So, now what?
Gates Cambridge
Recent Episodes
The episode explores the topic of extreme weather and its impact on communities and asks: What does extreme weather mean for us?
The speakers highlight the importance of connecting research to real-world impacts and the need for collective action. They discuss the devastating losses of climate disasters, the challenges of adaptation and the power of nature. They also emphasise the importance of empowering marginalised communities and amplifying their voices in climate action.
In addition, the episode explores innovations in policy, including capacity building, local action and storytelling - getting local communities affected by climate change to tell their stories.
We conclude by encouraging listeners to ask questions, take climate action, and connect to local initiatives.
Takeaways
- Extreme weather events have devastating consequences, including the loss of traditions, cultures, and intangible heritage.
- Collective action and collective intelligence are crucial in addressing climate change and its impacts.
- Youth empowerment and inner well-being are essential for building resilience and creating a sustainable future.
- Data, responsible AI, and storytelling play a significant role in tackling misinformation and driving climate action.
- Innovations in climate policy include capacity building, community empowerment, and inclusive decision-making.
Chapters
00:00
Introduction and Climate Reality
01:19
Experiences in Extreme Environments
04:01
Impact of Extreme Weather Events
05:56
Bringing People and Voices into Climate Action
06:26
Unseen Consequences of Extreme Weather
09:49
Loss of Traditions and Indigenous Knowledge
10:12
Finding Balance and Adapting to Extreme Weather
12:36
Challenges in Super Tanker Countries
13:31
Proving the Urgency of Collective Action
14:59
Leveraging Data and Responsible AI
16:27
Innovation in Climate Policy
20:33
Recognizing the Importance of Nature
22:46
Inner Development Goals and Wisdom
25:11
Tackling Misinformation and Polarization
27:31
Innovation in Policy and Climate Action
32:46
Taking Action and Asking Questions
Bios:
Dr Ramit Debnath @RamitDebnath is a university assistant professor and an academic director at the University of Cambridge. He is a fellow of Churchill College and Cambridge Zero and has visiting role at Caltech. Ramit sits on the steering committee of Cambridge's new Centre for Human-Inspired AI (CHIA). With a background in electrical engineering and computational social sciences, Ramit designs collective intelligence approaches to provide a data-driven, complex system-level understanding of barriers to climate action in the Anthropocene, their interactions, and how these translate to leverage points for policy and behavioural interventions at scale.
Songqiao Yao @songqiaoyao is the founder of WildBound, an innovative sustainability and education venture that empowers sustainability leadership through expeditions, advocacy and creative expressions. Prior to founding WildBound, Songqiao gained her interdisciplinary and cross-cultural experience as a researcher, activist and entrepreneur working on global issues such as food, water and climate change. She has worked on China-EU, China-US projects on climate change and has consulted for agriculture and private sector development in Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe and Ethiopia.
Victoria Herrmann @VSHerrmann is the managing director of The Arctic Institute, a National Geographic Explorer and Assistant Research Professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service where her research focuses on Arctic cooperation and politics and climate change adaptation in the US and US Territories. Herrmann is also an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) IF/THEN Ambassador and works to empower girls and women in STEM. She has been named on Forbes 30 Under 30 list, the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s 40 under 40 list, a North American Young Leader by Friends of Europe and one of 100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy worldwide by Apolitical.
Best-selling author Tara Westover, researcher Aliya Khalid and Thabo Msibi Deputy Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, tackle the issue of what education should be for. They stress the idea that small actions can have a significant impact on making a difference in the world and emphasise the power of individuals to create change within their own sphere of influence.
We explore their own perspectives and discuss their own powerful personal stories, highlighting the importance of diverse stories in education, the impact of education on women and gender and the power of education to challenge norms and beliefs. They also emphasise the role of education as a journey of self-discovery and unlearning, as well as a tool for social justice and empowerment. In addition, the episode discusses the need for curriculum reform and inclusivity, the role of technology in education and personal stories of overcoming educational challenges.
Takeaways
- Education as a lifelong journey of learning and personal growth.
- Education has the power to empower individuals, promote social justice, and transform communities.
- Listening to and learning from communities is crucial in developing effective educational practices.
- Small acts of support and encouragement can make a significant difference in education.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:31 The purpose of education
01:13 Guest introductions
05:24 Education and gender
06:24 Education as empowerment
08:21 The value of questioning and doubt in education
10:10 Education as a tool for social justice
12:56 Education in disadvantaged communities
15:17 The importance of listening and learning from communities
19:19 Personal teachable moments
20:14 Motivation for education
23:05 The transformative power of education
25:59 Unlearning and overcoming challenges in education
29:30 Curriculum reform and empowerment
31:40 Moving forward: Taking action in education
37:12 So, now what?
Bios
Tara Westover @tarawestover is a memoirist and historian. Her first book, Educated (2018), debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list, and was a finalist for a number of awards, including the National Book Critics Circle Award, the LA Times Book Prize, and the PEN/Jean Stein Book Award. The American Booksellers Association named it the Nonfiction Book of the Year, and to date, the book has been translated into 47 languages. For her staggering impact, TIME magazine named Westover one of the 100 Most Influential People of 2019, and in 2023, she was awarded the National Humanities Medal by President Biden.
Thabo Msibi is the Deputy Vice Chancellor for Teaching and Learning and a professor of Curriculum Studies in the School of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Msibi has published research in South African and international journals and books and is author of the book Hidden sexualities of South African Teachers: Black male educators and same-sex desire. He has also co-edited a book entitled Gender, Sexuality and Violence in South African Educational Spaces, with Deevia Bhana and Shakila Singh.
Aliya Khalid @khalidaliya1 is a Lecturer in Comparative and International Education in the Department of Education at the University of Oxford, UK. She works on issues of educational equity with a focus on gender. Her areas of interest include the capability approach, negative capability, epistemic paradoxicality and justice, Southern epistemologies, politics of representation and knowledge production.
In this episode, we explore how we can build back better after a crisis. What are the challenges and opportunities of addressing the climate crisis, including the need for climate justice, the costs of inaction, and the importance of green innovation. We consider the roles of governments, multilateral institutions, and grassroots movements play in driving change. And we conclude with a call to action, So, now what? Where we emphasise the need for coordinated international efforts and a just and equitable transition to a sustainable future.
Takeaways
- Building back better after a crisis requires addressing climate justice and the disproportionate impact of climate change on vulnerable communities.
- The costs of climate change, both economic and social, are substantial and require urgent action.
- Investment in clean energy and good jobs can drive economic growth and reduce carbon emissions.
- Leveraging people power and social media can help raise awareness and drive change.
- Green innovation and regulation are key to building a sustainable and equitable society.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
04:21 Expertise and perspectives
06:50 The challenge of building back better
10:10 Understanding the costs and risks of climate change
14:25 Building back better in the United States
17:15 Building back better in Africa
19:25 The Need for collaboration and connectivity. Who needs to be in the same room?
25:45 Leveraging people power and innovation. How can we talk about green innovation and change the narrative? What does a better society look like?
31:00. So, now what? Moving Forward: Political will and financing.
Bios
Kamiar Mohaddes @KamiarMohaddes is an Associate Professor in Economics & Policy at the Judge Business School at the University of Cambridge. His main areas of research include climate change, economics of the Middle East, energy economics and applied macroeconomics.
Todd N. Tucker @toddntucker is a political scientist and director of Industrial Policy and Trade at the Roosevelt Institute, where he helps lead research on global governance, democracy, and the administrative state. A recognised expert on trade and political economy, Dr Tucker has testified before legislatures and expert committees around the world.
Queen Chinyere Quinn is a Co-Founder and Partner at Kupanda Capital, an investment platform established to create, capitalise and scale pan-African companies. In this capacity, Queen has worked to provide tailored advice and support to entrepreneurs, project developers, fund managers and corporations operating in Africa.
So, now what? is a new podcast from Gates Cambridge, a leading scholarship programme for outstanding international postgraduates at the University of Cambridge.
Our guests are the scholars themselves - big thinkers from a range of different backgrounds and disciplines - who are out there finding solutions to some of our most wicked problems from the global economy and the environment, to technology, politics and universal healthcare.
They'll share their optimism and their experience, and give us a peek at their 'to do' lists too. But they'll also be inviting the rest of us to join them - sharing 'So, now what?' actions that we can all apply today.
Available monthly on all your favourite podcast platforms.