Campus talks: the higher education podcast

Hear academics and university leaders reflect on their professional journeys and address some of the biggest questions facing higher education today. The Campus podcast gets under the skin of the issues and individuals defining the future of teaching, research, EDI, digital transformation and sustainability in the academy.

THE podcast: why internationalisation must remain a cornerstone of higher education

Hear academic leaders in the UK and Singapore discuss what is needed for effective cross-border collaboration

Lily Kong, Manuel Barcia

Singapore Management University, University of Bath

THE podcast: how to look after yourself in higher education

Personal insights from a range of higher education voices on how they preserve their own well-being

Multiple authors

Campus

THE podcast: how to achieve research excellence – and protect it

Learn what contributes to quality research across an institution and how that work should be kept secure

Marcus Munafò, Jacqueline Littlewood

The University of Bristol, University of Alberta

THE podcast: the tricky relationship between assessment and learning

Hear three US academic experts discuss what role assessment should play in higher education and how it can be improved

Susan D. Blum, Catherine Wehlburg, Josh Eyler

University of Notre Dame, Athens State University, University of Mississippi

THE podcast: why we need interdisciplinarity in teaching and research

Interdisciplinary thinking is crucial to addressing complex questions but how should it work in practice? Two leading academic proponents of cross-disciplinary working draw on their own groundbreaking scholarship to explain

Gabriele Bammer, Kate Crawford

Australian National University, USC Annenberg, Microsoft Research Lab (MSR) New York

THE podcast: the pros and cons of AI in higher education

How should universities manage the rapid uptake of artificial intelligence across all aspects of higher education? We talk to three experts about AI’s impact on teaching, governance and the environment

Shaolei Ren, José Antonio Bowen, Shushma Patel

University of California, Riverside, Bowen Innovation Group, De Montfort University

THE podcast: a brighter future for academic publishing

Hear from two academics who are developing publishing solutions that encourage and underpin quality research practices and improve access to scholarly work

Paul Ayris, Philipp Koellinger

University College London, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

THE podcast: the benefits of citizen science and community-engaged research

Two leading academics explain why everyone benefits when researchers look beyond academia to seek greater understanding and new knowledge alongside the broader public or affected communities

Chris Lintott, Neeli Bendapudi

University of Oxford, Penn State University

THE podcast: social artist Helen Storey on working on the boundary of fashion and science

The UNHCR’s first designer-in-residence Helen Storey talks about why she has donated her creative archive to the University of the Arts London, and how the arts can help people connect with issues such as climate change and the refugee crisis

Helen Storey

University of the Arts London

THE podcast: what Indigenous knowledge brings to higher education

Two Indigenous university leaders explain how their institutions support First Nations’ participation in higher education, create space for community and build trust in postcolonial environments

Angie Bruce, Te Kawehau Hoskins

University of Manitoba, The University of Auckland

THE podcast: what makes an award-winning academic, university or project?

We speak to past THE Awards winners to find out about the work for which they and their institutions were recognised

Roderick Watkins, Mark Brown, Joanne Pledger, Ruth Spencer

Anglia Ruskin University, Royal Holloway, University of London, University of Central Lancashire

THE podcast: educating our way out of the climate crisis

Two academics share strategies for advancing climate action and boosting sustainability at an institutional and individual level

Liz Price , Tripp Shealy

Manchester Metropolitan University, Virginia Tech

THE podcast: two vice-chancellors on maintaining quality and financial stability within a university

Hear Anton Muscatelli of the University of Glasgow and Alex Zelinsky of the University of Newcastle, Australia, discuss the complexities of successfully running a university

Anton Muscatelli, Alex Zelinsky

University of Glasgow, The University of Newcastle, Australia

THE podcast: how can universities ensure students are safe and supported?

A discussion of universities’ duty of care towards students, from tackling sexual misconduct to ensuring they feel supported in their studies

Rachel Fenton, Catherine Moran

The University of Exeter, Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury

THE podcast: knowledge exchange and data management as drivers of research and innovation

The University of Oxford’s pro vice-chancellor for innovation on how universities and industry can work together for the benefit of all, plus a leading data scientist on why data needs careful handling to protect future research efforts

Chas Bountra, Sara de Freitas

University of Oxford, Birkbeck, University of London, The Open University

THE podcast: supporting student success at all stages of the university journey

University of Chester vice-chancellor Eunice Simmons talks about effective strategies for widening access and embedding equity in higher education

Eunice Simmons

University of Chester

THE podcast: what constitutes good teaching in higher education?

Two academics with experience in delivering and researching teaching in varied educational contexts discuss the complexities of effective instruction

Leon Tikly, Jason M. Lodge

The University of Bristol, The University of Queensland

THE podcast: how technology is reshaping the 21st-century campus

When hybrid learning and immersive technology can connect and engage students working in any location, where does that leave all those lecture halls and libraries? We ask two US experts about how universities are adapting to the digital transformation

Stephen W. Harmon, Lev Gonick

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities, Arizona State University

THE podcast: university success stories in managing AI and building digital capacity

Find out how two universities, in Hong Kong and the UK, are embracing generative AI and building institution-wide digital expertise

Julia Chen, Helen Cocks

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, The University of Exeter

THE podcast: how to prepare for university leadership

Middlesex University vice-chancellor Shân Wareing talks about the need to make the path to senior roles transparent and why confidence is not the be-all and end-all of leadership

Shân Wareing

Middlesex University

THE podcast: higher education leaders on their priorities for the new UK government

What will the UK’s new Labour-led parliament mean for university funding, research impact, international student flows and free speech on campus? Two higher education leaders share their perspectives on the challenges ahead

Vivienne Stern, Chris Day

Universities UK, Russell Group

THE podcast: cross-cultural communication in the international classroom

Whether it’s teaching creative writing and media in a multilingual course or providing future doctors with clinical communication skills, two experts share tips for connecting with students and bridging language and culture divides

Lucy Palmer, Katalin Fogarasi

University of Central Asia, Semmelweis University

THE podcast: what does the UK election mean for higher education?

Does the UK general election offer a ray of hope for the beleaguered university sector? Two higher education policy experts give their take on what university leaders can do to make a case for the sector and how a new parliament might tackle hot topics such as international students and research funding

Nick Hillman, Diana Beech

Higher Education Policy Institute, London Higher

THE podcast: bringing an outsider’s eye to primary sources

What happens when a literary scholar turns her attention to local archives such as inventories and court records? English professor Alexandra Harris talks about writing history, uncovering centuries of silent lives for her new book, and the interdisciplinary power of the humanities

Alexandra Harris

University of Birmingham

THE podcast: how to lead a university from the front

De Montfort University vice-chancellor Katie Normington talks about leadership, why change is best undertaken quickly, what ballet taught her about resilience and persistence, and how to empower others to realise their potential

Katie Normington

De Montfort University

THE podcast: the future of XR and immersive learning

Immersive technology expert Monica Arés explains how the combination of artificial intelligence and extended reality in education has the potential to unlock curiosity and learning, the costs that come with these tools and what she thinks teaching technology will look like in 2034

Monica Arés

Imperial College London

THE podcast: interview with Mark Thompson, professor of digital economy at the University of Exeter

Academic, practitioner and policy commentator Mark Thompson shares his concern that UK higher education is drifting from its true north of research, teaching and impact in the wake of complex digital change and the prisoner’s dilemma of whole-sector transformation

Mark Thompson

The University of Exeter

THE podcast: human connection and the student experience

Two Australian academics take on the role of person-to-person contact in student success and well-being in higher education – whether that’s the benefits of in-person teaching or the effects of using AI for academic work

Jan Slapeta, Joseph Crawford

University of Sydney, University of Tasmania

THE podcast: what is open access?

Experts demystify what open access and open research are, tips for best practice, and where the movement and research culture are heading

Heather Joseph, Steven U. Vidovic

Scholarly Publishing and Academic Resources Coalition, University of Southampton

THE podcast: an interview with Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth

Sian Beilock, the first woman elected president of Dartmouth in the institution’s 250-year history, speaks about female leadership in higher education and performing under pressure

Sian Beilock

Dartmouth

THE podcast bonus episode: an interview with Kathryn Sikkink, Ryan Family professor of human rights policy at Harvard Kennedy School

Human rights scholar and award-winning author Kathryn Sikkink talks about her work with the Harvard Votes Challenge, how young people are more savvy about misinformation than older generations and why, in this year of elections, democracy needs protection

Kathryn Sikkink

Harvard University

THE podcast: how to turn university students into engaged citizens – and voters

Political scientists, in the US and the UK, discuss how universities can support Generation Z to engage with the democratic process, how to foster safe and open political discussion and why voting is like bungee jumping

Elizabeth C. Matto, Michael Bruter

Rutgers University, The London School of Economics and Political Science

THE podcast: an interview with James Purnell, president and vice-chancellor of University of the Arts London

The president and vice-chancellor of the University of the Arts London talks about how AI will affect the creative sector, the connection between cities, commerce and creativity, and how UAL plans to pioneer online creative education

James Purnell

University of the Arts London

THE podcast: microcredentials are knocking. Will higher education answer?

Tips from 10 years of Moocs at the University of Edinburgh and a call to arms to embrace technology for greater equity and financial sustainability

Melissa Highton, Michael D. Smith

The University of Edinburgh, Carnegie Mellon University

Campus interview: Mike Ibba of Chapman University on mentorship and the future of US science

In this video podcast Mike Ibba, dean of Schmid College of Science and Technology at Chapman University, talks about undergraduate research, what philosophers and scientists can learn from each other and the state of US federal funding for science and technology research

Mike Ibba

Chapman University

THE podcast: how to do public engagement

What is best practice for universities’ public engagement? How do you enlist the public in your research? And how do you keep them interested in the long term? Two 2022 THE Awards winners share their insights – from their experiences tracking Covid and decoding Dickens

Tanya Wood, Hugo Bowles

King’s College London, University of Buckingham

Campus interview: Laura Allen at Trinity University on connecting student well-being with natural world

Can spending time in natural environments support students’ well-being? Trinity University professor Laura Allen joins this video podcast to tell us more about an innovative course exploring this question with undergraduates that combines research, theory and practice

Laura Allen

Trinity University

Podcast discussing building resilience and protecting well-being among university staff and students

THE podcast: what to do when the principles of free speech are tested

Daniel Diermeier, chancellor of Vanderbilt University, urges universities to take the path of principled neutrality and civil discourse in the face of polarising events

Daniel Diermeier

Vanderbilt University

Universities on Fire climate change podcast

THE podcast: unlocking people power through citizen science

Find out how engaging non-academics in research can uncover and disperse new knowledge and ways of thinking that help shape solutions to seemingly intractable problems

Henrietta L. Moore , Joel Bitok, Alan Irwin

University College London, Copenhagen Business School

THE podcast: how to be a good mentor and mentee

Contributors from across the globe offer their advice on how to make these critical relationships work for everyone involved

Campus contributors

Campus

THE podcast: an interview with Ngiare Brown, chancellor of James Cook University

Ngiare Brown is the first female and the first Indigenous chancellor of James Cook University. Here, she shares what she hopes to achieve during her tenure, including making higher education a place for Indigenous students

Ngiare Brown

James Cook University

Campus interview: Eve Riskin, Stevens Institute of Technology

Eve Riskin, dean of undergraduate education at Stevens Institute of Technology, talks about the power of mentorship, diversity in excellence and what she, as an electrical engineer and computer scientist, thinks about the emergence of generative AI

Eve Riskin

Stevens Institute of Technology

THE podcast: the AI university is coming

AI expert Ashok Goel is back on the podcast to help us understand the implications of ChatGPT for higher education and what will happen next

Ashok Goel

Georgia Tech’s Center for 21st Century Universities

THE podcast: universities aren’t too small to lead the climate crisis fight

It’s easy to feel hopeless in the face of climate change, but, in this episode, two experts offer ways universities – and individuals – can make a difference to their local area and the planet

Bryan Alexander, Sebastian Pfautsch

Georgetown University, Western Sydney University

Campus interview: Jonathan Koppell, Montclair State University

In this interview, Montclair State University president Jonathan Koppell talks about accessibility for minoritised groups, the power of creative communication and why he thinks universities need to own their part in the public’s diminishing trust in higher education

Jonathan Koppell

Montclair State University

THE podcast: how to use generative AI in your teaching and research

Higher education is only beginning to understand the impact that generative AI tools such as ChatGPT will have on teaching and research. Three intrepid explorers join us in this episode to share what useful functions they’ve discovered for the technology

Jennifer Rose, David Nicol, Brooke Szücs

The University of Manchester, University of Glasgow, The University of Queensland

THE podcast: an interview with David Latchman, vice-chancellor at Birkbeck, University of London

The vice-chancellor at Birkbeck, University of London explains why he’s optimistic England’s Lifelong Loan Entitlement will unlock the benefits of lifelong learning

David Latchman

Birkbeck, University of London

THE podcast: how the university library is an agent of change

Often overlooked, university libraries are critical to the teaching and research missions of institutions. They also play a key role in digital innovation and community outreach. Two librarians tell us more about how they see their work as agents of change

Masud Khokhar, Toni Carter

University of Leeds, Athens State University

THE podcast: an interview with Dame Madeleine Atkins, president of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge

Dame Madeleine, a veteran leader in English higher education, shares how a widening access initiative led to the elite college admitting more than 90 per cent of students from state schools

Madeleine Atkins

University of Cambridge

THE podcast: when pop culture meets academia

Can superheroes teach us about physics? What can studying Kylie Minogue tell us about gender politics? Two academics talk about the intersection of popular culture and higher education

Michael Dennin, Liz Giuffre

University of California, Irvine, University of Technology Sydney