Ben is joined by Adam Pickering, a key face in the Nottingham Climate Assembly and Green Hustle, to talk about the upcoming Green Hustle festival, the recent Sustainable Growth Assembly held at the University of Nottingham, as well as how to actually (and effectively) inspire climate action.

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The Institute for Policy and Engagement
Green Hustle
Nottingham Climate Assembly

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Science in the Park 2025 took place on 8 March and Ben sits down for a chat with Sally Nightingale and Phillipa Abery, who helped to organise the event. They talk about how it went, the superhero duty manager who clambered out of a lift during a power cut and listen to clips from exhibitors on the day of the event, featuring voices from University of Nottingham, Nottingham Trent University and Wollaton Hall.

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Science in the Park 2025 roundup

Institute for Policy and Engagement

Wollaton Hall

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What exactly is Public Engagement and Policy Impact? Maria Richards and Tiffany Trundell join Ben to talk about exactly that and why they are so important. They also talk about some of the most in demand questions and what might set you up for success.

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The Institute for Policy and Engagement

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This week, Evidence Week is happening in Parliament and the University of Nottingham's own Sharmila Sumsurooah is there to share her new policy brief on Electrifying Air Travel. in honour of this, Ben looks back on a previous episode where Sharmila discussed this for COP26.

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The Institute for Policy and Engagement
Electrifying Air Travel Policy Brief

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To close out 2024, we have a special bonus episode with everyone's favourite Director of the Institute for Policy and Engagement, Stephen Meek. Stephen has been at the Institute since it began, but is heading off to pastures new. Where? Well he tells all in this episode, as well as mentioning some fond memories from his time at Nottingham.

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The Institute for Policy and Engagement
A Just Transition to Net Zero Policy Commission
NCCPE Watermark
Capabilities in Academic Policy Engagement (CAPE)

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Climate action is vitally important and Ben chats with Chris Ives (UoN) and Chris Baker (Goldsmiths) about how community action can play an important role - especially with religious groups. Is this an untapped resource that could be used to make progress?

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ARTICLE: Engaging faith for a sustainable urban future
Chris Ives
Chris Baker
The Institute for Policy and Engagement

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September saw the fist BBC Proms to visit Nottingham! Resident composer and Associate Professor, Elizabeth Kelly, sat down with Ben to talk all about it, being inspired by the Nottingham lace industry and collaborations between Nottingham Trent's film students and University of Nottingham composition students.

And that's before they talk about why tuba's should be a soloist instrument more often.

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Elizabeth Kelly
The Institute for Policy and Engagement
BBC Proms
Carmina Burana at the Royal Concert Hall
Mixed Reality Lab
Streetwise Opera
Into the Depths (YouTube)


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If you had a Viking day at school, that would make for a pretty good day at school, right? Ben sits down with Kate Olley and the coordinators of Vikings for Schools, Emma Horne and Natalia Radziwillowicz to talk about the workshops they run, the recent award they won, and the axes they've swung.

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The Institute for Policy and Engagement
Vikings for Schools
Vikings for Schools Workshops
Policy Impact and Public Engagement Awards 2024 - Best Schools Initiative
Midlands Viking Symposium

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In recognition of Suicide Prevention Month, Ben sat with Sarah Cassidy, Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham (and our Best Policy Impact award winner), to discuss her ground-breaking work on suicide prevention within the autistic community.
 
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Sarah Cassidy
Autistica
Autism Centre for Excellence Cambridge
The Institute for Policy and Engagement
Institute Academy Programmes
The Policy Impact and Public Engagement Awards 2024 Winners and Nominees

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2024 marks 200 years since Lord Byron’s death, so in this special episode, Ben visits Newstead Abbey, Byron’s family home, and chats with Sam Hirst, a University of Nottingham research fellow. They are joined by Phillipa Abery from the Institute for Policy and Engagement as well as three volunteers from Newstead Abbey, to talk about Byron, his poetry and Sam’s efforts at bringing Byron’s history to life for the public.

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The Institute for Policy and Engagement
The Institute Academy Programme
Newstead Abbey
Romancing the Gothic (Web)
Romancing the Gothic (YouTube)

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