Aspen UK

In this special episode, recorded live in honour of International Women's Day, Deborah Bonetti, Director of the Foreign Press Association and UK Correspondent for QN-II Giorno speaks to Beth Rigby, Political Editor at Sky News; Alison Phillips, deputy Editor-in-chief of the Daily Mirror, Sunday Mirror and Sunday People; Megha Mohan, BBC World Service's global gender and identity correspondent; Stefanie Bolzen, UK and Ireland correspondent for WELT and WELT am Sonntag; and Suzanne Franks, former BBC TV broadcaster and Professor of Journalism at City, University of London. These leading women in journalism discuss challenges they've faced in the industry and positive steps they've seen in recent years, and reflect on the importance of representation in the field.

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on 15 March 2022. 

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Prashant Rao, Global Editor at The Atlantic speaks to Simon Cheng, exiled pro-democracy activist and founder of Hongkongers in Britain; Laurel Chor, Emmy-nominated freelance journalist; Ines Gafsi, Co-Founder of Female Entrepreneurs Worldwide; and Professor Shirley Ze Yu, Director of the China-Africa Initiative at LSE and Senior Practitioner Fellow with the Ash Center of Harvard Kennedy School. These experts from inside and outside of Hong Kong discuss everything from the state of politics and protest to the prospects for business and the economy in a place that operates under the shadow of its Chinese neighbour. 

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 4th April 2022.

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Paul Mason, journalist and film-maker, and author of How to Stop Fascism: History, Ideology, Resistance, speaks to Olya Kudinenko; Founder and Chair of the Board at the Tabletochki Foundation; Yegor Lanovenko, Founder and Chairman of Opora; Olena Sotnyk, Policy Advisor to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine; and Olga Tokariuk, Non-resident Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, these established leaders discuss the prospects for a peaceful solution; the country’s future position in the global order; and the rebuilding of Ukraine. 

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 11th April 2022.

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Following the outbreak of conflict in March 2011, Syria has seen protracted fighting which has given rise to numerous humanitarian, economic and political challenges.  In this episode, Ghadi Sary, Managing Partner at Governance House and former BBC News Producer speaks to Chris McNaboe, Field Officer for the Carter Center; Oudai Tozan, Founder of the International Syrian Association for Education Development; Dr. Rim Turkmani, Director of the Syria conflict research programme at LSE; and Dr. Carsten Wieland, a former advisor to the UN Special Envoy for Syria. The panel review the state of conflict in Syria, the impact of the war in Ukraine on international responses to the conflict, and prospects for the country’s future stability.

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 28th March 2022.

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Jan Cienski, Senior Policy Editor at POLITICO in Europe, moderates a discussion on the future of Poland. The panel features Dr Stanley Bill, Director of Slavonic Studies at Cambridge University; Professor Katarzyna Pisarska, Chair of the Warsaw Security Forum; Anna Clunes, the UK’s Ambassador to Poland, and Piotr Wilczek, Poland’s Ambassador to the UK. They cover Poland’s humanitarian response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Polish relations with NATO and the EU, and shifts in Polish politics and society.

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on 23 March 2022.

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The EU Delegation to the UK and Aspen UK convene a panel of experts to discuss Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, and the impact it might have on Europe. POLITICO’s Suzanne Lynch is joined by Robert Brinkley, Committee Chair of the Ukraine Forum at Chatham House; Natalie Jaresko, former Ukrainian Finance Minister; Ambassador Matti Maasikas, EU Ambassador to Ukraine; and Professor Joseph Nye, Professor Emeritus at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. The panel discuss how the war has changed the global geopolitical order; the response from Europe, the UK, and the US; and possible solutions for peace. 

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on 29 March 2022.

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Elif Shafak, award-winning British-Turkish novelist, joined Alec Russell, Editor of FTWeekend, for a conversation about the future of Turkey, Europe, and the challenges facing democracy today. Recorded four days after Russia launched its all-out invasion of Ukraine, the pair discuss the current state of democracy and rise of authoritarianism across the globe; recent changes in Turkish society and the country’s future prospects; the importance of literature and the arts in times of crises; and how Elif’s experiences in life have shaped her writing.

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on 28th February 2022.

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The deeply rooted transatlantic relationship now faces old and new challenges. With rising autocracy, growing economic insecurity, climate threats, and the rapid development of technology, what is the transatlantic relationship’s role in mitigating these challenges?

The Aspen Institute's International Partners convened the NextGen Network of millennials and Generation Z, from across the United States and Europe, take a deep dive on these questions and others. The group concluded that strengthening democracy, building economic opportunity, increasing sustainability efforts, and focusing on the development of technology will remain crucial for a prosperous transatlantic relationship and democratic world. In their report, Make it Durable: Renewing the Transatlantic Relationship, NextGen members outline their perspectives and provide concrete policy recommendations to today’s leaders. Hear our expert panellists discuss the NextGen report, Make it Durable: Renewing the Transatlantic Relationship, their policy recommendations, and learn about the next generation’s perspectives. 

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 26th January 2022. 

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In the battle against climate change, each and every one of us can get involved. Even the smallest individual action contributes to the building of a greener future - but with just 100 companies producing over 70% of CO2 emissions, the role played by our industry leaders is critical. They have a responsibility to mobilise civil society, by leading industry transformation and reinventing norms. Can global industry leaders help guide the behaviour of consumers and workers? With us to answer these questions, we have Paul Polman, business leader, campaigner, and co-author of ‘Net Positive: how courageous companies thrive by giving more than they take’; Enass Abo-Hamed, CO-Founder and CEO of H2GO power ltd; Catherine Howarth, Chief Executive of Share Action; Samata Pattinson, CEO of Red Carpet Green Dress. Tom Heap, BBC presenter and author “39 Ways to Save the Planet”, is moderating the discussion.

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 24th January 2022.

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Our current food and agriculture system exceeds planetary boundaries: it depletes soil health, contributes massively to greenhouse gas emissions, causes a decrease in biodiversity, and generates large-scale malnutrition. As a reaction, a growing number of companies and start-ups are attempting to revolutionise the way we produce and consume food. Some are turning to cell-cultured meat - meat produced in laboratories which requires fewer resources and land to produce - while others are supporting sustainable local farming, shortening the food supply chains.  Our expert panel discusses the upcoming food revolution. Marisa Drew, Chief Sustainability Officer for Credit Suisse, will moderate the discussion between Bernat Añaños Martinez, Co-Founder of Heura Foods; Sedef Köktentürk, Managing Partner and COO of Blue Horizon; Philip Hambling, Head of Food and Farmer for the NFU (National Farmers'​ Union); Jorge Thomas, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Swaledale Butchers, and Elena Walden, Policy Manager at The Good Food Institute Europe.

This episode was recorded as a live broadcast on the 17th January 2022.

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