Public lecture podcasts

The 2024 UK Insecure Work Index estimated that 6.8 million people living in the UK (over 20% of the workforce) are in severely insecure work. It also showed that inequality in the labour market means that women, young people, ethnic minorities and disabled people are disproportionately likely to be in an insecure job. Rebecca Florisson is Principal Analyst at the Work Foundation at Lancaster University and leads a research programme on insecure work. In conversation with Fran Bennett, she discusses the realities of low pay, unpredictable hours and poor protections, and the steps that can be taken to transform the labour market to improve access to secure jobs. What is the potential impact of reforms in the Employment Rights Bill? Does the Act go far enough? This Institute for Policy Research event took place on 29 January 2026.

When it was introduced, the Modern Slavery Act 2015 was hailed as a world-leading piece of legislation. But a 2024 review of the legislation by the Modern Slavery Act 2015 Committee concluded that developments since, worldwide and in the UK, have led to the UK falling behind internationally. The number of people identified as victims of modern slavery has been rising year on year, with over 19,000 people referred to the authorities in 2024. Andrew Wallis is CEO of Unseen and chaired the landmark Centre for Social Justice report It Happens Here, widely acknowledged as a catalyst for the 2015 Act. In conversation with Andrew Crane (University of Bath), he discusses the current landscape of modern slavery in the UK. They explore what has changed over the past decade, where the gaps are, and what can be done. This IPR event took place on 21 January 2026.

In this webinar, we spoke to Everardo González, a Mexican director who is considered one of the strongest voices in the documentary genre in Latin America. Everardo's filmography includes Pulque Song (2003), The Old Thieves (2007), The Open Sky (2011), Drought (2011) and El Paso (2015), all screened and awarded at various festivals like Berlin, IDFA, Toulouse, Locarno, Montreal, BAFICI, Sarajevo, Guadalajara and Morelia. His film Devil’s Freedom (2017) was awarded the Amnesty International Film Prize at the Berlinale in 2017. In 2018, he directed A 3 Minute Hug, a Netflix Original in Latin America. He collaborated with the New York Times OpDocs with the film Children from the Narcozone, which was nominated for a News and Doc Emmy Award. His most recent film, A Wolf Pack called Ernesto (2024), has young gang members tell their chilling, occasionally poetic stories, revealing the ease with which violent organisations target young people in Mexico. Everardo is a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences and the Academia Mexicana de Artes y Ciencias Cinematográficas. He is also the founder of the Mexican Documentary Net, which looks for social, political, and cultural impact for bringing documentary filmmakers better conditions for the future. In 2007, he founded Artegios, a production and distribution company based in Mexico City, which focuses on international documentaries. Its main goal is to release documentary films mainly in Mexico and Latin America. Artegios also serves as a platform for workshops on documentary research, ethics, and production.

In this episode, Katherine and her guests talk about the joy and challenges of going abroad for a placement year.

Join Katherine Bright and fellow Placement Officer, Gina Pollock, plus a range of students, to find out how to stop scrolling through adverts and work out what jobs are a good match for you.

Join Faculty of Science Placement Officer, Katherine Bright, to discuss the much-feared world of assessment centres. Many companies use these multi-activity days to assess candidates in different situations, such as group tasks, interviews and presentations. This week, Katherine is joined by Sam from HPE. and two students who were offered roles after successfully navigating their own assessment centres.

In this short episode, Katherine is joined by two students and Dr Steven Davies, Placements Tutor for Physics, to discuss the return from placement, and how students can prepare for the next transition a placement can bring.

Professor Phil Scraton (Professor Emeritus, School of Law, Queen’s University Belfast) discusses the responsibility of academic researchers and human rights advocates to proclaim and represent the ‘view from below’ – voices of those silenced by powerful institutions in securing truth, justice and acknowledgement. Drawing on three decades of research with and within communities – investigating the Hillsborough disaster and its aftermath, the inhumanities of incarceration and the systemic denial of prisoners’ rights, and the disappearances of babies from mother and baby institutions – he addresses the political, ethical and personal challenges to bearing witness to the ‘pain of others’. He explores the proposition that critical voices are the foundation of hope, resistance and redress in their commitment to truth recovery, social justice and political transformation. This IPR/Centre for the Study of Violence event took place on 19 June 2025.

In the inaugural event of 'The Disappeared of History Global Webinar Series', we hosted renowned Panamanian musician, songwriter, activist, and former politician Rubén Blades. A Latin music icon, Blades was at the heart of the New York salsa revolution in the 1970s. His landmark albums in classic Afro-Cuban salsa are infused with elements of rock, jazz, pan-Latin, and global influences. He has won 12 Grammy Awards and 12 Latin Grammy Awards. During this webinar, he focused on "Desapariciones" (Disappearances), a song he released in 1984. It is widely regarded as a powerful musical testament to the issue of forced disappearances in Latin America, particularly during the dictatorships and armed conflicts that plagued the region in the 1970s and 1980s. That this Blades anthem has been picked up and adapted by so many artists speaks to the way both the violent practice and the artistic response transcend space and time. Against death, such music becomes a dance for dignity — bringing poetry and politics together to compose a more just future. Blades writes songs for the disappeared, so those who cannot speak might still be heard. *Information correct at time of production. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. Read our full disclaimer.

We close off the series by welcoming Dr Polly McGuigan, the Head of the Department for Health and Senior Lecturer in Biomechanics, who gives us an overview of our research profile that underpins our undergraduate programmes. Polly also shares her own multi-species research that explores how the musculoskeletal system determines, adapts and becomes specialised to tasks in both humans and animals. Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Two of our Health and Exercise Science graduates, Amalia and Ellie, join the podcast to discuss their time at the University, their pivotal placement years and explain how this informed and inspired their career choices in the nutrition industry and physiotherapy. Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

For this very special episode of Science on the Run, we invited two of our Sport and Exercise Science graduates, Lucy and Jack, back to campus to reflect on their time at Bath and the impact their studies have had on their career journeys to date in science and pro sport. Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Sports injury epidemiologist, Dr Stephen West, joins Science on the Run to discuss his and the Centre for Health, and Injury & Illness Prevention in Sport’s high impact research on training load monitoring and the prevention of injury in sports like rugby. Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

This episode of Science on the Run is focussed on nutrition and metabolism, in which two professors from the Centre for Nutrition, Exercise and Metabolism join us to discuss their fascinating research related to what, how and when we fuel our bodies, and where this content features on the BSc (Hons) Sport, Health and Exercise programmes at Bath. Views and opinions expressed by the participants in these recordings are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. Information correct at time of production. We may make changes to our courses or other aspects of your student experience in response to, for example, feedback from students, developments in the field of studies, the requirements of accrediting bodies, or any unforeseen or unavoidable circumstances. Always refer to the University of Bath's website for the latest information. The views and opinions of those taking part in this video are their own and not necessarily those of the University of Bath. bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/disclaimer

Join Placement Officer, Katherine Bright, and two students - Betty and Roxy - to discuss the joys, challenges and surprises which form the reality of Being on Placement. Email your ideas and suggestions for future episodes to fac-sci-placements@bath.ac.uk

Join Placement Officer, Katherine Bright, with her guests Maia Thorne from Student Support, and student, Anna, to discuss how to make the most of your first few weeks on placement. Transcript available here- https://xerte.bath.ac.uk/play.php?template_id=3565#page1section5

Will Hutton and Polly Toynbee review the reforms and strategies of the new government and to discuss how it has been addressing the pressing economic, social and political challenges we face. They discuss the government’s key missions – economic growth, clean energy, safer streets, opportunities for all and an NHS fit for the future – and the actions they have taken on these so far. Where do we need to see new policy development to deliver lasting economic and social change? Chaired by Dr Sophie Whiting. This University of Bath IPR event took place on 24 April 2025.

Join Katherine Bright, Placement Officer for the Faculty of Science at the University of Bath, to discuss the common mistakes students make when applying for placement. In this episode, Katherine is joined by Helen Cooke, CEO for MyPlus, and then Maia Thorne and Susan Fielding, Team Leads within the university who support our disabled students. For more information on going on placement, please contact your Placement Officer or email fac-sci-placements@bath.ac.uk

In the University of Bath's A Place for Possible podcast, you can hear current undergraduate and postgraduate students share their experiences of studying at Bath. In episode 4, some of our international students talk about relocating to the UK, and the kinds of support they've received at Bath to help them settle and make the most of their time at the University. You can read a full transcript of the episode at https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/a-place-for-possible-podcast-episode-4-transcript/

In the University of Bath's A Place for Possible podcast, you can hear current undergraduate and postgraduate students share their experiences of studying at Bath. In episode 3, our students talk about their placements, internships, and the career support they've received at Bath. Read a full transcript of the episode at https://www.bath.ac.uk/corporate-information/a-place-for-possible-podcast-episode-3-transcript/