burnschoral.glasgow.ac.uk/

On this episode, we focus on public policy as it effects care experienced young people.  

In October 2016, the First Minister made a commitment that Scotland would “come together and love its most vulnerable children to give them the childhood they deserve.” She announced an Independent Root and Branch Review of Care (“the Care Review”), driven by those with experience of care.  

A promise was made to children and young people that day by the most powerful people in the country. With political will and resources, the recommendations in the review would be delivered in full by 2030. 

The Promise Scotland is responsible for driving the work of change demanded by the findings of the Independent Care Review. This week, two years on from the review’s publication, the Oversight board of the Promise has produced its first progress report on that 10-year transformation plan. 

Graeme Roy speaks to Fiona Duncan and David Anderson of The Promise to explore its findings. 

The Promise Oversight Board is critical to ensuring that the Promise made to Scotland's children and families is kept. More information on the work of the Oversight Board and its membership, which includes Spotlight podcast host Kezia Dugdale, can be found at: https://thepromise.scot/

In this episode, we're discussing Scotland's place in the world and inequalities in our economy.

Professor Peter Jackson, Chair in Global Security at the University of Glasgow, tells us about the cross-university initiative, Scottish Council on Global Affairs, which aims to bring together Scotland's world-class expertise in international relations.

Meanwhile, Kat Riach, Professor of Organisational Studies at the Adam Smith Business School, talks about her research into ageism at work and age discrimination in the labour market. Her pioneering research on the menopause is helping to change workplace practices.

Timestamps:

Prof Peter Jackson: 01:14

Prof Kat Riach: 22:53

On this episode we are joined by Dr Shivali Fifield from the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland to talk about access to healthy environments as a human right and how to make those rights real.   

We also speak to Petra Meier, Professor of Public Health at UofG, and Director of the UKPRP-funded Sipher Consortium, a UK-wide hub for Systems Science in Public Health & Economic Research. She discusses her work on economic inequalities and health outcomes and the need for a system-wide view at tackling challenges of poverty, health and sustainability.   

Time stamps:

Petra Meier: 01:13

Shivali Fifield: 22: 51

This episode marks the 20th edition of Spotlight.

In this second COP26 special, we speak to Dr Catherine Happer about the role of the media and social media in informing people’s attitudes on climate change and their trust in the political process.

We also talk to Professor Jaime Toney, Director of the Centre for Sustainable Solutions at UofG, who is an expert in the science of climate change.

We also hear from the CEO of Citizens Advice Scotland, Derek Mitchell, who reflects on how advice services adapted during the pandemic and trends observed.

Timestamps:

Dr Catherine Happer: 01:25

Prof Jaime Toney: 16:10

Derek Mitchell: 26:48

In this episode, with Living Wage Week having ended last week, we speak with Professor Ros Searle about her work on the relationship between the living wage, worker performance and wellbeing and business productivity. 

Kezia Dugdale talks to Professor Graeme Roy about the forthcoming Scottish Budget, asking whether or not annual set piece Budget announcements – in the UK, in Scotland or anywhere – are a good way of making effective long-term financial decisions. 

We also hear from Emily Rice, Energy Policy Officer at Citizens Advice Scotland, who discusses the implications of rising energy costs this winter.

Timestamps

Professor Ros Searle:  1:10

Professor Graeme Roy: 26:20

Emily Rice: 46:25

On this episode, Kezia Dugdale speaks to Professor Jane Mair, Head of the School of Law. Professor Mair reflects on the status of Civil Law in Scotland, how it’s evolving and what the new committee make up of the Scottish Parliament might mean for advancing civil justice.  

Graeme Roy talks to Professor Ellen Boeren, from the School of Education, about the adult education landscape.  She considers who is studying and learning later in life, what that tells us about educational inequality and whether our system is meeting the needs of the modern economy.  

Season 2: Episode 14

On this episode, we speak to Jeane Freeman and Michael Russell, curators of the ‘Future Global Shocks’ lecture series being held this autumn by the University of Glasgow in conjunction with the Campaign for Social Science. 

We also talk to one of the speakers in the series, Professor Richard Davies (University of Bristol), about what constitutes a resilient economy. 

On this episode we speak to Ken Gibb, Professor of Housing Economics, about what the autumn statement might mean for housing policy and energy efficiency standards, and learn about the University’s forthcoming ‘Road to Home’ report.  

We also talk to Dr Christine Hadfield from the School of Education, about her and her colleagues' work looking at the impact of COVID-19 on young people and what more we can do to tackle the legacy effects from the global pandemic. 

Timestamps 

Christine Hadfield: 0:52

Ken Gibb: 17:43

On this episode, we talk to Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics & Foreign Affairs at King's College London and the Director of UK in a Changing Europe. We discuss Scotland’s constitutional future, the impact of Brexit and how the UK’s political landscape might change in the coming months. 

We also speak to Nicole Busby, Professor in Human Rights, Equality and Justice at the University of Glasgow’s School of Law, about the Scottish Civil Justice Hub initiative and what civil justice encompasses. 

We also speak to Spotlight podcast host Kezia Dugdale in her capacity as Director of the John Smith Centre.  She reflects on the work of the centre, talking about their research on current levels of trust in politics and public service. 

As hundreds of thousands of people flee Ukraine and seek refuge in Moldova, Poland and other EU countries, in this episode we're taking a moment to focus on another refugee crisis, the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan, with Sabir Zazai from the Scottish Refugee Council. 

Adam Smith was a former student, professor and director at the University of Glasgow and is one of Scotland's most famous figures of the 18th century. 2023 marks Adam Smith's tercentenary and to discuss his legacy we're joined by Dr Craig Smith, Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in the Scottish Enlightenment.

Timestamps:

Sabir Zazai: 01:14

Dr Craig Smith: 19:30 

In February 2023, Keith Tribe delivered a talk at the University of Oxford’s Balliol College as part of the Smith Around the World series.  This event was held in advance of the annual Snell Dinner, commemorating the 17^th century benefactor and Scot John Snell, whose generosity has enabled University of Glasgow students to pursue postgraduate degrees at Balliol. Famously, Adam Smith was a Snell exhibitioner, attending Oxford after his time as a student at Glasgow.

As an independent historian, economic scholar and expert in language and translation, Keith was an ideal speaker to discuss the dissemination of Smith’s ideas over time. He is a highly regarded economic historian and has held numerous posts throughout Europe, including as senior research fellow at the University of Tartu in Estonia.

In this podcast, Keith explores the ideas and thinking behind his talk with Professor Graeme Roy of the University of Glasgow.

On this episode, we talk to Dr Hayes Mabweazara, Senior Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Glasgow, and one of a team of researchers investigating the health of Scotland’s media. Here, he discusses the findings of their recently published report. 

We also speak to Dr Andrew Hoolachan, Lecturer in Planning at the University of Glasgow. Dr Hoolachan reflects on how we might redesign our city centres including Glasgow, if we are to meet net zero climate targets, and what the potential implications might be for the economy and day-to-day life. 

Russia’s war against Ukraine has shocked the world. Currently millions of Ukrainians have fled the country, while millions more are trapped under horrific circumstances. Thousands of civilians and soldiers have been killed and the scale of the humanitarian crisis continues to grow.   

On Thursday 17th March, our colleagues in the University’s School of Social and Political Sciences’ Central and Eastern European Studies and International Relations hosted a Q&A webinar on the subject of Russia’s war on Ukraine.  On this special episode of Spotlight, we bring you the recording of this webinar.

Among the topics discussed were the causes of the war; Russian brutality and the fight for freedom and democracy by Ukraine; Russia’s political system and relations with Russia; and are governments around the world doing enough?

On this week's episode we focus on The Promise - the term used for the work required to deliver the findings of a review published in 2020 into the care system and what it would take to ensure  every child in Scotland could grow up loved, safe and respected.

We speak to Fraser McKinley, Chief Executive of The Promise Scotland, the organisation set up to support and drive the change to deliver on the promise.

We also talk to Sarah Davidson, Chief Executive of Carnegie UK, about wider challenges around delivering on The Promise in the context of wider public sector reform.

On this episode we are joined by Dr Joanna Szostek, Lecturer in Political Communication at the School of Political and Social Sciences, and an expert on Central and Eastern European media. She talks about the War in Ukraine and the current political landscape. 

We also speak to Dr Mark Wong, Lecturer in Public Policy and Research Methods in Urban Studies, about the importance of how we collect data and information to inform public policy - and how the methods we use to collect and process information can themselves lead to biases in decision-making.   

Timestamps: 

Dr Joanna Szostek: 1:10 

Dr Mark Wong: 18:32 

In this episode Professor Kezia Dugdale, Associate Director of the Centre for Public Policy speaks to Professor Sarah Armstrong, criminologist at the University of Glasgow. They discuss an important report by the Scottish Centre for Crime & Justice Research on deaths in custody and care in Scotland, titled Nothing to See Here?

2023 is the tercentenary of the birth of Adam Smith. A key pillar of the Scottish Enlightenment his ideas have had huge influence in economics, law, philosophy and the arts.   

Smith was a student, professor and rector of the University of Glasgow. Throughout the year, the University of Glasgow will be running a series of events and activities to spark a renewed conversation about his world-changing ideas and their relevance for the problems of the 21st century.   

We are very grateful for the support of the John Templeton Foundation for this project.   

To kick start our Spotlight podcast for 2023, we have brought together some diverse academics at Glasgow – covering a range of disciplines – to chat about Adam Smith and his contribution.  In the Chair, is Craig Smith, who is the Adam Smith Senior Lecturer in the Scottish Enlightenment.   

Craig is joined by Glen Pettigrove, Professor of Moral Philosophy; Sayantan Goshal, the Adam Smith Professor of Political Economy; Dr Tanya Wilson, Lecturer in Economics; Dr Maha Rafi Atal, Lecturer in Global Economy; and Bob McMaster, Professor of Political Economy.   

Further links 

UofG Adam Smith 300 website: https://www.gla.ac.uk/explore/adamsmith300/ 

On this episode Graeme Roy talks to Sharon Wright, Professor of Social Policy at the University of Glasgow, on the topic of inequalities and welfare reform policy implementation.  

Kezia Dugdale also interviews Annie Gunner Logan, Chief Executive of the Coalition of Care and support Providers in Scotland, on ideas to reform social care in Scotland.

We also have a weekly round-up of the latest political news from Katrine Bussey, Political Editor of the Press Association.

On this episode, we speak to Jim Phillips, Professor of Economic and Social History at the University of Glasgow.  Jim talks about the key industrial disputes of the 1970s and 1980s and what we can learn from those experiences in the current climate of industrial relations. 

We also speak to Citizens Advice Scotland and their Head of Communications, Kieron Higgins, as part of Challenge Poverty Week. Kieron talks about the findings of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation’s annual Poverty in Scotland publication, and what’s happening on the ground in communities across Scotland. 

On this special episode focussing on minority government, we speak to Geoff Aberdein, former FM chief of staff to Alex Salmond, and Professor Nicola McEwen, Director of the UofG Centre for Public Policy.

They discuss what minority government might mean for Scotland, from day-to-day practicalities to potential implications longer term for the political process and public policy. 

Produced by Fresh Air Studios for The University of Glasgow.

This week’s episode focuses on the topic of education, with two guest speakers from the University of Glasgow’s School of Education.

Kezia Dugdale speaks to Louise Hayward, Professor of Educational Assessment and Innovation, who reflects on the recent controversies over school exams in the UK during the last year and the future of student assessment in schools.  

Graeme Roy talks to Chris Chapman, Professor of Education Policy and Practice and Director of Policy Scotland, about the current state of Scotland’s schools, progress on narrowing the attainment gap and that long-awaited OECD report into Scotland’s curriculum due next month. 

We also hear from Kirsty Peebles, Managing Director of News Direct, Spotlight’s new regular guest commentator. Kirsty shares her thoughts on what’s in store for newly formed Scottish Parliament in the coming weeks.

This podcast summer special features Professor Graeme Roy in discussion with David Blanchflower, Professor of Economics at the University of Glasgow's Adam Smith Business School. Professor Blanchflower shares his views on academics' contribution to policy debates outside of academia and tips on what to do when sharing your knowledge with a wider audience.

On this episode we look at the current legislative issue in the Scottish Parliament of assisted dying, talking to two experts in the field.

We speak to Ben Colburn, Professor of Philosophy at the University of Glasgow, and Ally Thomson, the Scotland Director of the Campaign for Dignity in Dying.

This week our hosts Nicola McEwen and Kez Dugdale are joined by Stephen Noon, former senior policy adviser for the first SNP Government, and Eddie Barnes, former adviser to Ruth Davidson and the Scottish Conservatives. They reflect on the key moments of the campaigns, the polls, what might happen on election night and what the results could mean.

On our first episode following Scottish Parliament elections, Kezia Dugdale speaks to Will Jennings, Professor of Political Science at the University of Southampton and elections analyst for Sky News, about election results and trends elsewhere in the UK.

Graeme Roy talks to Professor Sir Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, about his predictions for the UK’s economic recovery post-COVID.

We also hear from Kirsty Peebles, Managing Director of News Direct, as Spotlight’s new regular guest commentator. Kirsty shares her predictions on what to expect from the Scottish Parliament in the coming weeks.

On this week’s episode, we consider the issues around Scottish Independence, with this week marking 7 years since the 2014 Referendum.

Graeme Roy speaks to Professor Adam Tomkins, John Millar Professor of Public Law at the University of Glasgow and former Conservative Party MSP and adviser to the Strathclyde Commission.

Kezia Dugdale talks to Professor Stephen Gethins, Professor of Practice at the University of St Andrews and former SNP MP for North-East Fife and previously Special Adviser to the Scottish Government.

Timestamps

01:25  Professor Adam Tomkins 

28:25  Professor Stephen Gethins 

On this episode, we speak to Jim McCormick, CEO of the Robertson Trust, which provides funding and support to those tackling poverty and trauma in Scotland.
We also talk to Dr Ewan Gibbs, an economic historian at the University of Glasgow, who unpacks some of the recent debates around oil and gas, renewables and Scotland’s economy.
Finally, Jamie Livingston from Oxfam Scotland provides analysis on the forthcoming COP26.

Timecodes
00:52 Introduction to Jim and the purpose of the Robertson Trust
03:24 Progress around ‘preventative spend’ agenda?
06:26 What have learnt from the pandemic?
09:23 Growing case for the ‘wellbeing’ economy
12:55 Why is it different from a tax credit system?
14:15 Lines in this debate between individual vs. structural support?
19:50 Selling of politics to the populace
22:43 Introduction by Graeme to the evolution of the modern economy and energy issues
23:38 Introduction to Ewan and overview of Scotland’s economy in relation to the energy sector
32:10 Current debate re: shift in energy use
36:36 Nature of the industry and job creation
40:38 Levers to investment
45:51 Jamie Livingstone, Oxfam Scotland, on COP26

On this episode we speak to Gerry McCartney, the UK's first Professor of Wellbeing Economy, about the interdependencies between the environment, society and the economy.

We also talk to Professor Vittal Katikireddi from Glasgow’s Social and Public Health Sciences Unit on the social determinants of health outcomes. 

Timestamps 

Professor Vittal Katikireddi: 01:50 

Professor Gerry McCartney: 22:42 

On this episode, Graeme Roy talks to Professor Sarah Armstrong from the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research and Dr Lucy Pickering of the Institute of Health and Wellbeing at the University of Glasgow to discuss inequalities and COVID, looking at their research project ‘Scotland in Lockdown’.

As we go live on polling day, Kezia Dugdale speaks to Professor Nicola McEwan from the University of Edinburgh to explore some of the underlying themes of the political campaign in Scotland and Wales, and what this means for the future of the United Kingdom.

We also have our final political round-up from Katrine Bussey, Political Editor of the Press Association Scotland, and her thoughts on the election ‘count’ – what to expect and when to expect it.

This week Kez Dugdale reflects with guests on what the Budget means for families at the sharp end of poverty across the UK. She speaks to Chris Birt, Associate Director for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Morag Treanor, Professor of Social Policy and Inequality at the University of Glasgow. Graeme Roy also walks us through the Budget process, what it means for Scotland and why the upcoming Scottish Government Budget might be slightly different to recent years.

On this episode we speak to Dr Ċetta Mainwaring, Lecturer in Sociology at Glasgow, about her research on migration and borders. 

We also talk to Professor Rebecca Madgin (University of Glasgow) and Dr Jaideep Gupte (AHRC) about a new research programme across the UK to examine the value of place in our economic and social development of communities.   

Timestamps 

Dr Ċetta Mainwaring: 00:53 

Professor Rebecca Madgin and Dr Jaideep Gupte: 23:25 

On this episode, we speak to Tom Scotto, Professor in Politics at the University of Glasgow, about what expect from the US mid-terms that are taking place on 8 November.

We return for a second season of Spotlight!

On this episode, Kez Dugdale is joined by Kieran Andrews, Political Editor of the Times in Scotland, to discuss the forthcoming Programme for Government and what it means for politics and public policy over the next 12 months.  

On this episode, we talk to Murray Pittock, Pro-Vice Principal at the University of Glasgow and Bradley Chair of English Literature, about the research in his new book 'Scotland: The Global History: 1603 to the Present' which seeks to place the international Scotland that we see today into a historical context.   

We also speak to Jocelyne Fleming, one of the authors of the ‘Road to Home’ report produced by the UK Wide Centre for Housing Evidence, looking at the role the University can play to both understand the issue of homelessness and address its root causes.

Timestamps

Murray Pittock: 1:03

Jocelyne Fleming: 20:37

In this episode, we speak to Professor Nicola McEwan, an expert in devolution and inter-governmental relations, who recently joined Glasgow to establish and run a new Centre for Public Policy.

We also talk to Theodore Koutmeridis about behavioural economics and how nudges – changes to the incentives that we face – can change the outcomes of policymaking.

Timestamps

Nicola McEwan: 1:03 

Theodore Koutmeridis: 19:06

In this first episode of the UofG Spotlight Podcast, Kezia Dugdale talks to Professor Graeme Roy about Scottish party political manifestos, their costing - and credibility.  Graeme also talks to Professor Ken Gibb on the subject of housing policy.  

On this episode of Spotlight, we focus on productivity as well as the issue of skills and training policy.

Graeme Roy talks to Professor Bart Van Ark, the Managing Director of the UK Productivity Institute, about why productivity is important and what the latest work of the Institute is telling us about productivity in the UK and beyond.

He then chats to Professor Mel Simms, Dean of Research in the College of Social Sciences at the University of Glasgow and a Professor of Work and Employment in the Adam Smith Business School about social dialogue i.e. how workers and employers’ representative organizations discuss and negotiate issues around work, employment and the economy.

Timestamps 

Professor Bart Van Ark: 01:32 

Professor Mel Simms: 28:04 

This week we chat to Sarah Davidson, Chief Executive of the Carnegie UK Trust, a hugely influential charitable trust, about Nicola Sturgeon’s upcoming Programme for Government.

We also speak with Andy Philip, Political Editor of the Press & journal, to discuss where opposition parties, businesses and lobbying/campaigning organisations fit in shaping what happens after the Programme is announced.

Finally, we welcome back Jamie Livingstone from Oxfam Scotland for his third and final instalment on all things COP26.

Timestamps

01:02  Sarah Davidson  

22:58  Andy Philip  

36:10  Jamie Livingstone

Back for Season 3!

On this episode, Kezia Dugdale talks to Gina Davidson, Deputy Political Editor of The Scotsman, on what it is like for a journalist to be reporting during an election campaign. 

Graeme Roy speaks to leading polling expert Mark Diffley on how policy is reported and how decisions are made on what goes into a party manifesto - and what doesn't.

We are also joined by Katrine Bussey, Political Editor of the Press Association, who gives us an insight into what will make it into the news this week.

On this episode, Graeme Roy speaks to Professor Chris Carman, Stevenson Professor of Citizenship, and postdoc Dr Fraser McMillan.  Chris and Fraser discuss their latest Scottish Election Study research and what it is telling us about public attitudes and how they might shape outcome of the election.

Kezia Dugdale talks to Professor Danny Blanchflower on the topic of economic wellbeing and happiness.

We also hear from Katrine Bussey, Political Editor of the Press Association Scotland with this week's political forecast.

Happy New Year! In our first episode of 2022, we chat with Gina Davidson, Political Editor of LBC Radio in Scotland, to get an expert overview of what lies in store for the year ahead.

We also talk to Professor Eugenio Proto, the Alex Cairncross Professor of Economics at the University of Glasgow, to find out about his research on mental health during the pandemic, including some unexpected findings on the personality types that were affected the most.

Timestamps

Gina Davidson: 1:27

Eugenio Proto: 27:30