Aspen UK

In this episode, Natalie Lue, writer for the website, Baggage Reclaim, one of the most-read dating and relationship websites in the UK, leads a conversation on the future of dating. She is joined by Paul Carrick Brunson, co-host of Married at First Sight UK and Celebs Go Dating; Monica Anderson, associate director of research at the Pew Research Center and Charly Lester, founding chief executive of The Dating Awards. Together they discuss the impact Covid-19 has had and continues to have on the dating landscape, as current relationships are redefined and dating is forced to become predominantly virtual; examine the cultural evolution around online dating - how the once frowned upon approach to meeting people has now become the norm; and delve into the influence of swipe culture, how it has caused people to treat each other like “commodities rather than humans,” and whether personalities are forgotten in favour of looks…  

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What does the future hold for the Commonwealth, home to 2.4 billion people? Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda; Nondumiso Hlophe, a Queen’s Young Leader and Commonwealth Young Achiever; Rt. Hon. Sir Donald McKinnon, former secretary general of the Commonwealth, and one time New Zealand Deputy Prime Minister; and Professor Philip Murphy, director of the Institute of Commonwealth Studies join Joel Kibazo, former spokesperson at the Commonwealth Secretariat, in a conversation. Together they share their frustrations with the Commonwealth, discuss the value it brings, particularly to island nations and in times of crises, and explore what the Commonwealth means to people today. 

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Matthew Flinders, Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield and founding director of the Sir Bernard Crick Centre and leads a conversation on the future of the Union. He is joined by John Lloyd, contributing editor at the Financial Times; Andrew Wilson, former Member of the Scottish Parliament, and founding partner at Charlotte Street Partners; Iain MacWhirter, author and political commentator for the Herald; and Ruth Dudley Edwards, historian and writer. In this in-depth conversation, they debate the evolution of the union, explore what an independent Scotland would look like and discuss the impact Covid-19 and Brexit have had on public opinion towards the union. 

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Since the pandemic started, many of us have become increasingly conscious of our work areas, living spaces and the world around us. In this episode, Amy Frearson, editor-at-large for Dezeen leads a discussion on the future of architecture. She is joined by Mark Dytham, co-founder of Klein Dytham Architecture; Peter Exley, upcoming President of the American Institute of Architects; Maria Smith, director of sustainability and physics at Buro Happold; and Armstrong Yakubu, senior partner at Foster + Partners. They discuss how the way we look at, and appreciate buildings has changed over the last year, stress the critical role architects need to play in shaping the future, and examine the impact the growing polarisation of politics has on architecture. 

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Celia Ouellette, founder and CEO of the Responsible Business Initiative for Justice (RBIJ) leads a conversation on the future of justice. She is joined by Chris Daw QC, lawyer, writer, broadcaster, and legal commentator; Abimbola Johnson, defence barrister and legal commentator; Ali Niaz, UK Advocacy Coordinator at RBIJ and co-founder of BPureSounds; and Professor Richard Susskind OBE, author, founder of Remote Courts Worldwide, chair on the Oxford Internet Institute board and president of the Society for Computers and Law. They examine how technology can transform our justice system and what can be done to avoid bias, explore how we should be investing for the future and discuss what really needs to be at the heart of the criminal justice system. 

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In this episode, Kenza Bryan, money reporter at The Times and The Sunday Times leads a discussion on the future of cash. She is joined by Natalie Ceeney CBE, chair of Innovate Finance; Jeni Mundy, managing director UK and Ireland at Visa; and Paddy Greene, head of policy at Which?. In this in-depth conversation, they explore the relationship between cash and financial exclusion, explain how the pandemic has accelerated the move from cash to digital payments, examine the role digital payments can play in helping people become more financially included, and discuss what the United Kingdom can learn from the Nordic model. 

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A conversation with some of the world’s top experts on disinformation - how hate has been weaponized and fear spread. Arisha Michelle Hatch, vice president and chief of campaigns at Color Of Change; Sasha Havlicek, founding CEO of the Institute for Strategic Dialogue; Peter Pomerantsev, senior fellow at the SNF Agora Institute and Co-Director of the Arena Initiative; and Ethan Zuckerman, director of the Institute for Digital Public Infrastructure are led by Ed Williams, president and CEO of Edelman EMEA and chairman of Aspen UK. In this in-depth conversation, they discuss how social media platforms have been used to weaponize hate and disinformation, explore the problem of “not knowing”, and examine the Republican Party’s use of disinformation in the recent US Presidential election. 

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In this episode, Ed Vaizey, business adviser and member of the UK House of Lords leads a discussion on the future of employment. He is joined by Mete Coban MBE, chief executive of My Life My Say and Labour councillor for Stoke Newington; Mark Flanagan, education partner manager at Epic Games; Cathy Hackl, futurist, speaker and author; and Esther O'Callaghan OBE, principal co-founder at Hundo.careers. In this in-depth conversation, they discuss the crucial role young people need to have in rebuilding society post-Covid, explore how the world of work will adapt to present opportunities we may never have imagined and stress the importance of having greater flexibility in education. 

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Gordon Corera, the BBC’s Security Correspondent, leads a conversation on the future of intelligence and security with Sir John Scarlett, former Chief of MI6; Professor Sir David Omand, former Director of GCHQ; and Elisabeth Braw, visiting fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. In this in-depth discussion, they question whether we should rethink the definition of ‘security’ in light of the Covid-19 crisis, stress the importance of the US-UK special relationship and explore the threat China poses to the future of British intelligence.

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Matthew Price, presenter and correspondent for NBC News leads a conversation on the future of journalism. He is joined by Polly Curtis, managing director for PA Media, the UK’s news agency; Lorna Hughes, editor of the Sunday Mail for the Scottish Daily Record; Anna Mallett, CEO of ITN; and Meera Selva, director of the journalism fellowship programme at the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism. In this in-depth conversation, they share what gives them hope for the future of the industry, discuss the challenges journalism faces to be accessible to different audiences, and stress the importance of trusted, impartial news during a time of national crisis. 

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