Bennett Institute podcasts

This keynote speech was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. 

Much like a viral contagion, misinformation can spread rapidly from one mind to another.  Inoculation theory offers a natural basis for developing a psychological ‘vaccine’ against the spread of fake news and misinformation. 

In this keynote, Prof Sander van der Linden discusses how it is possible to pre-emptively “immunise” people against disinformation by pre-exposing them to severely weakened doses of the techniques that underlie its production. This process of ‘prebunking’ helps people cultivate cognitive antibodies in both simulated and real social media environments. 

Prof Linden showcases several interventions he developed and evaluated—with public health authorities and social media companies—to help citizens around the world recognise and resist unwanted attempts to manipulate and mislead.

Keynote speaker:
Prof Sander van der Linden, Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge
Chair: 
Prof Diane Coyle, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge

For more session recordings, head to Bennett Institute podcasts.

This panel discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. 

Have western governments got a handle on the root causes of the inequalities creating deep disenchantment and occasional citizen unrest in hinterland places and poorer communities? What kinds of policy tools and interventions are most likely to address these factors? What can be learned from central, regional and local government initiatives since the mid-2000s? Is devolution an important part of the answer? 

The panel explored these issues, looking in-depth at the UK’s recent experience and considering trends across western Europe. Do liberal democracies have the right kinds of policy tools and ambition to move the dial on geographically rooted inequalities?

Speakers:

• Prof Andres Rodriguez-Pose, London School of Economics
• Jessica Studdert, New Local
• Tom Walker, Essex County Council
• Chair: Prof Michael Kenny, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge

For more Conference session recordings visit Bennett Institute podcasts.

This session was recorded as part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025. 

Work is much more than a means to an end—it shapes our identity, values, social status, and how we spend our lives. As a central principle of society, work underpins individual wellbeing, collective resilience, and societal progress. Yet the nature of work is undergoing profound changes, driven by technological advances, shifting societal values and the ongoing impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, the UK’s longstanding productivity challenge remains unresolved. This panel will explore how we can balance productivity, fairness, and wellbeing to create work that is sustainable, meaningful, and productive for individuals, organisations, and society.

Guest speakers: 

• Kate Bell, Trade Union Congress (TUC
• Prof Brendan Burchell, Faculty of Human, Social and Political Sciences, University of Cambridge
• Sarah O’Connor, Financial Times
• Chair: Dr Nina Jörden, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge

For more session recordings, visit Bennett Institute podcasts.

This panel discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025.

Both Europe and the UK share common challenges, such as weak productivity growth, and sliding competitiveness, together with broader concerns such as climate change and weak defence spending in a worsening geopolitical environment. For all of these issues, greater investment has been identified as a fundamental tool. Several questions remain unanswered however: what share of the investment gap can credibly be filled by the public sector? Are flanking reforms needed to ensure money is well spent, and to crowd in private investment? How does this interact with fiscal rules, when the world is reaching all-time-high public debt levels?

Guest speakers: 

• Prof Diane Coyle, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge
• Prof Flavio Toxvaerd, Faculty of Economics, University of Cambridge
• Prof Guntram Wolff, Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) and Bruegel
• Chair: Dr Alessio Terzi, Department of Politics & International Studies, University of Cambridge

For more session recordings visit Bennett Institute for Public Policy podcasts

This panel discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2025.

With the complexity of policy issues seemingly ever increasing, what reforms does government need to undertake if it is to fully get to grips with issues in areas like climate change, mental health,  and food security? Whilst there has been mounting recognition of the ‘wicked’ nature of these problems, there is much less certainty on what the solutions might be, and what the role of government might be in providing them. Should we accept that wicked problems are now simply too big to solve, or do we require a new leap of imagination to conjure solutions that match the complexity of the problems themselves?

The experts included: 

• Prof Laura Diaz Anadon, Centre for Environment, Energy and Natural Resource Governance, and Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge
• Prof Shailaja Fennell, Department of Land Economy, University of Cambridge
• Prof Gordon Harold, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
• Hosted by Prof Dennis Grube, Bennett Institute for Public Policy, University of Cambridge

Listen to other sessions from the Conference by visiting the Bennett Institute for Public Policy podcasts.

In this Season Four launch episode of Crossing Channels, Richard Westcott (Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus) chats with Prof Alison Liebling (University of Cambridge), Prof Nicola Padfield (University of Cambridge), and Prof Arnaud Philippe (former IAST) about the increasing prison population, the realities of prison life, and the most effective strategies for rehabilitating ex-offenders.

Our experts discuss why the prison population is growing and the similarities and differences across European countries. They share their expertise on the impact of the prison environment and the privatisation of prisons for rehabilitation. They also identify best practices for effectively rehabilitating and reintegrating ex-offenders into society.

Season 4 Episode 1 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 (Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse) 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 Hankey
• Associate production by Stella Erker
• Visuals 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. Last year, Richard left the corporation and is now the communications director for Cambridge University Health Partners and the Cambridge Biomedical Campus; both organisations are working to support life sciences and healthcare across the city. @BBCwestcott

Alison Liebling is Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Cambridge and the Director of the Institute of Criminology’s Prisons Research Centre. She has carried out research on life in prison for over 30 years. Alison has written numerous books and is finishing writing another one on ‘Moral rules, social science and forms of order in prison’.  She was made a member of the British Academy in 2018. @AlisonLiebling

Nicola Padfield KC (Hon) is Emeritus Professor of Criminal and Penal Justice at the Law Faculty, University of Cambridge, where she has worked for more than 30 years. She has a broad research lens, engaged in both ‘hard’ law and in socio-legal-criminological research. She is a leading European expert on sentencing law, including the law and practice of release from (and recall to) prison. A barrister by training, she has published widely on criminal law, sentencing and criminal justice. Nicola is a Bencher of the Middle Temple, where she chaired the Education and Training Committee. She has been an expert advisor to a wide variety of criminal justice organisations.

Arnaud Philippe is an Associate Professor at the School of Economics of the University of Bristol. He studies the criminal justice system to better understand the determinants of criminal behaviour, how judicial decisions are made, and the consequences of sanctions on individuals. He works in several countries collaborating with public administrations to gain access to large administrative datasets. He is currently an associate researcher at the French Penitentiary Administration. @ArnaudPhilipp

As the nation grapples with the intertwined challenges of health, sustainability, and social equity, Henry Dimbleby has been at the forefront of advocating for healthier eating habits and systemic change. He led the Government’s School Food Plan (2013) and the National Food Strategy (2021) emphasising health, sustainability, and social responsibility. Yet, despite some progress, he resigned as a government advisor in 2023 citing concerns over policy translation. Henry discusses how, through collaboration and innovation, he continues to commit to transforming the food landscape.

Keynote speaker

• Henry Dimbleby, Co-Founder of Leon, Food Campaigner, Speaker, Author and Non-Executive Director 

Chair

• Prof Deborah Prentice, Vice-Chancellor, University of Cambridge.

The Northcote Trevelyan Report of 1854 is seen as the foundation document for the UK Civil Service. The pillars it established have shaped the institution ever since. But much has changed in the 170 years since that report’s publication. The size, sophistication, and range of responsibilities of the Civil Service are immensely different. So too is the governing context, in which social media, a 24/7 news media, rapid technological change, a less trusting public and a hyper-partisan political environment are re-shaping the boundaries of what is possible and what is expected. In the midst of so much change, is it time for a fundamental rethink - a new ‘Northcote Trevelyan’ moment - to capture the essence of what the Civil Service is now for and what we want it to be able to do?

Our guest speakers capture the essence of what the Civil Service is now for and what we want it to be able to do.

Guest speakers

• Dr Anjana Ahuja, Financial Times
• Jonathan Slater, Visiting Professor at King’s College London and Queen Mary University London and former Permanent Secretary
• Dr Hannah White, Director, Institute for Government

Chair

• Prof Dennis C. Grube, Professor of Public Policy at the University of Cambridge, and Research Lead in Political Decision-Making, Bennett Institute for Public Policy.

This discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2024 recorded on Friday 22 March 2024 at Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/events/annual-conference

It often seems policies are developed in real time in reaction to ever-changing geopolitical events. In this session, our guest speakers discuss how the UK’s institutions – business, policy, and civil society – can help proactively shape resilience to domestic and international shocks and firm-up socio-economic stability. They explore the investment priorities for building economic, political, and social resilience, even in the face of climate change, inflation, war and inequality, and suggest real-world policy solutions.

Guest speakers

•  Catherine Little, Civil Service Chief Operating Officer and Permanent Secretary to the Cabinet Office 
• Dr Gillian Tett, Provost, King’s College, Cambridge, and Journalist, Financial Times
• Dr Anna Valero, Distinguished Policy Fellow and Director of the Growth Programme, London School of Economics’ Centre for Economic Performance

Chair

•  Dr Matthew Agarwala, Economist, Bennett Institute for Public Policy

This discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2024 recorded on Friday 22 March 2024 at Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/events/annual-conference

Infrastructure is vital for the economic growth of places and enhancing the wellbeing
and quality of life of its citizens. In this session, our guest speakers discuss why infrastructure matters in the 21st century and how decision-makers can deliver it. What actions are needed to improve the delivery of infrastructure? How can data-driven tools improve decision-making? And how can policymakers future-proof infrastructure projects to ensure that new plans benefit people and places now and in the future?

Guest speakers:

• Rt Hon Greg Clark MP, Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells, and former Minister for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in 2022
• Prof Jennifer Schooling, Professor of Digital Innovation and Smart Places at ARU (Anglia Ruskin University)
•  Giles Wilkes, Senior Fellow at the Institute for Government

Chair:

• Prof Michael Kenny, Professor of Public Policy and inaugural Director of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy.

This discussion was part of the Bennett Institute for Public Policy Annual Conference 2024 recorded on Friday 22 March 2024 at Churchill College, Cambridge, UK

https://www.bennettinstitute.cam.ac.uk/events/annual-conference