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Description

Tune into the UNpacked podcast for the latest news and views on public policy and human development. Join our hosts as they delve into a range of topical global issues along with staff and students from UNU-MERIT, the United Nations University institute in Maastricht, the Netherlands. The UNpacked team, a group of students on the Master’s in Public Policy and Human Development, releases a new episode every other Friday at noon. The opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the hosts and guests and not of the United Nations University and Maastricht University.

Podcast episodes

Check latest episodes from UNpacked The Podcast podcast

What keeps us going? Behind the scenes of student life

2021/07/02

What keeps us going? What happens behind the scenes of student life, and more specifically, the DEMOS board? This episode is all about the glue that holds the MPP 2020-2021 cohort together: the board of DEMOS, the study association of the Master's programme in Public Policy and Human Development, featuring Ashleigh Bicker Caarten, Loes van Heugten and Loesje Verhoeven. They lift the curtain and show us what happens behind the scenes of student life at UNU-MERIT. From great memories to frustrating emails - what keeps us going? And how to find a new home now that the year has nearly come to an end? We should at least not let the three girls move onto a desert island. Why? Tune in! Team behind the podcast: Ion Cantea, Clarissa Bruns, Ross Mudie, Céline Nimeskern, Loesje Verhoeven, Chioma Giwa-Amu, Job Zomerplaag and Carolin Riethmüller

Should I stay or should I go? Why we migrate

2021/06/10

Should I stay or should I go? Why do people migrate? Is there a difference between a migrant and an expat? Our guest this episode is Julia Reinold - a PhD candidate at Maastricht University's Institute for Transnational and Euregional Cross-border Cooperation and Mobility / ITEM and part of the Migration Group at UNU-MERIT. Together we explore her research into how policy-makers can better attract and retain highly-skilled international migrants in border regions. She shares insights from her personal migration journey to Maastricht 10 years ago and her research. This podcast provides insights on why highly skilled migrants stay or leave. Team behind the podcast: Ion Cantea, Clarissa Bruns, Ross Mudie, Céline Nimeskern, Loesje Verhoeven, Chioma Giwa-Amu, Job Zomerplaag and Carolin Riethmüller

Back to school? Behind the scenes at UNU-MERIT

2021/05/27

What happens behind the scenes at UNU-MERIT? Which office has the best chocolate supply? To which Hogwarts house belong the institute's professors? And why is there a goat living inside the university building? In this episode recorded from the institute's building, we laugh and talk for 45 minutes with Alex Hunns, a researcher at UNU-MERIT focusing on social protection research. He is also involved in designing and producing new online courses on statistics. Team behind the podcast: Ion Cantea, Clarissa Bruns, Ross Mudie, Céline Nimeskern, Loesje Verhoeven, Chioma Giwa-Amu, Job Zomerplaag and Carolin Riethmüller

Count on me? The art of statistics and the beauty of evidence-based policy

2021/05/14

How do numbers shape our understanding of the world? How can statistics and figures contribute to better policymaking? Why do we need a critical discussion on what we should (not) count when collecting evidence for policymaking? In this episode, we meet with Pui-hang (Hampton) Wong, a researcher at and Maastricht University and UNU-MERIT. He coordinates the Foreign Policy and Development specialization of the Master in Public Policy and Human Development (MPP), where he also teaches several courses in statistics. We also talk with MPP student Ander Villar Thompson about why math is beautiful and the need for scientists in policymaking. Team behind the podcast: Ion Cantea, Clarissa Bruns, Ross Mudie, Céline Nimeskern, Loesje Verhoeven, Job Zomerplaag and Carolin Riethmüller