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In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott talks to Tim Whitmarsh from the University of Cambridge and Cammie Curtin from the Toulouse School of Economics about how culture shapes who we are. They explore how culture influences the way people think and behave, how social norms and institutions support cooperation, and why practices that may seem universal can vary widely across societies. The conversation looks at identity and cultural change in the ancient Greek and Roman worlds, how rituals and shared obligations bind communities together, why some cultural traits endure while others change, and what understanding cultural differences can teach us about belonging, public policy and social cooperation. Season 5 Episode 10 transcript  (MS Word / PDF) Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin and Bluesky. With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline Alves More information about our host and guests: Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. His last role was as a science correspondent covering the Covid-19 outbreak, but prior to that he was the transport correspondent reporting on new technologies. Richard left the corporation to become the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. Podcast guests Cammie Curtin is an interdisciplinary social scientist studying cultural evolution. Broadly, her research investigates how cultural traits evolve and how they shape human social psychology and behaviour. Her recent work examines how social norms and institutions sustain cooperation in indigenous communities of Oaxaca, Mexico, where she does fieldwork. She leverages methods from anthropology, psychology, and economics, including qualitative and quantitative ethnography, psychological surveys, behavioural economics games, and work with secondary data. She is currently a Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse at the Toulouse School of Economics. She received her PhD in Human Evolutionary Biology from Harvard University. Prof Tim Whitmarsh is Regius Professor of Greek at the University of Cambridge, and a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge. A specialist in the literature, culture and religion of ancient Greece, he is the sole author of nine books, including Battling the Gods: Atheism in the Ancient World (Knopf 2015) and Dirty Love: The Genealogy of the Ancient Greek Novel (Oxford University Press 2018). He is editor-in-chief of the Oxford Classical Dictionary (5th edition), and edits book series for Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press. He was Principal Investigator for a major AHRC project Greek Epic of the Roman Empire: A Cultural History (2014–17), which will (among other things) produce the first complete set of translations of this relatively neglected corpus of Greek poetry.

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott talks to Sander van der Linden from the University of Cambridge and Marion Hoffman from the Toulouse School of Economics about how social connections shape our lives.  They explore how relationships form, why having many connections does not necessarily protect people from loneliness, and how online and face-to-face interactions influence wellbeing, trust and access to information.  The conversation examines how algorithms, likes and echo chambers shape what people see and believe, why some social groups mix while others remain separate, who is most vulnerable to online manipulation, and what schools, policymakers and technology companies can do to create safer and more inclusive spaces for connection. Season 5 Episode 9 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/ Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X.  With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline AlvesMore information about our host and guests: Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. Marion Hoffman is an Assistant Professor at the Toulouse School of Economics. Her research aims at furthering statistical methods for the analysis of social networks and social groups. Her work has particularly focused on the development of relational event models and exponential family models tailored for social group data. She has also worked on empirical studies devoted to understanding the role of depressive symptoms and socioeconomic attributes in the emergence of social interactions. She received a PhD from ETH Zürich in Switzerland before joining the IAST and TSE. Sander van der Linden is Professor of Social Psychology in Society and Director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge. He is ranked among the top 1% of highly cited social scientists worldwide and has published over 200 research papers. He is the author of Foolproof: Why We Fall for Misinformation and How to Build Immunity (2023). He was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences in 2025 and received the BPS President’s Award for Distinguished Contributions to Psychological Knowledge.

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott (host) talks to Davide Luca from the University of Cambridge and Laurenz Guenther from the Toulouse School of Economics about what lies behind the rise of populism.  They explore why populism is not only about elections or political leaders, but also about how people experience representation, inequality, place and trust in democracy.  The conversation examines how spatial inequality, economic anxiety, cultural attitudes and social media shape political behaviour, why some voters feel unheard by mainstream parties, and what democratic systems can do to rebuild stronger connections with citizens. Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform  Season 5 Episode 8 transcript: MS Word / PDF For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin and Bluesky.  With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline AlvesMore information about our host and guests: Laurenz Guenther is a Research Fellow at the Toulouse School of Economics (IAST) and a Fellow at Bocconi University's Institute for European Policymaking; from August 2026 he will also be a Visiting Scholar at Nuffield College, Oxford. His research combines political and experimental economics to study populism, immigration and political representation — including how gaps between citizens' preferences and those of their elected representatives shape support for populist parties. He holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Bonn (2023). He has been named one of the "40 under 40" by the German business magazine Capital. Dr Davide Luca is an Assistant Professor in Regional Economics at the Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge, and Fitzwilliam College’s DoS for his department. His research is interdisciplinary, and focuses on the interactions between territorial inequality, socioeconomic outcomes, and public policy delivery. Before joining Cambridge University, Dr Davide Luca was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and worked for the European Commission. He holds a PhD in Economic Geography from the London School of Economics and Political Science. More information about him can be found on his website: https://davideluca.com/ Richard Westcott (host) is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city.

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott (host) talks to Rachel Adams (University of Cambridge) and Tiziana Assenza (Toulouse School of Economics)  about who we can trust online, and how misinformation, platforms and AI are reshaping the information environment.  They explore why misinformation is not only about false content, but also about the systems that decide what people see, when they see it, and at what scale.  The conversation examines how people often overestimate their own ability to spot misinformation, why emotional and identity-based reactions make false information spread, and how AI can deepen inequalities between countries with very different levels of regulation, digital literacy and platform accountability.  They also discuss the risks for democracy, children and public debate, the economic consequences of technology-related misinformation, and what governments, platforms, schools and independent institutions can do to build a healthier and more trustworthy online information environment. Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platformSeason 5 Episode 7 transcriptFor more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin and Bluesky With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline Alves More information about our host and guests: Rachel Adams, Leverhulme Centre for the Future of Intelligence (CFI), University of Cambridge. Dr Rachel Adams is the Founder and CEO of the Global Centre on AI Governance, a global hub for research and evidence-led action on inclusive and equitable approaches to the use and governance of Al technologies. She has wide expertise in leading global research grants and building international, multi-stakeholder programmes that connect rigorous scholarship with real-world policy impact. She’s been involved with CFI for a number of years, including as an Assistant Research Professor with the Centre. In her new role Dr Adams will provide leadership for the Centre, with the aim of advancing, supporting and maintaining the University of Cambridge’s national and international reputation for excellence in research and teaching in the ethics and impact of AI. Tiziana Assenza, Toulouse School of Economics Tiziana is an Associate Professor of Economics at Toulouse School of Economics. Her research examines economic behavior using experimental and computational methods, with a particular focus on expectations formation in macroeconomics. She studies how individuals form and update economic expectations, how central bank communication influences these expectations, and how dis(mis)information shapes decision-making, business cycles, and the effectiveness of economic policy. Richard Westcott (Host), Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city.

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott talks to Sumedha Deshmukh and Bruno Biais about whether the future of money can be truly inclusive.  They explore the promise and limits of cryptocurrency, asking whether it offers a genuine alternative to existing financial systems or risks reproducing the same forms of exclusion, volatility and mistrust. The conversation examines why crypto may be useful in places where monetary and banking institutions are weak, but also why it can expose less informed users to new risks. They also discuss stablecoins, digital public infrastructure, regulation, trust and governance, and what policymakers need to consider if digital finance is to serve people’s real needs rather than simply benefiting those who are already better connected and better informed. Season 5 Episode 6 transcript Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X.  With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline Alves More information about our host and guests: Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. Podcast guests Bruno Biais, a professor at HEC Paris, and associate researcher at TSE, holds a PhD in finance from HEC. He is a fellow of the Econometric Society and the Finance Theory group and has been scientific adviser to the NYSE, Euronext, European Central Bank and Bank of England. His current research project, titled "Welfare, Incentives, and Dynamic Equilibrium" benefits from the support of the European Research Council (ERC Advanced Grant). Sumedha Deshmukh, formerly of the Bennett School of Public Policy, is currently a Research Fellow at University College London and the Ada Lovelace Institute. Her research focuses on the economic and societal impacts of digital technologies, with a particular interest in technology governance and public policy. Previously, she led multi-stakeholder technology governance initiatives at the World Economic Forum. She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge, as well as a Master of Public Policy and BA in Economics from the University of Virginia.

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Anna Alexandrova and Léo Fitouchi talk to Richard Westcott about the limits of markets and what happens when economic reasoning meets moral values.  They explore why some things – such as dignity, fairness and trust – sit uneasily with prices, and how attempts to measure wellbeing can reshape what societies consider valuable.  The conversation also examines how monetary incentives sometimes crowd out moral motivations, why people react strongly to the idea that certain goods should be for sale, and what this means for policymakers trying to design fair and legitimate institutions in a world where not everything that matters can be priced. Listen on your preferred podcast platform Season 5 Episode 5 transcript: Word / PDF For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline AlvesMore information about our host and guests: Guest speakers Anna Alexandrova is a Professor in Philosophy of Science at the University of Cambridge and a Fellow of King’s College Cambridge. She researches how formal tools such as models and indicators enable scientists to navigate complex phenomena tinged with ethical and political dimensions. Her book A Philosophy for the Science of Wellbeing came out with Oxford University Press in 2017 and won the 2022 Gittler Book Prize of the American Philosophical Association.  Léo Fitouchi is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST) and Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences of the Toulouse School of Economics (TSE). His research investigates the evolved mechanisms of moral cognition and how they shape the cultural evolution of moral norms, religious traditions, and punitive institutions across human societies. He tackles those questions by integrating insights from the social, cognitive, and evolutionary sciences, and testing predictions of the accounts he proposes by means of psychological experiments and cross-cultural databases. He received a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science from the École Normale Supérieure in Paris before joining the IAST. Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city.

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott talks to Dr Alessio Terzi from the Bennett School of Public Policy, and Prof Christian Gollier from the Toulouse School of Economics, about what a “fair” climate transition could look like when the costs are local, the benefits are global, and the politics are hard. They explore why decarbonisation is a whole-economy transformation, what it means for jobs and places, and why the narrative matters as much as the technology.  The conversation also looks at carbon pricing and redistribution, the credibility problem of long-term policy, and what kinds of institutions and policies can keep people on board in the years ahead. Season 5 Episode 4 transcript: MS Word / PDF Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin and Bluesky. With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline AlvesMore information about our guests: Podcast guests Prof Christian Gollier’s research spans the fields of economics of uncertainty, environmental economics, finance, consumption, insurance and cost-benefit analysis, with a particular interest in long-term sustainable effects. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society. He founded the Jean-Jacques Laffont / Toulouse School of Economics Foundation with Jean Tirole in 2007. He was its director from 2009 to 2024 (with a hiatus in 2015-2016). From June 2023 to October 2025, he was the first director of the “Grand Etablissement TSE”. Dr Alessio Terzi is an economist working at the intersection of academia, think-tanks, and policy. He is Assistant Professor at the Bennett School of Public Policy, Cambridge, where he also directs the MPhil in Public Policy, and is an Adjunct Professor in Economics at Sciences Po. He is a member of the World Economic Forum Global Future Council on Equitable Transition.  @terzibus.bsky.social

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott talks to Diane Coyle and César Hidalgo about how knowledge, ideas and intangible assets are becoming central to modern prosperity. They discuss what makes intellectual capital distinctive, how AI may widen or narrow inequalities, and why some places benefit more than others. The conversation also explores the challenges of measuring intangible value and what kinds of skills, institutions and infrastructure are needed for countries and regions to turn intellectual capital into broader, long-term growth. Season 5 Episode 3 transcript: https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/Episode-3-Transcript_Final.pdf For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/ Follow us on Linkedin and Bluesky. With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline Alves More information about our host and guests: Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. Podcast guests Diane Coyle is the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. She is the Research Director at the Bennett School of Public Policy. Diane’s latest book is The Measure of Progress: Counting what really matters. Her own research focuses on productivity, the digital economy and AI policy, and economic measurement. Diane is currently a member of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Council, the New Towns Taskforce, and advises the Competition and Markets Authority. Diane was awarded a DBE in 2023 for her contribution to economics and public policy. César Hidalgo is a Chilean-Spanish-American scholar known for his contributions to economic complexity and for his applied work on data visualization and artificial intelligence. Hidalgo is a tenured professor at the Toulouse School of Economics’ (TSE) Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences and the head of the Center for Collective Learning a multidisciplinary research laboratory with offices at Institute for Advanced Study (IAST) at TSE and the Corvinus Institute of Advanced Studies (CIAS) at Corvinus University of Budapest. He is also an Honorary Professor at the Alliance Manchester Business School of the University of Manchester.

In this episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott talks to Jack Newman, Angélique Acquatella and Pinelopi Koujianou Goldberg about the forces that shape inequality today.  Drawing on economics, politics and public policy, our guests examine why gaps persist, look at the roles of technology and trade, explore evidence on health inequalities in the UK, and discuss the delivery gap between national ambitions and local capacity. They share examples of when place-based approaches can work, what gets in the way, and how institutions can support more inclusive growth. Season 5 Episode 2 transcript: MS Word / PDF Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform:  For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline AlvesMore information about our podcast host and guests: Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. Podcast guests Angélique Acquatella is an Assistant Professor at the Toulouse School of Economics. She received her PhD in Economics at Harvard University. During her doctoral studies, she was an NBER Aging and Health Fellow and a National Science Foundation Fellow. Angélique's research looks at the optimal design of healthcare policy, within two main substantive areas: public health insurance systems and pharmaceutical payment policy. She is interested in policy designs that advance health equity, minimise risk for the most disadvantaged individuals, and incentivise socially valuable investments.  Jack Newman is a public policy researcher specialising in decentralisation and place-based policy. He is an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett School of Public Policy, and a Research Associate at the University of Manchester, investigating the changing spatial footprint and governance structures of the NHS. In recent years, Jack has researched spatial inequality, local institutions, and healthy urban development at the Universities of Bristol, Cambridge, Manchester, Surrey, and Leeds.  Pinelopi (Penny) Koujianou Goldberg is the Elihu Professor of Economics and Global Affairs and an Affiliate of the Economic Growth Center at Yale University. She holds a joint appointment at the Yale Department of Economics and the Jackson School of Global Affairs. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, recipient of Guggenheim Memorial Foundation and Sloan Research Fellowships, and recipient of the Bodossaki Prize in Social Sciences. Pinelopi is an applied microeconomist drawn to policy-relevant questions in trade and development.

In this first episode of series five, our Crossing Channels podcast host Richard Westcott welcomes three affiliated experts to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming higher education. Jonathan Grant (Bennett School of Public Policy), and Jean-François Bonnefon and François Poinas (Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) & the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse (IAST)) share their different perspectives rooted in public policy, psychology, and economics. They examine how AI is reshaping the way universities teach, conduct research, and connect with government, business, and civil society. They look into how generative tools are changing learning and assessment, how students and academics can build trust in AI systems, and what the rise of these technologies means for the skills and values that universities aim to foster. Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform Season 5 Episode 1 transcript To find out more about the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and IAST visit our websites: https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin and Bluesky With thanks to: Audio production by Alice WhaleyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde Selvi, Bennett School of Public PolicyVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Pauline Alves, IAST, TSEMore information about our host and guests: Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and is now the Communications Director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. Podcast guests Jean-François Bonnefon, is Director of the Social and Behavioural Sciences Department at Toulouse School of Economics (TSE) and the Institute of Advanced Studies in Toulouse (IAST). Jean-François is a CNRS research director, affiliated with TSE and IAST, and a cognitive psychologist whose work spans computer science, psychology, and economics. He is renowned for his expertise in moral preferences and decision-making, and is particularly recognised for his contributions to the ethics of advanced artificial intelligence, especially in autonomous driving.  Jonathan Grant is an Affiliated Researcher at the Bennett School of Public Policy, and Vice President for Strategic Initiatives at the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).  In his work for KAUST, he leads efforts to enhance the institution's global and national impact through transformative academic programming and strategic partnerships. An expert in health R&D policy, research impact, and the evolving role of universities, Jonathan has worked across Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Australia.  François Poinas is Assistant Professor and Dean of Education at Toulouse School of Economics since October 2023. After completing his PhD in Economics at University Lumière Lyon 2, he joined TSE and University Toulouse Capitole in 2010. His research is about applied microeconomics, focusing on labor and education economics. He produces scientific articles on schooling, the dynamics of intra-firm promotions, and migration decisions.

In this final episode of season 4, Richard Westcott is joined by Catherine Barnard (University of Cambridge) and Emmanuelle Auriol (Toulouse School of Economics) to explore the economic, legal, and social dimensions of migration. Drawing on insights from law and economics, the conversation explores how migration affects labour markets, legal protections, and social cohesion — from post-Brexit realities in Great Yarmouth, UK, to global questions of fairness and opportunity. The episode examines who migrates and why, the limits of current border regimes, and what more effective and ethical migration policies could look like. Season 4 Episode 10 transcript: https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/S04E10-Final-transcript.pdfListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform: https://pod.fo/e/309b75For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett School of Public Policy and the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, visit our websites at https://www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X.  With thanks to: Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests: Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. In 2024, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcott Emmanuelle Auriol is a French economist and professor at Toulouse School of Economics. Her research combines theory and empirics in industrial organisation and development economics, focusing on market failures driven by rent-seeking, cognitive biases, and discriminatory norms. Her work blends neoclassical and behavioural economics and has been published in top journals. A CNRS Bronze Medalist and member of the Institut Universitaire de France, she is also a fellow of the EEA, CEPR, CESifo, and EUDN. She contributes to policy and development work with institutions like the French Development Agency and the World Bank. She serves on the Conseil d'Analyse Économique, is a member of the Cercle des Économistes, and has authored two award-winning books. Catherine Barnard FBA, FLSW, FRSA is Professor of European Law at the University of Cambridge.  She is the author of EU Employment Law (Oxford, OUP, 2012, 5th ed.), The Substantive Law of the EU: The Four Freedoms, (Oxford, OUP, 2025, 8th ed), and (with Peers ed), European Union Law (Oxford, OUP, 2023, 4th ed). She is a member of the European Commission funded European Labour Law Network (ELLN). She is a Senior Fellow of the UK in a Changing Europe where she considers the legal issues around migration, together with the legal and constitutional issues associated with Brexit, in particular the Withdrawal Agreement and the Trade and Cooperation Agreement.  She has appeared on the main media channels  - BBC, ITV and Sky  - as well as some of the more specialist programmes such as Law in Action, Woman's Hour, Question Ti

In this episode, Richard Westcott is joined by Wendy Ayres-Bennett and Benjamin Pitt to explore a big, everyday question: what is the value of speaking other languages? The conversation looks at how the languages we speak shape our sense of identity, influence how we think and reason, and affect how we relate to others. We explore how multilingualism can foster social cohesion, support cognitive flexibility, and even boost economic opportunities. Our guests discuss why language is never just a tool for communication and why recognising its deeper value matters for how we design education, shape public policy, and navigate life in an increasingly interconnected world. This episode is hosted by Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus), and features experts Benjamin Pitt (IAST) and Wendy Ayres-Bennett (University of Cambridge).  Season 4 Episode 9 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk and iast.fr Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X.  With thanks to: Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore CarbonnelMore information about our host and guests: Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcott Benjamin Pitt is a cognitive scientist and current Research Fellow at the Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse. He studies how language and culture shape the way people think, and what this cognitive diversity can tell us about the structure of the human mind. He holds degrees from Brown University and the University of Chicago, and – starting next Spring – he will be joining the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at the University of Massachusetts, as assistant professor and director of the “Cognitive Construction” lab. Wendy Ayres-Bennett is Emerita Professor of French Philology and Linguistics, University of Cambridge. She was Principal Investigator (2016-2021) on the AHRC-funded, multi-disciplinary research project, Multilingualism: Empowering Individuals, Transforming Societies, which promoted the value of languages for key issues of our time and explored the benefits of language learning for individuals and societies. An AHRC-funded follow-on project Promoting Language Policy provided research-based evidence for moving languages higher up the political agenda. She currently holds a Leverhulme Trust Emeritus Fellowship to write a book on language policy in the UK.

In this episode, Richard Westcott is joined by Simone Schnall, Catherine Molho, and Maximilian Müller to explore a big, everyday question: why do we make the choices we do? From decisions about money and morality to careers and relationships, the conversation digs into what really drives us—whether it’s emotions, social pressure, or the stories we tell ourselves after the fact. The conversation explores how physical experiences and emotions like fear or anger can shape our judgement, and how gossip and social norms influence who we trust and how we act. Our experts also discuss how we reshape memories to fit our choices, and how identity can shape what we believe or invest in. It’s a fascinating look at what really drives human behaviour—and what that means for how we design policies, technology, the systems we live in, and the role AI might play in shaping our decisions. This episode is hosted by Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus), and features experts Catherine Molho (IAST), Maximilian Müller (TSE) and Simone Schnall (Cambridge University).  Season 4 Episode 8 transcriptListen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X.  With thanks to: Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore Carbonnel More information about our host and guests: Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcott Podcast guests Catherine Molho is a psychologist studying human cooperation, social norms, and the role of emotions in decision-making, at IAST. Her work draws upon insights from social and evolutionary psychology, behavioral economics, and anthropology. She uses interactive experiments, experience sampling, and cross-cultural surveys to better understand what shapes cooperative and punitive decisions. Maximilian Müller is a behavioural economist at Toulouse School of Economics where he studies questions in fields such as education, development, and family economics. In his research, he examines social influences on individual behavior and beliefs around big life decisions such as career or fertility choices and explores their potential consequences for society-wide outcomes such as intergenerational transmission and social mobility.  Simone Schnall is the Director of the Cambridge Body, Mind and Behaviour Laboratory and Fellow of Jesus College at University of Cambridge. By combining insights and methods from social psychology and cognitive science her research explores how thoughts and feelings interact. She aims to understand how people make judgmen

Richard Westcott talks to Jonathan Stieglitz, IAST and Martin White, University of Cambridge, about  the global health challenges related to diet and nutrition, the roles of public health policies, cultural practices, and lifestyle changes, while creating sustainable food systems that ensure access to healthy food for all and maintain economic viability. How do we address global health challenges, particularly in relation to diet and nutrition? What role do public health policies, cultural practices and lifestyle changes play in shaping our food choices? How can we create food systems that ensure everyone has access to healthy and sustainable food while maintaining economic viability? To explore these issues, Richard Westcott talks to Prof Martin White, Professor of population health research from the University of Cambridge,  and Prof Jonathan Stieglitz, IAST Scientific Director. Season 4 Episode 7 transcript Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X.  With thanks to: Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore Carbonnel More information about our host and guests: Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. His last role was as a science correspondent covering the covid outbreak, but prior to that he was the transport correspondent reporting on new technologies such as driverless cars, major accidents and large infrastructure projects. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcott Prof Jonathan Stieglitz is an anthropologist specializing in human health and aging.  He studies how evolved human biology interacts with variability in the environment to influence well-being over the life course. Since 2004 he has worked with indigenous Tsimane forager-farmers of the Bolivian Amazon, studying how environmental transition (for example, changes in infectious exposures, physical activity levels, or consumption of processed foods) influences diverse health indicators. He co-directs the Tsimane Health and Life History Project.  Prof Martin White is an interdisciplinary scientist who leads research on food systems and public health, and has a particular interest in evaluation of population interventions to improve diet and health. He led the NIHR funded evaluation of the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and currently leads two UKRI interdisciplinary consortia on food system transformation (https://www.mandala-consortium.org/ and https://www.salientfoodtrials.uk). He was a visiting fellow at the Bennett Institute for Public Policy in 2020-22 and is a regular contributor to Cambridge University’s Centre for Science and Policy (CSaP) Policy Fellows programme for civil servants.

In this episode, Richard Westcott talks to Diane Coyle, Jacques Crémer, and Paul Seabright about Europe’s position in competing with the US in technology. They explore the factors shaping Europe’s place in the global tech race—how data, policy, investment, competition and culture influence its potential to compete with the US. Our experts unpack the challenges and opportunities for Europe’s tech ecosystem. They consider whether Europe should aim to catch up with the US or focus on carving out its own path, questioning what success in innovation really looks like. Along the way, they discuss the role of data, risk-taking, the challenges of scaling up new ideas, and the structural and policy changes needed to support innovation in Europe. This episode is hosted by Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus), and features experts Diane Coyle (Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge), Jacques Crémer (IAST), Paul Seabright (IAST) Listen to this episode on your preferred podcast platform Season 4 Episode 6 transcript For more information about the Crossing Channels podcast series and the work of the Bennett Institute and IAST visit our websites at https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/ and https://www.iast.fr/. Follow us on Linkedin, Bluesky and X.  With thanks to: Audio production by Steve HankeyAssociate production by Burcu Sevde SelviVisuals by Tiffany Naylor and Aurore Carbonnel More information about our host and guests: Podcast host Richard Westcott is an award-winning journalist who spent 27 years at the BBC as a correspondent/producer/presenter covering global stories for the flagship Six and Ten o’clock TV news as well as the Today programme. Last year, Richard left the corporation and he is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus, both organisations that are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcott Podcast guests Diane Coyle is the Bennett Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge. Diane co-directs the Bennett Institute where she heads research under the themes of progress and productivity. Diane’s new book (April 2025) ‘The Measure of Progress: Counting what really matters’ explores how outdated economic metrics are distorting our understanding of today’s digital economy. Diane is also a member of the UK Government’s Industrial Strategy Council, New Towns Taskforce, and advises the Competition and Markets Authority. She has served previously in a number of public service roles including as Vice Chair of the BBC Trust, member of the Competition Commission, and of the Natural Capital Committee. Diane was awarded a DBE in 2023 for her contribution to economics and public policy. @DianeCoyle1859 Jacques Crémer is Professor at the Toulouse School of Economics. He is a Fellow of the Econometric Society and of the European Economic Association. He has been the first director of the Digital Center since 2015.  In 2018-2019, as a Special Adviser to European Commissioner Margrethe Vestager, he co-authored the report “Competition Policy for the Digital Era”. Jacques has done fundamen